Is “Tipping” for Service a Cultural Thing?

by today's Urban Chameleon contributor

A friend of mine always says that he doesn’t understand why poverty exists. “If all the billionaires in the world got together and gave back we wouldn’t have poverty.”

But there may be a more fundamental problem to attack first...tipping. Some see this as an unjustified donation. In fact, another friend (a Black woman), told me she can’t stand to see a tip jar by the cash register, especially at a coffee house. “Why am I tipping you on $1.25 coffee, that’s like putting your hand out and begging.”

Meanwhile, a different friend (a Black man) over tips for everything, as if he’s personally trying to correct the actions, or rather lack of actions, of people like her who’ve given the race a bad name. If you’ve worked in the service industry in America, like I have, where tips are not included in the paycheck and the establishment you’re working for has factored this in, therefore paying you minimum wage, there may be justification for much ‘tude to someone who doesn’t tip you.

A cab driver in NY once told me that I should tip at least 20% when paying with a credit card. I wasn’t sure how I felt about someone telling me how I should spend my money on them, but in a city that makes you fend for your own one may be forced to speak up if they want to eat.

The stigma of Black folks not tipping has caused a cultural split, which ironically is reflected by my two friends; One side under tips or doesn't tip at all and the other over tips to overcompensate for the ones that don’t.

The friend who came up with the solution to end poverty, (who also happens to be Black), shared an article with me where Warren Buffet and Bill Gates were attempting to do exactly what he had suggested, gather all the billionaires around the world to tackle global poverty. However, one of the biggest challenges is first getting billionaires from around the world to understand the significance of “giving back,” a concept that does not even exist in some of their cultures.

It made me think about whether or not there might be a mental or emotional block in Black culture around tipping. Ya know there were all those years where we did work for free. Like anything else, some folks may just be moving at a slower pace to wrap their heads and hearts around this thing called tipping.

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Stepping Out Of Your Board Meeting to Deal With Some Pee Pee Bull…

by today's Urban Chameleon contributor Don'tletthaJCrewFoolYa

This past weekend I found myself encountering an Urban Chameleon hurdle- a true straddling of two worlds. I was in Albany for work attending an annual conference with the State Senator to discuss the state of the economy with all the big dogs including guest speaker Warren Buffet, when I get an urgent and panicked call from a childhood friend that I grew up with in the Bronx, Arianna. I excused myself to take the call in the lobby and asked if everything was ok?

“Do you do drugs?” She asked me.

“No.” I replied.

“Like anything, weed, coke, heroine, LCD tabs, Shrooms, Wippets?”

“No, no, no, not since college and no.” I replied.

“How about Antibiotics? Or even Pro-biotics? Are you on any?”

“No, where is this going I’m at a conference with the State Senator and Warren Buffet is about to speak”

“I have a job interview to be the bartender at the Ritz Carlton and the woman said I need clean pee to get the job.”

"Ok what does that have to do with me?"

“I need to borrow some of your pee.”

“What! For what?!”

"In order to pass the drug test duh!"

Okay wait was she really trying to also play me in the mist of asking to borrow some of my pee? I really had to regroup for a minute and keep my eye on the right ball. So I calmly replied,

“I don’t know how comfortable I feel with lending out my urine. Not to mention how are going to even manage bringing it into the bathroom with you. Don’t they check you before you go in? Isn't it going to look suspicious if the urine is not at the appropriate warm body temperature?” Not believing that I was actually entertaining this ridiculous situation, she responds,

“I have a container warmer for the pee, you know like what you keep coffee in, that I'm going to transfer into a small jar right before I go in and stick it in the head wrap imma wear.

Wow she really had this figured out and with my urine.

“Honestly girl, I really just don’t feel comfortable. You’re going to have to ask someone else.”

I hung up not believing what I just had to deal with right now and couldn't help but to wonder if any of my other colleagues were receiving similar calls. I re-entered the ballroom where Buffet was already well into his presentation mad that I had probably missed some valuable information to deal wit some pee pee bullsh*t.

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