The True History of Tipping
So there is this individual that has challenged us to research the history of tipping. But did they do their own research? They stated that tipping was a "dumb American thing". But that is not how it started out. Modern tipping by customers in the United States and Europe used to be reversed; before the 20th century, tipping the the USA Was frowned upon and deemed rude, while it was standard in Europe. Pretty much up to the point it was abolished in the mid-1800's.
Americans didn't like tipping when they traveled to Europe during this time period. Before the 19th century, the US Hospitality industry saw no apparent need for tipping as a practice. Mid 1800's according to my research.
So, the individual who thinks that it was around the Great Depression that the tipping thing started, well history does not support this assertion. There is actually a very ugly history in the United States of America as to why things changed when it came to tipping and it has nothing to due with the Great Depression. 13th amendment to the USA Constitution comes to mind.
What did happen is that in some 1938 legislation, employers were only required to pay tipped workers a wage that would add up to the federal minimum wage when combined with tips. So the federal government is the entity that codified this practice into law within the United States of America. It had nothing to do with tricking the American consumer.
In the United States of America how do you decide to tip? It really should be up to the individual giving the tip. And it should be a bonus on top of the wage the employee receives. But in reality given the federal law of the United States of America and the individual states, that is not the way it happens.
But, I guess everyone needs a reminder that this is the Sosua forum. And Sosua is in the Dominican Republic not the United States of America. When I first moved to the Dominican Republic I asked a server I pulled out of a restaurant working on the Boca Chica strip (posted about it in the Boca Chica forum) about tips. Her attitude was that a tip (propina in Spanish) was a true gift. Not an obligation.
How do I decide to tip? Low paid server workers who provide a personal service that pleases me. Using that criteria, I tip the individual who cleans my room, I tip on top of the LEY if I get good service. 10 percent. I'll give money to someone in the damn street if I need some information and they give it to me straight. I tip the baggers in the store even if I am going to carry my own bags out. I tip more if they carry them out for me. The Dominican Republic is a hustling culture. If you don't like that mentality, don't come here.
So how should you tip your Prostitutes? Highly paid prostitutes should not be getting tips. I consider high payment in Sosua to be a rate of hourly pay significantly higher than the average rate on the street. So, personally I take a page out of Grownman's book and offer 500 DOP less than I am actually willing to pay so that if I receive good service I can tip that amount. But when I had my what [B]Oakie[/B] would call "High Class Chica" 300 USD two hour appointment in Santo Domingo, I didn't tip her. Even though the service was excellent. She was well compensated and in my mind did not quality for a for a tip.
Having trouble figuring out who to tip and how much in this time of information overload. ? Simply do your research for each country you plan to travel to. This is not brain surgery.