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from a foreigners perspective :-)

#261
When I was a student, I worked part-time in a pub and we frequently got tips - people would say "can I buy you drink" or "have one for yourself" and we would say : thanks I'll put the money aside for later when I get off!! :)

This was a well-known convention and applied to all the people I knew working in bars. :)
 
#262
dlloyd said:
Tipping is not required here. I'll tip around 15% if the service is good in restaurants. Tipping is pretty much unheard of in bars. You might buy the barman a drink, but that's about it.
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Yeah, I tip anywhere from 10-15%, if the service is good, depending on the price. And we always tip our bartenders and waitresses, because their hourly wage is often pretty dismal, and they're working hard. We can't buy them a drink...they're not allowed to drink while they work.

I've heard waiters/bartenders comment that, because people use plastic more often now, their tips suffer. Folks don't remember to add a gratiuity to the charge. So, I carry dollar bills and quarters, so they will have tips.

Cherie :)
 
#264
BassManPatsFan said:
Weird...up here in MA we tip about 15-20% (or at least my family does). That may be because we don't have tax on food or clothing in this state.
-Alex
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Could be. We don't have a tax on food you buy at the grocer's, but I think there is a tax on restaurant food. We pay a tax on clothes, too.

I tip what I can afford to, at *least* 10% for the sake of decency.

Cherie
 
#266
Bruce Lindfield said:
When I was a student, I worked part-time in a pub and we frequently got tips - people would say "can I buy you drink" or "have one for yourself" and we would say : thanks I'll put the money aside for later when I get off!! :)

This was a well-known convention and applied to all the people I knew working in bars. :)
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I think it depends on the pub. The pubs I worked as a Student I'd get maybe £5 to £10 a day in tips, usually in the form of drinks bought (although I drank mine), but adding a cash tip with each round was a peculiarity of American tourists.
 
#267
txbasschik said:
Yeah, I tip anywhere from 10-15%, if the service is good, depending on the price. And we always tip our bartenders and waitresses, because their hourly wage is often pretty dismal, and they're working hard. We can't buy them a drink...they're not allowed to drink while they work.
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The law here is that you're not allowed to be "drunk" behind a bar (IIRC), but that's a vague term.
 
#268
Mabeye you should make a movie about your cultural learnings of America
alig_dapics_10.jpg
 
#270
dlloyd said:
The law here is that you're not allowed to be "drunk" behind a bar (IIRC), but that's a vague term.
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Yeah, it is vague. Who decides what "drunk" is?

Because of laws requiring bartenders and waitstaff to monitor the patrons' drinking, and to be aware when someone needs to be cut off, venues stipulate that their employees not drink, so that their judgement will be clear.

Cherie
 
#271
velvetkevorkian said:
I work behind the bar in a club and we typically get reasonable tips, although it depends on the drinks prisces and the crowd thats in. I have come away with £5-8 fairly regularly.

On that note, I never realised how dismal the minimum wage is in the US. I think I earn more £s/hr on the minimum wage here than people in WalMart get $s!
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Yeah, the minimum wage here is a sin, its so low. You can't live on it.

Most bar workers I know get paid at or below minimum wage. They make up the rest in tips. That's why Americans tend to tip after every round, or in a lump sum at the end of the night. We know that the people serving us don't make a living wage, so it is expected that we give them something for their hard work.

Cherie
 
#272
morf said:
You want more differences?

You guys have AWESOME steaks. Seriously. Our steaks freakin suck compared to the fat, juicy stuff you guys have.

Your churches are very modern, while ours are usually really old, and while not run down, they're not modern either.

Alot of you drive automatic shifting cars, those aren't easily found in Europe. We drive shift sticks. You can get your driver's license in no time for almost nothing, we go through months of training and pay up to 1000 euros for it.

You can buy your smokes at the supermarket, here only in smoke shops and some gas stations.

You have steakhouses. Very few of those in Europe, we have restaurants by themes (italian, asian, etc).

Your fast food burgers are good. Ours suck. Same for fries. Oh and you lucky bast!!!!s have chili fries, none of those here :(

Oh, and Taco Bells, wish we had those here too.

you have a very crappy public transportation system. Here its alot more developped, with trams and buses that arent run down like yours.

Our raves are illegal, in the forests, and theres alot more drugs than in yours.

I'll think of more stuff eventually ;)
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A lot of that doesn't apply to Britain - we can buy cigararettes in Supermarkets, we have proper fries (chips, thank you), we certainly don't pay 1000 Euros for a driving license (actually we don't pay Euros for anything, thank god) though we do have the months of training, and we DO have a very crappy public transportation system!
 
#273
One thing I prefer here is waiters in restaurants. You don't get the "Hi my name is bimbo and I'm going to be your waitress for the evening" routine. I don't go to restaurants to get to know the staff. Also, nothing annoys me more than half way through dinner, in the midst of a conversation, Buffy comes back to say, with her utmost perkiness "How's everyone doin?". Gawd....go away. I call ya if I want you.

Over here, waiters/waitresses are more discreet far less in your face.
 
#274
bmc said:
For a Brit. :hiding:
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I take issue with that, I think we're one of Europe's MOST open minded nations. We're leading the world in stem-cell research, we have an incredibly multi-cultural society and our comedy has been amongst the most ground-breaking in the world. Though I'm not sure it's still true, we've in the past led the world in popular music. In the 70's you couldn't move for smutty movies and we have laws to allow for same-sex unions that aren't found universally in Europe or the US. We have women vicars and are looking towards women bishops, something lots of Europe, being Catholic, certainly can't expect any time soon. We like to try new things: there are restaurants for every cuisine imaginable.

On the other hand, I think our government often gives the impression that we're not open-minded by legislating for just about everything theses day: we don't want this, it's illegal to do that, don't even THINK about that, you can't say this...I'm happy to say I've never voted for them :)
 
#277
Komakino said:
I take issue with that, I think we're one of Europe's MOST open minded nations. We're leading the world in stem-cell research, we have an incredibly multi-cultural society and our comedy has been amongst the most ground-breaking in the world. Though I'm not sure it's still true, we've in the past led the world in popular music. In the 70's you couldn't move for smutty movies and we have laws to allow for same-sex unions that aren't found universally in Europe or the US. We have women vicars and are looking towards women bishops, something lots of Europe, being Catholic, certainly can't expect any time soon. We like to try new things: there are restaurants for every cuisine imaginable.

On the other hand, I think our government often gives the impression that we're not open-minded by legislating for just about everything theses day: we don't want this, it's illegal to do that, don't even THINK about that, you can't say this...I'm happy to say I've never voted for them :)
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Chill. I was poking fun at Bruce.
 
#278
bmc said:
One thing I prefer here is waiters in restaurants. You don't get the "Hi my name is bimbo and I'm going to be your waitress for the evening" routine. I don't go to restaurants to get to know the staff. Also, nothing annoys me more than half way through dinner, in the midst of a conversation, Buffy comes back to say, with her utmost perkiness "How's everyone doin?". Gawd....go away. I call ya if I want you.

Over here, waiters/waitresses are more discreet far less in your face.
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This is a good point, and it applies beyond restaurants. Theres much less emphasis on pretending your happy ALL THE TIME. I found this article quite interesting.
 

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