Now this is just too much. ;=/

[lionkingcmsl]

Taken from the KYW 1060 News Radio website.

Man Arrested for Too-Small Tip at Pizzeria

A man in Lake George, NY has found himself under arrest for allegedly leaving too small a tip at a pizza restaurant.

Humberto Taveras faces a misdemeanor theft of service after he and his party of eight others left a 10 percent tip at Soprano's Italian and American Grill in Lake George.

The restaurant says an 18 percent gratuity is "mandatory" for parties of six or more. Taveras says he didn't know that -- besides, they weren't satisfied with the food or service.

But restaurant owner Joe Soprano says all the menus have the notice and the waitress told them, too. Soprano says he's not pressing charges because of the money. He contends Taveras was rude.

Taveras plans on fighting the tipping point in court.
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Excuse me, but I thought tipping was 15% and optional. Also the size of the tip varies with the level of service. Less for poor service and more for great service.

Also most places will inlcude the tip on the biil for large parties.

And since when was being rude a criminal offense? Though I know of some people who should be arrested for taking rudeness to new highs. Or is that lows?

Comments

[raja-laba-laba.livejournal.com]

I always thought the idea of a "tip" being mandatory was stupid. Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of a gratuity that says "Thanks for a good service", or the lack of one to say "That was lousy"?

Everybody seems to be screwing everybody else over these days, anyway *sigh*

[skipai.livejournal.com]

Okay.......

You're country is getting more fucked up as the days go by and then there are some who live in that country who are the same devious, two timing shits that they are.

You pay for your food, you pay the tip. I have no problem with that. I mean, if I get a decent service in the UK I always give a tip as that person has worked hard to make your meal a very pleasant experience.

Those that don't and then when the food is bad. Forget about huge tips, you get what I thought was suitable and sometimes no tip at all.

I can think of a few places I have been to that deserved nothing.

But being arrested? *shakes head* What's next? Being arrested for wearing the wrong type of clothes in a public eating place?

Sorry, totally bollocks.

[ivymcallister.livejournal.com]

This just makes me think about the tipping debate in the beginning of Reservoir Dogs. While I'm not a Mr. Pink, I will withhold a tip if the service was poor. However, I still tip when the food is bad. After all, the server didn't cook it. :)

[camstone.livejournal.com]

1) Tips are considered part of the payment for services rendered only when more than a small party comes to eat. This is because a waiter typically is assigned a "larger than average" role in taking care of and delivering a larger order - and because a large part of the salary of the server is paid via the tip given.

2) However, if the provided service is bad, the "tip" can still be decreased accordingly, since there is no discount on the food product being served. The food cost does include (or should) a "below minimum" wage for the server. I've even been known to walk out on in mid-meal and not even pay the bill if the foot was bad and the service rude. I made sure to leave before the bill arrived. In one case, it tasted of soap - and the waiter wouldn't come when called and there was no manager in the resturant. I think he probably had some explaining to do... and deserved to.

3) Basic tips are often between 10 and 20%. Some places that are upscale (three star minimum,) the average is stated to be 18%. Middle of the road is 15% tip. I tip according to the level of service provided. If I get exceptional service, and feel I was treated well - I've been even known to tip the price of the meal.

http://www.tipping.org/tips/TipsPageRestaurant.html

[mooncat.livejournal.com]

The hell?

I know waitstaff, for the most part, make piss-poor wages and need the tips to survive, but...gah.

[jamesbarrett.livejournal.com]

If that had happened to me, I would have just sucked it up and tried harder on my subsequent tables. Not everyone appreciates the efforts you make for them. Or sometimes even realize how much effort you actually made for them. -Frisk <- waitstaff

[mooncat.livejournal.com]

*nods* The mate and I have also been known to give even more when we notice our server has an annoying/bitchy/whatever table and still manages to attend to us well. :)

With us, average service=average tip (15% or so). Great and poor service of course get tipped accordingly.

[jamesbarrett.livejournal.com]

I remember a time when one table didn't tip me, despite all I did, but my other three tables around them noticed and I got enough off them to more than make up for the one. -Frisk

[jamesbarrett.livejournal.com]

a lot of restuarants automatically put a 15% or so gratuity on parties of generally 8 or more. It is also more to protect the servers who have quite often been given the shorter end of the stick by many such parties.

But I have never heard of it as "mandatory". If I forget to have it included, I hope for the best. -Frisk

[ceruleanst.livejournal.com]

As I read it, the large-party gratuity was included on the bill, but they refused to pay it. That's a fine line.

[jamesbarrett.livejournal.com]

If the service was bad, then I really don't blame them, despite the fact that I work for those same tips. Do a better job next time and people will tip you properly for it. There are always people who tip what they want despite the job you did.

The whole situation sounds crazy to me. Then again, I never met anyone who refused to pay the gratuity once it was on the check either, but I also have never given a subpar experience that would warrant wanting to give me less. -Frisk

[jamesbarrett.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah. As an aside. I had a party of 8 today and I decided not to put the gratiuty on it. As a result, I got 20% off them. The people who rely on that sort of thing don't know how to take care of their guests. -Frisk

[torakiyoshi.livejournal.com]

I think your choice of icon says it all.

I agree with Frisk's comment immediately above mine, too.

-=TK