Respectfully, this is a gross over simplification of the problem. There is a vocal minority of folks, mostly "front of house" that stand to make a decent living

Respectfully, this is a gross over simplification of the problem. There is a vocal minority of folks, mostly "front of house" that stand to make a decent living. No ones getting rich. It's just that you can make a good wage without a college degree. The appeal is obvious. THAT SAID, the vast majority of workers in hospitality are making poverty wages and working 70+ hours a week in conditions that most of us in our cushy tech jobs would not be able to tolerate. If you've never worked in the industry (and your comment makes me suspect you haven't) then its very hard to understand. It's the kind of thing you have to see.