What You Didn’t Know…

Tipping

Yes, tipping. That extra money you leave for the wait staff at a restaurant. Did you know at one point and time it was considered un-democratic, un-American, and disrespectful to leave a tip in America? I’ll talk more about that later. Let’s begin at the beginning. It began in the middle ages in England. Masters would give his/her servants a few extra coins if they did exceptionally well in their work. By the 16th century it was called a vail. Guests who visited someone were expected to give a vail to servants who did more than their duties. The one thing we need to understand is a vail or a tip was only given to people who they believed were there inferior. Not by skin color, but by financial status. In short rich people would only tip poor people or people with less money than them. By the 17th Century restaurants, pubs, and bars began to have a jar in the front entrance with the words “To Insure Promptitude” or T.I.P., which meant if you put money in this jar, we will serve you faster and better than those who do not put money in the jar. During the Civil War in America, Americans left the country and visited England. They like the idea of tipping so they brought it back to America. However, during that time all workers were white (European-American) and it was considered an insult to believe you were a superior to another white person. So, Americans thought it was an insult to tip. In fact, Georgia in the Early 1900s made a law to prohibit tipping. By the time slavery was over and most wait staff where black that’s when tipping became popular, because again as mentioned you only tipped people who you believed was your inferior. And as we all know white people were ignorant enough to believe they were black people’s superior, so they happily tipped black people. It even went as far as restaurant owners not paying the staff at all and encouraging the customers to tip. Back in those days for most black people tips were their only payment. Basically, the purpose of tips is so the business did not have to pay or pay low wages to the staff. Today, it is still true . In 1996 a law went into place that anyone who works for tips is LEGALLY allowed to make the minimum of $2.13 an hour and that has not changed. As of now America is the only country that still pays low wages and uses tips. In all other countries it is considered disrespectful and an insult. So, there you have it. Tipping is actually more of an insult than not tipping.

https://www.tripsavvy.com/a-brief-history-of-tipping-1329249

https://www.businessinsider.com/history-of-tipping-2015-10

https://splinternews.com/the-racist-history-of-tipping-1798704699