This is 100% inline with what I'm thinking. I am amazed by how many people don't realize that tips are mainly a scheme managed by the employer to guilt-trip the

This is 100% inline with what I'm thinking. I am amazed by how many people don't realize that tips are mainly a scheme managed by the employer to guilt-trip the customers into paying an extra mandatory unpredictable amount of money. The thing that makes me so sad about it, is that the waiters are the first ones to guilt-trip the customers, but never the employers. It really hits a nerve when I read those blog posts from ex-waiters, explaining how difficult it is to "live with a waiter wage, so please make sure you tip 25% at least". That attitude is exactly the reason why employers continue to take advantage of employees. I agree that in the current state of things, tips are needed for waiters to survive. But it doesn't make any sense economically. If mandatory minimum wage was set for waiters, and tips were built-in, everyone would be better off.