Even if what you are saying is accurate, and there seems to be a little ambiguity here, and the difference between the letter of the law and how it is applied,

Even if what you are saying is accurate, and there seems to be a little ambiguity here, and the difference between the letter of the law and how it is applied, there's still the point that the tip is so completely ingrained in to the social contract, to decline to tip in a restaurant or bar in the United States could be said to be a form of fraud. I know that language sounds extreme, but the entire economy of the restaurant, including the menu price of the food, is calculated and arranged with a presumption of a specific tip percentage. The workers are employed with the understanding that the majority of their income is derived from tips, and since virtually everyone tips around the same amount (15-20%) it all works out. When that one lone person decides to not tip because they don't see the point or understand the culturally determined agreement, it is simply a tax on everyone else involved. There are a handful of restaurants that have done away with tipping, which is great in my opinion, because it removes this ambiguity. But in all other cases the tip should be considered as much an immutable part of the price as tax is. I know it seems insane, and it sort of is insane, but not doing it doesn't change things for the better. It just harms people randomly and the non-tipper benefits while all the other customers are making up the difference. Honestly, in NYC, many servers will literally chase you down the street and confront you if you fail to tip properly. Places will stop serving you, you can and will be blacklisted from bars and restaurants. It just isn't optional, although it would seem like it should be.