Why should i pay $14 to enter the US?

[Robert Maxwell]

So what do I do if I encounter very poor service?

Tip them some pocket change so they know you didn't forget, you just thought they were awful.

That's a good idea.

I admit I've only done that for servers who were supremely terrible or abandoned me completely.

There was one time I had a server who simply disappeared shortly after delivering our food. And I don't mean just for a few minutes--it was time to get the check and she hadn't come by even once. I was prepared to walk out on the check, and then a manager came by and asked how things were and I told him our server had vanished without a word. Turned out she'd gone on a long (not authorized) break. The manager apologized up and down and comped the bill. I'm betting the server wound up paying my tab.

 

[Amaris]

Tip them some pocket change so they know you didn't forget, you just thought they were awful.

That's a good idea.

I admit I've only done that for servers who were supremely terrible or abandoned me completely.

There was one time I had a server who simply disappeared shortly after delivering our food. And I don't mean just for a few minutes--it was time to get the check and she hadn't come by even once. I was prepared to walk out on the check, and then a manager came by and asked how things were and I told him our server had vanished without a word. Turned out she'd gone on a long (not authorized) break. The manager apologized up and down and comped the bill. I'm betting the server wound up paying my tab.

Yeah, that's pretty bad. That sounds like a two cent tip situation.

 

[JarodRussell]

The most important question is: do prostitutes get tips, and how much?

 

[RoJoHen]

Why would I do that? I may think their service is poor but why would I try to have them fired? Unless someone acts egregiously (picks a fight with me or harms my family), I don't try to get people fired. By not tipping, I don't reward bad behavior. That should be enough for such a situation.

If they really suck at their job and management hasn't been clued in you're just doing them and the rest of the public a favour.

Nah. Like I said, unless they do something egregious to me or my family, I wouldn't try to get someone fired.

Honestly, depending on how bad they are, you might just want to make management aware of it. Not to get them fired, necessarily, but maybe it'll motivate them to do better if they know their job is on the line.

There was only one time I didn't tip someone. It was at Applebees, and our server just constantly ignored us. We were sitting at a table in the bar area, and she was staring at us from the other side of the bar. She would never check back to see how we were doing. I even had to wave to get her attention a few times, and she would still just ignore us and walk away.

I left her a tip in the form of a letter telling her how awful she was.

 

[Brian]

The most important question is: do prostitutes get tips, and how much?

They take the whole enchilada, not just the tip.

 

[DonIago]

Prostitutes get whatever change falls out of your trousers.

Back in college I went to a Denny's with a few friends, and our server was either developmentally disabled or just stupid (I seriously suspect the former). She was never rude or such, but appeared to have no memory whatsoever and if she was writing things down she wasn't doing a good job of it. Management ended up coming over to see how we were doing and our meal ended up being free; we also left no tip. I suspect she must have been fired shortly thereafter, and under the circumstances I would be inclined to feel a little badly for her...but then, under the circumstances I don't really think she should have been working there to begin with.

 

[infinix]

When I went to Paris, the tip was already in the bill and the servers were horrible.

I hate dining out when I am in most of Europe for that reason. Tip has become an entitlement rather than a reward.

My tipping range is anywhere from 0% to 25%. I am more relaxed in how I judge a waiter when I am dining on company dime whereas I am much more strict when I'm paying for it myself.

 

[iguana_tonante]

Tipping is something totally outside my frame of mind: in Italy, "service" is included in the bill (under "coperto e servizio", and the waiters are paid by their employers like everybody else. I might give a small tip (in the 10%-15% range, or up to the next 5 euros) if the service is extraordinary. However, I understand it's a cultural thing, so if I visit the US I will tip accordingly to custom: no biggies.

What I find surprising in this thread is the level of care that is apparently expected in American diners. Things like coming to check if everything is ok multiple times, refilling glasses, and generally interacting with me without any good reason. I might expect that in moderately high-end restaurants (say, in the 100 euro range for a one-person dinner), but surely not in a normal pizzeria or a family restaurant. There is more: I wouldn't want anyone buggering me as much during dinner. I want my dishes served correctly and fast, but that's it. I expect to see my waiter maybe 3 times during a meal: taking the orders, bringing my dishes, and coming for the check. Everything else seems superfluous to me. If I need something, I will be sure to tell you. In fact, there is only one unforgivable sin in waiting for me: ignoring me when I need you. It doesn't matter if you came by five times to check if everything is ok, but then ignore me when there is something that is not ok. I think of as a silent contract between waiter and customer: I won't pester you unnecessarily, but please be there if I need you.

Ok, I don't know why I wrote all that. It's probably the booze.

 

[trampledamage]

That's always my problem when I'm in restaurants - I never want anything when they do come over to check (in fact I usually have my mouth full so can't talk anyway!) but when I do need something I have trouble getting their attention.

 

[Sean Aaron]

Ok, I don't know why I wrote all that. It's probably the booze.

And the "buggering" - I can't wait for all the responses that fixate on that.

Two things that piss me off about service in the States:

endlessly bothering me (checking once all is well after delivering the meal will suffice; I'll summon you if I need anything else) and giving me the bill before I've even finished my meal. Seriously that really really pisses me off. If you want to throw my ass out that quick don't even bother seating me - damn!

In the UK you have to ask for the bill; otherwise you're free to enjoy the hospitality of the place (unless you didn't make a booking and have been warned up-front they need the table back by a given hour).

 

[Brian]

I prefer to have the bill laid on the table while I'm eating, so I can leave when I'm ready to. I consider that a courtesy, that they're respectful of my time and whatever constraints on it of which they may be unaware. They usually say that there's no rush, they're just putting it there for your convenience. I have never felt that it was done to push me out the door.

It's very irritating to be finished with the meal, trying to flag down a server who has forgotten that you exist so that you can have the "privilege" of paying for what you finished eating fifteen minutes ago.

 

[Sean Aaron]

Except that you often STILL have to flag down the server to pay since they've often forgotten that they gave you the bill with the food.

When I ask for the bill here, the server comes over with the card reader so I can pay promptly. I don't want to think about money when I'm eating, ta.

 

[Noname Given]

I just found out theres a charge now for the ESTA.
I am totally furious. Apparently obama is behind this. Thanks so much for voting in a mindless puppet!
This is from the ESTA website when you click apply:

The Travel Promotion Act of 2009
On March 4, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Travel Promotion Act (TPA) of 2009, Pub. L. No. 111-145. The Act directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish a fee for the use of the ESTA system, comprised of $10.00 for each VWP applicant receiving authorization to travel to the United States and $4.00 for the processing of the ESTA application. Applicants who are denied authorization to travel to the U.S. under the VWP will only be charged $4.00. The fee may only be paid by credit card.

Why should i pay for a visa waiver?
Apparently the $10 is to promote tourism. WTF! Like how is it going to promote tourism when they charge tourists a fee to enter the country?
What happens if you dont have a credit card? Not everybody does.
Its more likely to keep people away especially when flights and such cost so much now people just dont need any more expense added to a well deserved holiday/vacation.
Un f-ing believable.
The UK or any other country for that matter doesnt charge US citizens to enter their country. But i really do think the UK should start charging US citizens to enter the UK.
If they are going to pull this crap on us then we need to return the favour and bring some much needed tourism money of our own.
Maybe we could call our fee a tourist tax! Everything else gets taxed here, why not the visitors?
Unless your a so called asylum seeker of course. Then you get a massive free house and thousands of pounds in benefits!
Serioulsly pissed off and needed to rant.

Condidering what some other countries charge in VISA fees, $14.00 seems like a good deal. Don't like it? Don't visit the U.S.

 

[bigdaddy]

That's always my problem when I'm in restaurants - I never want anything when they do come over to check (in fact I usually have my mouth full so can't talk anyway!) but when I do need something I have trouble getting their attention.

Exactly. When it's time for the check they seem to disappear and one of these days I will be disappearing. All I want them to do is have a smile, and make sure to check I don't run out of water.

 

[RoJoHen]

It's hard to find a balance there, I agree. Some customers need something new every 30 seconds (Can I get more ranch? Can I get a refill? Can I get more napkins? This steak is cooked wrong. Can I get more ranch?). Other people you can ignore for 2 hours and they won't even notice that you're gone.

 

[Brian]

I would just like for them to remain available. I will catch your eye if I need something.

More than a single "how is everything?" once I start eating is annoying. If the glass is nearly empty, don't ask, just refill it. And be present (nay, not just present, be observant), should someone have to get your attention.

But when they vanish into the kitchen or out back for a smoke and I don't see them for a long time, that's when my tip amount starts ticking down...

 

[iguana_tonante]

And the "buggering" - I can't wait for all the responses that fixate on that.

I had the feeling it should haven been "bugging" when I was hitting submit, but I decided to leave it for entertainment value.

Or, you may suppose my dinners are quite risqué.

It's hard to find a balance there, I agree. Some customers need something new every 30 seconds (Can I get more ranch? Can I get a refill? Can I get more napkins? This steak is cooked wrong. Can I get more ranch?).

I'm sure there are people like that out there, but on the other hand they don't deserve to eat in a restaurant. Or to eat at all.

 

[Holdfast]

What I find surprising in this thread is the level of care that is apparently expected in American diners. Things like coming to check if everything is ok multiple times, refilling glasses, and generally interacting with me without any good reason. I might expect that in moderately high-end restaurants (say, in the 100 euro range for a one-person dinner), but surely not in a normal pizzeria or a family restaurant.

No, it's the other way round, at least in this country and (in my relatively limited experience) in the USA too.

I have never ever been hassled by a waiter in a michelin-starred or even reasonable-quality restaurant. Things appear and disappear when they should, without prompting or significant delay, with a brief announcement of the dishes when they arrive, and the waiter only really engages in conversation if I start it and express interest in something about the food. Perhaps once over the course of the meal, the owner or maitre d' might check everything is fine, but even that is generally rare. This is how waiter service should be delivered.

It's in "family restaurants" where you sometimes get the waiters who tell you their name, act as if they want to be your friends and pester you with frequent checks and water top-ups. Partly it's down to their franchise's stupid policies, designed to cater for the terminally incompetent, and partly it's to try to engage you in order to get a better tip. This is marginally acceptable behaviour if you are a genuinely attractive waitress, possessing suitably dulcet tones, but otherwise it is a surefire way to annoy me and is but one among many reasons why I tend to avoid these kind of chain/family restaurants.

 

[Brian]

Some of us are immune to the attractiveness of waitresses.

Then the constant pestering is just annoying.

 

[iguana_tonante]

I might expect that in moderately high-end restaurants (say, in the 100 euro range for a one-person dinner), but surely not in a normal pizzeria or a family restaurant.

No, it's the other way round, at least in this country and (in my relatively limited experience) in the USA too.

Well, I guess this shows that I'm not really used to have dinner in high-end restaurants. I'm a man of modest means (but extraordinary charm).