Posted on 06/27/2009 7:38:16 AM PDT by Publius
Finished it years ago, but this is fun!
In his autobiography, Eddie Rickenbacker relates an incident that happened to he and his wife in post WW1 Germany.
Mr. Rickenbacker and his wife were staying in a hotel in Germany. Rickenbacker tipped, if I remember correctly, the hotel maid and bellhop. Both maid and bellhop, according to Rickenbacker, treated the tips with something approaching disdain. But, Rickenbacker was chastised by his wife for being so overly generous.
Later, Rickenbacker did some checking and figuring, and realized he’d hardly given the two anything in the way of a tip, due to post war inflation and that he’d incorrectly figured the rate of exchange. So, Mr. Rickenbacker went back and tipped appropriately.
My thoughts on this Mr. Rickenbacker and the tipping incident have always been twofold: 1. He went back and did the right thing. But: 2. The pair should have accepted the original tip gracefully and not acted in such a snide manner.
I’ve often thought of the above when Ayn has the bum receive charity. Jim gives the money because he can, and the bum accepts the money, without even thanks, because he expects it.
It’s quite obvious society in AS has reached the point where those that have expect to support those who don’t. That bums like those pictured in this chapter have reached the point where living off of other people is a normal part of life.
Sorry I’m late to this again. Another trip out of town, this time to see the future in-laws.
Odd. Tips in Germany are included in the bill.
(Though I tip anyway - can’t bring myself not to).
My grandmother’s third husband was a genuinely good man and did a great job taking care of and providing for my grandmother.
When he got sick just before he died, and this was after 27 years of marriage, his adult children couldn’t be bothered to come and look after him. So, my mom, even though he was not a blood relative, took it upon herself to look after he and her mom.
But, those same “adults” sure found time to show up and contest the will, claiming that Jim had a lot of money, they deserved it, etc.
This was post WW1 Germany, Weimar Republic.
Your wife must ride the train with some very stupid people. They probably even think Obama is a good choice for President (or at least think that McCain would have been).
Dunno what the rules were then - I am old, but I ain’t that dang old.
;)
If it’s built into the bill, it’s not a tip. It ceases to be a gift, for one thing, plus the amount will not vary with the quality of the service. Sounds like a bad deal for hard working wait staff and for the customer and a boon for the slackers.
Yes - but them are the rules.
Somebody here on FR said that she had been a ‘great’ fan of Farrah Fawcett and had wanted her for the role of Dagny Taggart.
And that is precisely why the scorn of European waitstaff in general and French waitstaff in particular astounds me.
Try Bavaria - waitstaff is friendly, willing to help, and very welcoming.
Just make sure you clean your plate. Wasting food will get you yelled at. Hold over from the lean times, I think.
Check your premises. I think it all fits together perfectly. If the “tip” is built into the bill, meaning everyone gets the same, and an individual gets the same regardless of their quality of service, they can be as scornful as they want. What are you going to do about it?
I derive the satisfaction of knowing that I rubbed their faces in their socialism. But also here in the states, waitstaff share their tips not just amongst themselves but among busboys and others, too.
My problem with them is this. I’ve been in Italy and heard Americans order Coca Cola with their meals. And I’ve heard the scorn heaped on them by Italians at the next table for not ordering wine without ever considering that perhaps the person is an alcoholic. I despise the fascism that makes them think they know what’s best for everyone or that everyone should follow the food rules. It has to be beer with pizza. A capuccino should never be had past 10 a.m. Who the dickens made up these rules? I don’t drink coffee because the taste never delivers what the smell promises. That is especially true of that mud in a cup popularly known as espresso. But I also don’t generally eat dessert, so if I want coffee, diluted with milk, sweetened with sugar and topped with foam, let me have it. And don’t let me hear you say, “Ma che scemenza degli americani. Non sanno proprio a mangiare altro che dei amburgher e burro di arrachidi.”
Returning to my premises, when they take that job (and in those socialist economies, it’s actually a career) they know that they’re going to have the tip shared regardless of the quality of service. I don’t care to attempt to change their system at a table.
Publius, if you’re following this thread, my most sincere apologies for allowing it to have devolved.
I derive the satisfaction of knowing that I rubbed their faces in their socialism. But also here in the states, waitstaff share their tips not just amongst themselves but among busboys and others, too.
My problem with them is this. I’ve been in Italy and heard Americans order Coca Cola with their meals. And I’ve heard the scorn heaped on them by Italians at the next table for not ordering wine without ever considering that perhaps the person is an alcoholic. I despise the fascism that makes them think they know what’s best for everyone or that everyone should follow the food rules. It has to be beer with pizza. A capuccino should never be had past 10 a.m. Who the dickens made up these rules? I don’t drink coffee because the taste never delivers what the smell promises. That is especially true of that mud in a cup popularly known as espresso. But I also don’t generally eat dessert, so if I want coffee, diluted with milk, sweetened with sugar and topped with foam, let me have it. And don’t let me hear you say, “Ma che scemenza degli americani. Non sanno proprio a mangiare altro che dei amburgher e burro di arrachidi.”
Returning to my premises, when they take that job (and in those socialist economies, it’s actually a career) they know that they’re going to have the tip shared regardless of the quality of service. I don’t care to attempt to change their system at a table.
Publius, if you’re following this thread, my most sincere apologies for allowing it to have devolved.
Your observation is correct. There are many self-described Democrats and zero supporters who ride the light rail in Denver. We have 0 supporters who actually believe The One is doing a great job, while they continue to believe everything is Bush’s fault. Colorado may be moving back to the right but Denver remains a hotbed of liberal utopian belief.
Frankly, Denver Democrats have brainwashed themselves and believe in fantasies.
This screams "Katrina" to me. People reacted to the $2000 debit cards the same way.
On the one hand, it's your money and you can do anything you want to with it, so from that point of view it's covered. Extra money for extra service I should think perfectly permissible, value for value received, as long as it really is considered extra - that's the gratuitous part of "gratuity," after all.
But in the real world of present-day America it isn't usually gratuitous at all. Wait staff are paid less well than they otherwise might be because of that. "Wages, tips, and other compensation" is what goes on the old 1040. I think in an idealized Randian world wait staff are properly compensated for their jobs per se and tips really are gratuitous. In that sense the current system is corrupt, at least from Rand's point of view. Value for value received, no cheating, and where a gratuity is no longer gratuitous and the wait staff suffer otherwise, it's cheating.
Not much evidence to back that speculation up, however. It isn't apparent that Dagny tipped Akston at his diner for the best "hamburger sandwich" she'd ever eaten. In chapter 10: She rose, paid her bill, and said, "Thank you, Dr. Akston." In fact, she even accepted one of those magic cigarettes with the dollar sign on it from him.
Dang skinflint, drug-addicted capitalist... ;-)
I must admit that I rushed through the book after getting about one third into it. But I still follow the threads and appreciate them very much!
Very good. You nailed it in that post.
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