Tipping Toward Whining – Opinions From E. Curtis Johnson

Here’s the latest example of tip shaming. Yahoo news reports the receipt of a 20-cent tip, for a $61 bill, left by Philadelphia Eagles running back, LeSean McCoy, is selling on EBay for 99,900. You heard correctly, the receipt is on sale. As of this writing, the top bid is $84,000. Proceeds will go to the restaurant’s tip fund. McCoy says his service was bad. The restaurant owner disagrees.

Marriott hotels have teamed up with Maria Shriver to promote tipping. Marriott hotel rooms will include an envelope that says, "Our caring room attendants enjoyed making your stay warm and comfortable. Please feel free to leave a gratuity to express your appreciation for their efforts." Shriver claims tipping hotel room attendants is “customary.”

I’m E. Curtis Johnson, a member of the shrinking American middle class. I over tip, but I never tip for extra whining. I’m also not ordering the envy appetizer or refills on the bitter cup of self-pity. Here’s a tip for the service industry; unfortunately many Americans are getting their 15 to 20 percent of “the economy still sucks!”