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Tipping is common in America because it is unfortunately an acceptable social practice to allow employers to pay people less than a livable wage.

There are many places in the US where it is legal to pay people $2.13 an hour (for the past 20+ years).

Of course we leave millions without healthcare too, so don't look to the US for sane, humane economic practices.

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Tipping is a quirk of the culture but it doesn't mean that anyone is getting off the hook paying the employees. That money is still going from the consumer to the waiter, just not via the employer. If it was factored into the bill, it would still be moving from the consumer to the employer, just stopping off in the business checking account first.

If you think wait staff are accurately declaring income to the government for tax purposes, you are fooling yourself. There are people 'getting off the hook' for certain.

I'm not objecting to this stuff, but it does happen. Still I'd like the few grand I'd have if I didn't pay taxes either, but I suppose we have QN obligation to subsidise those who can't make it on their own.

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