Room 101

[Banshees Scream 110]

I don't think "N-word" is offensive at all, unless it is specifically intended in an offensive or demeaning way (which is usually very clear if that is the case).

 

In todays world Spanish people say it to each other, white people say it to each other, and even the Japanese. I don't say it myself because it's not really in my dialect, but I guess no matter where you go the wrong person will catch you saying it and Bang' it triggers a conflict.

[Lady Grendel 139]

I don't think "N-word" is offensive at all, unless it is specifically intended in an offensive or demeaning way (which is usually very clear if that is the case).

 

In todays world Spanish people say it to each other, white people say it to each other, and even the Japanese. I don't say it myself because it's not really in my dialect, but I guess no matter where you go the wrong person will catch you saying it and Bang' it triggers a conflict.

 

Spanish??? White to White??? Japanese????????????????

 

What are you waffling on about BS, 'N-word' is used to refer to people of a different skin colour from us whiteys . It's a word I never use, it hasn't ever crossed my mind to use it, never will, like 'Led Zeppelin' and 'good' in the same sentence.

[Banshees Scream 110]

Spanish??? White to White??? Japanese????????????????

 

Years ago N-word was a harmful word to a person who was African American, today it is very common and as I said above people from all different races use it. Yes that's right. Everybody says it to each other, but please let's not start speaking in Ebonics. I don't want the literary movement in this forum going Gangsta-Psycho.

[Godot 149]

Greedy bastards. That's another thing that should go in 101 - tipping in New York. There I was eating my fish and chips with nails - what is "scrod" for heaven's sake? Is it slang for "it's cod"? Had a couple of beers too and the bill comes to $31 which is about £16 which is enough for fish and chips, particularly when they didn't bring any vinegar. Crap chips too.

 

So I lay out $40 and the waitress says: "Shall I take that or do you want some change?"

 

Too right miss. Nine dollars for a tip? She has to be joking. I'd want a lap dance for that - two lap dances.

 

A taxi driver pulled the same stunt on a $45 fare. He says: "Most people give me $60." Well not me mate. Cheeky sod. I know people rely on their tips. But a tip's a tip. They shouldn't suggest what it should be.

 

Haven't found the American word yet for mushy peas. I asked for them and the waitress just stared at me as if I came from another planet. Too right - Planet Godot.

[CarolAnn 926]

...and on top of all that, we drive on the wrong side of the street.

[Banshees Scream 110]

So I lay out $40 and the waitress says: "Shall I take that or do you want some change?"

 

Too right miss. Nine dollars for a tip? She has to be joking. I'd want a lap dance for that - two lap dances.

 

A taxi driver pulled the same stunt on a $45 fare. He says: "Most people give me $60." Well not me mate. Cheeky sod. I know people rely on their tips. But a tip's a tip. They shouldn't suggest what it should be.

 

Let me put my two cents in your jar, for just one time here. Now Godot dude, your a man who respectively is old enough to be my father, and you put out the tip with the bill expecting a fair amount back? Hell no it doesn't work that way.

 

People will jump on your generosity faster then you can think. You put down $31 and you should leave say $3.50. So you got jumped by a waitress, and your blaming New York? The blame is really on Godot. Trust me it happens, but you should have never put down that much money and actually have expected not to be ripped off.

 

But it's a lesson. Take it with you.

[Madame Defarge 21]

What a controversy....sorry!!..controversy.

[Monoclinic 39]

I have tipping issues too Godot.

 

Firstly I and my friends will only leave tips if we think it is justly deserved. If the food or service was lousy then on principle nothing is left.

 

My major issue is with this 10% rule. Why! Whether you are in a cheap cafe or a more expensive restaurant it is likely that behind the scenes the same amount of effort has gone into serving you. Why then should someone who is likely to be better paid than in the cafe receive more just because you had to pay more for your seared tuna with herbed crushed potatoes and minted petit pois as opposed to cod, chips and mushy peas!

 

I'll clarify the restaurant part, before anyone says but what about... I'm not talking of silver service, michelin starred excellence, granted there is more work behind the scenes here. I just want to compare establishments that you are likely to frequent on a more regular basis.

[Cowboy Ronnie 78]

I've often thought about inventing a Tip-o-meter. It would work on the same principle as an hourglass. You'd sit down to dinner, put the Tip-o-meter on the table, with the hourglass turned sideways, half the sand in each of the two cylinders. This represents the standard tip percentage in whichever city you're eating. If the service is perfunctory, the Tip-o-meter stays untouched throughout the meal and at the end the waiter gets the normal 10 or 15% or whatever. But if e.g. he screws up the starter, you flip the tip-o-meter and some of the sand runs out of the "good service" side and into the "bad service" side. This represents the diminishing amount of tip he will receive. He would still have a chance to make amends, by bringing e.g. a free cocktail or maybe some garlic bread, in which case you'd turn the hourglass over the other way, and his tip potential would go back up.

 

The best part is with the Tip-o-meter sitting on the table the waiter could see exactly how well or badly he was doing, and would hopefully improve his servce throughout the meal accordingly.

 

Or else he'd hock a loogie in your creme brulee.

[Windsor 2,233]

I don't have any tipping issues.

I just generally don't tip.

 

They are getting paid aren't they?

 

When we got our milk delivered, the milkboy would get a tip mainly because of his shitty hours. I was always against it because milk boys generally get paid more than your under-16 age group.

The paper boy only gets a tip at Christmas on account of the cold weather. Also, it is christmas - you have to pretend that you are cheery and made of money.

[honez 79]

I prefer a much more direct approach, especially in a country where tipping is considered de riguer.

Often I shall ask the wait staff whether tipping is the custom, and if so, what would be considered appropriate.

I also enquire what I should expect in return for my gratuity.

This helps set the ground rules, and the staff know what they need to do to earn their gratuity, or perhaps better it.

Obviously, if they are dishonest in their initial response, then they will get short shrift when the bill is settled.

I like to get the ball rolling after the ground rules are set with the statement, "Very well, you may begin."

[Monoclinic 39]

A good old Aussie approach? Direct and to the point, I do like it but as a pommie I don't have the guts to set the cards on the table with the order.

[Banshees Scream 110]

I don't have any tipping issues.

I just generally don't tip.

 

They are getting paid aren't they?

 

Scum Bag Scum Bag

 

I bet they give you dirty looks as your walking out.

[To die for 3]

The new Big Brother race row.

It's pathetic.

 

I feel some discretion should have been used given the context in which the word was used.

Yes, it is a horrible word which can be offensive.

 

The problem with that particular word is that the usage of it can be confusing.

For example, you would not use it when chatting to Nelson Mandela or Trevor McDonald.

Today's youth culture has put a new spin on the word. Indeed, it is often used as a trendy phrase in certain company (with no offensive intent). Had it been another black person who directed that comment, nothing would have been made of it. In my opinion the word should not be off limits to white people if no racial discrimination is meant.

 

Quite frankly, I think that the bitch it was directed towards has made an arse of the black community. She is not and was not offended. She played it up hopong to become the next Shilpa Shetty.

 

I don't watch Big Brother. Honest...

I would like to add Channel 4 into Room 101. Set of irresponsible, sh*t-stirring, moneygrabbing bastards. Not only is Big Brother cheap, crap television but the producers use an incident that wasn't even aired live to boost ratings. Well, it's worked we're talking about it ....

Here's the BBClink in their "defence"

[Olveres 8]

The new Big Brother race row.

It's pathetic.

 

I feel some discretion should have been used given the context in which the word was used.

Yes, it is a horrible word which can be offensive.

 

The problem with that particular word is that the usage of it can be confusing.

For example, you would not use it when chatting to Nelson Mandela or Trevor McDonald.

Today's youth culture has put a new spin on the word. Indeed, it is often used as a trendy phrase in certain company (with no offensive intent). Had it been another black person who directed that comment, nothing would have been made of it. In my opinion the word should not be off limits to white people if no racial discrimination is meant.

 

Quite frankly, I think that the bitch it was directed towards has made an arse of the black community. She is not and was not offended. She played it up hopong to become the next Shilpa Shetty.

 

I don't watch Big Brother. Honest...

I would like to add Channel 4 into Room 101. Set of irresponsible, sh*t-stirring, moneygrabbing bastards. Not only is Big Brother cheap, crap television but the producers use an incident that wasn't even aired live to boost ratings. Well, it's worked we're talking about it ....

Here's the BBClink in their "defence"

 

I'm wondering how long it'll be till C4 lose their broadcasting licence, they must be sailing close to it now. Apparently for their next trick they're introducing two new people, one a fully paid up Klansman and the other a recently released member of the Black Panthers, shoudl make for fun viewing....

[Windsor 2,233]

I don't have any tipping issues.

I just generally don't tip.

 

They are getting paid aren't they?

 

Scum Bag Scum Bag

 

I bet they give you dirty looks as your walking out.

 

No. They know better.

If they did that I'd have them fired.

 

I'd go back and do a big greener in my food and simply blame it on the one who was giving me dirty looks...

[Banshees Scream 110]

No. They know better.

If they did that I'd have them fired.

 

Saw somebody mention before, depending on their quality of service, is how they should be tipped. If the girl is nice always coming back, and offering to refill your glass she deserves a few bucks. If the chick is talking with her friends at the other table, not so alert on the job and not coming back saying 'Need anything else??' then you throw her a few quarters.

 

(Assistance needed - Forgot to log in)

 

(Assistance supplied, deleted your 'guest' post BS)

Edited June 8, 2007 by Lady Grendel

[CarolAnn 926]

They are getting paid aren't they?

 

Actually, Windsor, in the US jobs that involve tipping (waitresses, bartenders, etc...) are generally paid far less than others.

 

The federal minimum wage is currently $5.15/hour. However, employers are allowed to consider tips as part of compensation and another minimum wage is set accordingly by state. In Texas, employees who work in areas where tips are considered part of their compensation get about $2.15/hr.

 

When you consider that when I was a cocktail waitress in the mid 1980s I was getting $2.01/hr + tips that's pretty sad.

 

In the US, tipping is considered part of the expense of eating in a restaurant. Poor service shouldn't be rewarded but acceptable service is usually tipped at 15%. I tip more because I did the job and I know how thankless it is. Extraordinary service is tipped much higher than 15%. In a higher class restaurant with professional wait staff tipping is generally at 30 - 40%.

 

There is one steakhouse here in Dallas where the wait staff averages $50K a year.

 

You used to be able to get away with not declaring all your tips as income, but technology has caught up and employers keep records and report tips to the Internal Revenue Service. I used to only declare tips on credit cards but now it's common for tips to be collected and disbursed on paychecks.

 

At any rate, I guess my point is that here it's usually (but not always) kids putting themselves through school or supporting young families who wait tables. Since it doesn't require an education it's an easy job to get but it's a hard job to keep.

 

So I tip.

 

The end.

[Guest To Tip Or To Tiptoe?]

The end.

 

"...and that, Ladies and Gentlemen, brings our thorough discussion of Tipping: Customs & Practise In Modern Western Culture to a close. I'd like to thank all our participants for their input, and suggest that any further discussion on the subject be put into Room 101. Or start its own thread."

[honez 79]

I don't think "N-word" is offensive at all, unless it is specifically intended in an offensive or demeaning way (which is usually very clear if that is the case).

[Handrejka 1,903]

People who confuse "Sunny Afternoon" by the Kinks with "Lazy Sunday" by the Small Faces. It's especially annoying when magazines get them mixed up. I like both songs, so it could be worse, still irritating though.

[Tempus Fugit 214]

.

[Windsor 2,233]

A vote for the SNP is a vote for health and Education.

 

[Godot 149]

I don't think "N-word" is offensive at all, unless it is specifically intended in an offensive or demeaning way (which is usually very clear if that is the case).

 

Like this.

[Windsor 2,233]

Animal charity adverts and general campaigning.

 

Not content with fleecing you for all that your worth, they also guilt trip you into giving.

They show animals suffering on the TV screen then we are greeted with the message:

'Turn the channel if you want, but this will not go away' (paraphrase).

The other thing they do is they show you some animal that has been badly abused and tell you what all has happened to it culminating with the question, "Is that ok with you?". Ofcourse it's not alright with me - doesn't mean I have to give you two pounds a month. Bastards.