patrick.net

Joe Schmoe,

And that is the whole point! You don't have to be filthy rich to get treated like you are. Once I've tipped a cocktail waitress she wouldn't care if Donald Trump walked through the door. Donald may have more money than this guy but at this point it's better to dance with those that brung ya'!

FBs probably make the worst tippers. Their math skills probably don't permit for the calculation of tip into the meal.

RTBA,

It's an investment! These young people need the money more than we do. Many of the places we go locally we are being served by our daughters classmates. They tell their folks, so on and so forth. Gosh Dad, Mr. and Mrs. DinOR are the NICEST people etc. etc. It's just good for business. (Admittedly it's a little easier on you when you're self employed) but it's STILL a good investment. I've had young people almost in tears b/c they weren't sure how they'd have gas money to get home. Or "now I'll be able to cover my insurance"! They operate on incredibly thin budgets. I've had waitresses so choked up they couldn't thank me. Figure 20% at a minimum.

HARM,

Yes, German Chocolate Upside Down cake is what I'll be ordering!

"housing souffle'" indeed!

I just spent the last half-hour reading celebrity bad-tipping stories. Too funny!

I heard that Bill Gates is a big tipper.

RTBA,

You sound like a reasonable man. In this case, I'd suggest Bellevue/Redmond/Seattle/xxxxx. You'll get a lot of snow in the mountains nearby. The closest ski place is half an hour's drive from where I live (or Seattle or Redmond or xxxx). Milder summer than Portland. Rarely do we get temperature over 90.

The downside. It's a crowded place. Very crowded. (Of course, almost any place is less crowded than the Garden State where I spent 7 years.) Certain burbs are very OK. Some are quite horsey. I like those. But I look different, so it might be difficult for me to fit in. Might not be a problem for you. The commute distance from these burbs to employment centers is surprisingly short. (half an hour.)

Fortunately, many softies don't like these burbs as they are (1) old and (2) somewhat rural. They like newer developments in Issaquah and the likes. Let them have the cakes.

If you can tele-commute, then Bellingham is an even better place.

However, having lived all my life on east coasts with certain types of climates, I sorely miss the distinct four seasons. Nothing beats the crisp air and clear sky of the autumn in Northeast. And the first feel of onset of spring after a cold winter. And walking in the snow-covered streets (during the day, not at night). And the hot and idylic summer, which in my book is the only insufferable season on the east coast (actually, more accurately, New England).

If I had money, I'd definitely buy an apartment in Manhattan and spend the fall season there.

SQT,

Is that stuff the bomb or what! Some of these gals descriptions of "the evening" and "the guests" are just too funny! You know, one of the great things about being a decent tipper is that if you really are stretched thin, they understand! Just PLEASE don't put me in the Shitty Tipper's Data Base!

Govenernor,
I tried the east coast for 3 years, more specifically Boston. Beautiful city. Nice parks, lots of history. But the winters and summers almost killed me every year. One year I recall it got so cold that the toilets in the crappy house we rented froze because we forgot to refill the heating oil tank. One summer I landed at the Boston airport at 10 PM. It was 97 degrees. I had no AC either. The last winter I was there it was -20 one day. That was enough for me! Otherwise, lovely area to live.

RTBA,

My bad. But you know, even if you can't tip "HUGE" don't worry about it. Try to be as fun and friendly as possible and make sure whoever you're with doesn't tie up this person's time with odd requests each time they happen to walk by so they can devote their time to people with larger parties (and bigger bills). The more I talk to these people I realize it's almost as if they are running their own business within a business. We should all help them become the BEST business people they can.

I wouldn’t recommend upstate New York without an air conditioner, but 97 would be beyond hot.

I do not recommend any place without air conditioner if it can be higher than 80 degrees for more than a few days.

RTBA,

A few years ago, Seattle had the 2nd worse traffic in the nation. I don't know if the standing has improved since. I used to take language lessons on the seattle side, while working on the east side. The classes began at 6PM. I was never able to make it on time, even if I left an hour and a half earlier. Eventually, I just dropped it. That probably explains why I still cannot converse in French when the situation calls for it :)

The traffic jam starts at around 7:30 AM and eases at around 10, 4:30 again and eases at around 7-7:30 PM. The jam is throughout the region, not just the highways connecting the eastside and Seattle. So if you choose to live in South Seattle -- say Renton, where houses are cheaper -- and work in downtown, you'll have a tough time commuting by car. Once the rails are built, I expect the commute problems to be eased somewhat. But that's 10 years down the road. (I haven't kept up with the progress. Last time they were building a monorail. But then some people wanted to scrap the whole plan, blah and blah. So the timeline is my guesstimate.)

Many people come to work after 10 and leave after 7. As a teacher, it might be OK for you because you'll have to leave for school early in the morning but be able to finish your day by 4PM.

Peter, you have been pampered :)

RTTBA,
I was in Boston where the wind blew off the ocean. It was arctic cold. The year I was there it broke a 50 year record. It was ridiculous. It was so cold that I decided to stay home and simply sit watching tv with an electric blanket covering me because that year I had a tiny apartment with rattly single pane windows and a hissing radiator that wasn't able to do squat when it was that cold. It was 50 degrees in my apartment for a week. Even taking a bath was unpleseant because the water got cold fast. I decided right then and there that I'd make sure not to move above the NC/ Mason-Dixon line in order to avoid that kind of weather.
I really hated the snow too. It was cool the 1st year because it never snowed back home. But when the stuff melted and became slush, it was nasty. It was also bad when the stuff stuck around for a few months during the height of the winter. I'm very sensitive to my surroundings and the grey dreariness really got to me after awhile. I do have some fond memories though. I remember walking back from work through the burbs and being the only one while it was snowing hard and it was all quite except for a single street light. I also remember one day taking a day off and slushing to the Boston museum of art and spending the whole day in there because it was HUGE.

Peter, you have been pampered

I just cannot stand the heat. I do not mind the chill though. Perhaps I am cold-blooded. :)

SHTF,

I lived in Maine for 3 years. Arguably the winter there is more intolerable than that in Boston. But I found the winter there not just OK but quite lovely. There were days that could freeze your face off if you decided to walk outside. Wind chill was a big factor on those days. But very few days were like that. For some reason, I believe Boston to have more extreme climate than Maine. While still a student in Maine, I visited Boston twice, once around Christmas and once in summer. On both visits, I was surprised how worse the weather was in Boston.

Can a New England native chime in on this?

s/is more intolerable/should be more intolerable/

Appropos of nothing....

...has anyone else noticed the content of spam changing recently?

Gone are the "get a bigger d*ck", or "soft Ci-Alis" ads that clog up my junk mail folder.

Now its all "get a Mortgage" or "Refinance NOW!!".

Maybe mortgages will be the pr0n of 2007...;-)

NF,

Thanks. That sounds about right.

RTBA,

That's why it's important to pick a good location for your work and dwelling. I live within 5-10 minutes from my office by WALK, although I still drive everyday. I don't go around that much these days and my hours are weird. So the traffic doesn't really bother me.

But on a few weekday afternoons when my buddy and I went out for sailing, we had to drive through the jammed streets from Redmond to Kirkland. At 4PM, what usually takes 5-10 minutes by car often ended up taking half an hour or more!

RTBA,

On a closer examination of your criteria, I must say it'll be difficult for you find your ideal spot. For one thing, any place that is desirable for its natural attraction (climate, mountains, etc) and employment opportunities will be crowded and experience traffic jams.

Is 15% considered stingy? I always tip that amount, occasionally 20% if the service is nice or when rounding up (often for drinks at the bar).

I didn't know there's such big difference (in terms of repeat treatment by waiters) between tipping 10% and 20% and above.

What percentage is considered good? 25%?

The other thing is that in Europe tips were always included in the bill. The stupid me still tips there, though. As a matter of fact, on one occasion, the waitress was standing next to me when I was signing the CC receipt. The inquisitive look she cast on my hand holding the pen was like "the guy seems to be from America. He must be rich and possibly clueless. How much is this guy going to tip me?" The stupid me of course tipped. I only got wiser when a much older (American) gentleman pointed out that in Europe I should not tip in general.

But still. I do believe tipping is important to the waiters/waitresses. So even if the service was sub-par, I would generally tip my usual 15%. For one thing, the guy/gal might have had a bad day.

In some sense, I think the European system is not bad. It takes the decision out of the customers' hands. If I like the service, I can and will definitely give extra.

I must confess that on one hand I enjoy tipping more, yet on the other hand I sort feel that that kind of good feeling may be demeaning. How I wish the money transaction never takes place. Sometimes I just wish I had a lot of money and just give it away.

But still. I do believe tipping is important to the waiters/waitresses. So even if the service was sub-par, I would generally tip my usual 15%. For one thing, the guy/gal might have had a bad day.

I think so too. But if I sense that the waiters/waitresses is willfully negligent, I will give $0.00 or $0.02, literally.

In some sense, I think the European system is not bad.

I love that system.

That's why I said earlier (yesterday) that American individuals were quite liked in other parts of the world, because they are generous. Relative high income certainly helps. But I think the culture here is against stinginess.

Sometimes I just wish I had a lot of money and just give it away.

Yes, but giving to restaurant waitpersons is rather low on my charitable priorities.

Not a New England native, but I lived in Boston for 8 (long) years. The weather is nice...for about 10 days out of the year. Winters are brutal. The blizzards and snowstorms aren't so bad - they're actually fun to walk around in, but the 3-4 days after the storm, when the snow melts/freezes into this soot-permeated gray sheet of ice covering the roads, now that sucks. Skiing and winter outdoor sports really require serious fortitude. Growing up skiing in Tahoe, when I first skied in the NE, I wondered why anyone does it. Some days are so cold that you ski one run, go inside to warm up for 30 minutes, go back out, and repeat. Summers are too humid. Dry heat I don't mind, but humidity is unbearable. In between, Spring and Fall can be exquisite, but if you blink, you might miss them.

Peter,

Let me clarify: Giving it away to those who don't ask for it, who don't try very hard to make money, who can live happily in poverty.

Let me clarify: Giving it away to those who don’t ask for it, who don’t try very hard to make money, who can live happily in poverty.

I look at "cost effectiveness" in terms of social utility per dollar.

I think the most Ideal place as far as temps was Santa Barbera area I spent a month there in the spring almost summer time it was mid seventies most days 50's at night.

I like a system that includes the tip as part of the cost of the meal.

Yes, I hate having to do math.

Though I think a rude or negligent server shouldn’t be given a generous tip, though I have rarely run into this in all my years of going out to eat.

It is rare. Perhaps less than 10 incidents ever. And I eat out pretty much every single day.

From MA's link:

This post is basically a cry for help, suggestions, words of encouragement.

Ha Ha. I suggest becoming a monk.

OK folks…you’ve been waiting for another one of these, I’m sure…

He's going to be alright. In the worse case, personal bankruptcy. He and his family will live, albeit humilated by their new-found poverty.

New thread: A cry for help

I’m always surprised by people who complain about tip math. Is this after a lot of booze? It’s easy to figure a tenth, so you just double that for a 20% tip.

How do you double the tenth of 34.78 easily?

Round it up to $35 and double it.

Then divide by 10 to get......$7 :-)

As soon as you asked that I remembered someone making fun of me for knowing PI to 20 digits.

I do remember these

3.14159265358979323846264338327950288

I hope I remember them correctly. I used to be able to do 100 digits. Getting old.

I like a system that includes the tip as part of the cost of the meal.

Though I think a rude or negligent server shouldn’t be given a generous tip, though I have rarely run into this in all my years of going out to eat.

they only tip about 5% here, and that's optional -- because the waiters get $12-15 an hour, or more -- minimum wage by occupation again...

cos of attitude problems in sydney, sometimes the waiters ARE rude and negligent...

jamie kennedy didn't like it: Sydneysiders suck: Kennedy - People - www.smh.com.au

I tip best when the wait person is prompt, don't ask too many questions, and do what they're supposed to do. The one thing that really bugs me about chain restaurants (other than the rather high prices for mediocre food) is that they try too damn hard to be friendly, when I just want good service and not a new best friend. The over friendly or fumbling wait person annoys me because I can't afford to eat out much and only eat out with good friends.

I consider 15% to be standard, 20% to be pretty generous, 20-25% tip is very generous, a 30% tip is when the wait person goes that extra mile. I have to say that 50%+ tip is just to be too much, I go to restaurants to have food, the service should compliment the experience, not dominate it.

I never got a tipping waitress job but I did wait tables at school for two years on and off, and there are idiots there who think eating out means their wait persons are their personal slaves for the evening and wants something special with every course. Their efforts usually get the exact opposite response from the people waiting the tables. I avoid their tables as much as possible and deliberately get to the pushy person last.