The point is that in the US, the real price is not advertized, and in the UK tipping is not as obligatory and is therefore not a required part of preparing to p

The point is that in the US, the real price is not advertized, and in the UK tipping is not as obligatory and is therefore not a required part of preparing to pay for the meal. Case in point: I bought a sandwich at Denver airport, that was label roughly $7. I handed them my card and was asked to sign a receipt that added sales tax from multiple government jurisdictions, an airport service fee, and suggested the amount for a 21% tip that it noted in some situations would be mandatory for me to pay. I left no tip but still paid $11 for that sandwich and was not served in any way except for the girl who showed me to where to swipe my own card and handed me the receipt. In Europe servers are paid more than the equivalent of $2 an hour because the cost of their pay is already factored into the price. I still tip for great service, but increasingly I cannot in any way begin most transactions in the US without hidden fees springing up the whole way.