I’m a British mum in America and there’s one thing I’ll never get used to

[Neo]

https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/british-woman-in-us_3691fa.png?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=644%2C361
An English woman said she ‘freaked out’ the first time a waiter walked away with her credit card in America (https://metro.co.uk/tag/us-news/?ico=auto_link_lifestyle_P1_LNK1).
British mum Caroline moved to the US with her family and currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
She shared a video to her 720K TikTok (https://metro.co.uk/tag/tiktok/?ico=auto_link_lifestyle_P3_LNK1) followers, on her account MummysFlippinHouse (https://www.tiktok.com/@mummysflippinhouse), lamenting all the ways America differs from her home country.


‘One thing that freaked me out when I first went to a restaurant in America is that the waiter walks away with your credit card. In the UK they have to do your payment at the table,’ she said.
https://metro.co.uk/2024/03/02/im-a-british-mum-america-this-freaked-20385120/

Yikes……Neo wouldn’t let anybody touch his card

[pollycy]

https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/british-woman-in-us_3691fa.png?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=644%2C361
An English woman said she ‘freaked out’ the first time a waiter walked away with her credit card in America (https://metro.co.uk/tag/us-news/?ico=auto_link_lifestyle_P1_LNK1).
British mum Caroline moved to the US with her family and currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
She shared a video to her 720K TikTok (https://metro.co.uk/tag/tiktok/?ico=auto_link_lifestyle_P3_LNK1) followers, on her account MummysFlippinHouse (https://www.tiktok.com/@mummysflippinhouse), lamenting all the ways America differs from her home country.


‘One thing that freaked me out when I first went to a restaurant in America is that the waiter walks away with your credit card. In the UK they have to do your payment at the table,’ she said.
https://metro.co.uk/2024/03/02/im-a-british-mum-america-this-freaked-20385120/

Yikes……Neo wouldn’t let anybody touch his card

Cash is king! Most restaurant bills don't even come to a hundred bucks, and everybody should be carrying at least that much in "walking-around money". These credit cards now are so susceptible to being hacked that all you have to do is get them in close proximity to some kind of RF 'reader' device (can be mobile, battery-powered, tiny), and you're done!

[ruthless terrier]

it's standard procedure to take a card to make the payment. what i absolutely won't do is let them hold my card while i am eating or drinking.

[Common]

https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/british-woman-in-us_3691fa.png?quality=90&strip=all&zoom=1&resize=644%2C361
An English woman said she ‘freaked out’ the first time a waiter walked away with her credit card in America (https://metro.co.uk/tag/us-news/?ico=auto_link_lifestyle_P1_LNK1).
British mum Caroline moved to the US with her family and currently resides in Boston, Massachusetts.
She shared a video to her 720K TikTok (https://metro.co.uk/tag/tiktok/?ico=auto_link_lifestyle_P3_LNK1) followers, on her account MummysFlippinHouse (https://www.tiktok.com/@mummysflippinhouse), lamenting all the ways America differs from her home country.


‘One thing that freaked me out when I first went to a restaurant in America is that the waiter walks away with your credit card. In the UK they have to do your payment at the table,’ she said.
https://metro.co.uk/2024/03/02/im-a-british-mum-america-this-freaked-20385120/

Yikes……Neo wouldn’t let anybody touch his card

They do it by hand at the table? where do they run your credit card

[FNguy]

I've seen the handheld computers that charge your card getting more popular here in Northeast

[Old Tex]

I freaked out there when I went to look a new cars. First off, nothing but pamphlets to look at. Second was being told that "I'll be with you in 30 minutes". I had arrived at tea time.

[dinosaur]

The last time an Outback employee walked off with my credit card, I bought a computer for some guy in Latvia! No more!

Oh, and with these new fangled little machines the wait staff are using, with "suggested" tip levels? Cash bypasses that crap! No thanks! I'll leave a cash tip on the table.

[Dr. Felix Birdbiter]

I always try to give a tip directly to the wait person (or increasingly wait thing). I want to know they got it.

Speaking of dining out cost, in the early 1970's I went to a well known Spanish restaurant in Baltimore MD, Tio Pepe's. The meal for two came to just over $25.00 and the normal tip was 10 percent. So, I was able to dine for two for under $30.00. Today, a run of the mill place will set you back $60.00 to $70.00 plus they now want a 22% tip. Today you are not only tipping your wait person but also the buss boy and the person who delivers your order (increasingly a third person). The wait staff is required to share tips with several other people so a meal runs you just under $100.00.

I would rather see them increase the menu price and eliminate tipping completely.

As an aside, in 1971 I was working for the railroad and earning a very good wage for the times of about $9000.00 annually. When I retired a few years ago I was earning over ten times that amount. So that $25.00 meal was much higher than it is today.

[12icer]

You worked for a railroad making 9000 a year in 71? Did you get laid off or mark off a lot or something? I think garment workers were making about 3000 a Year back then for a 40 hour week plus production offsets, an EMT1 was making about 5500. But Construction electricians were up around 12,000. Maybe I am thinking of a different craft.

My father got about 4500 a month as a plant engineer and corporate equipment startup manager for Alusuisse

[Neo]

I always try to give a tip directly to the wait person (or increasingly wait thing). I want to know they got it.

Speaking of dining out cost, in the early 1970's I went to a well known Spanish restaurant in Baltimore MD, Tio Pepe's. The meal for two came to just over $25.00 and the normal tip was 10 percent. So, I was able to dine for two for under $30.00. Today, a run of the mill place will set you back $60.00 to $70.00 plus they now want a 22% tip. Today you are not only tipping your wait person but also the buss boy and the person who delivers your order (increasingly a third person). The wait staff is required to share tips with several other people so a meal runs you just under $100.00.

I would rather see them increase the menu price and eliminate tipping completely.

As an aside, in 1971 I was working for the railroad and earning a very good wage for the times of about $9000.00 annually. When I retired a few years ago I was earning over ten times that amount. So that $25.00 meal was much higher than it is today.

Are you legally bound to leave tips in America?

In a hotel casino bar a rather large example of a red Indian bloke always served my wife and I all week at his end of the bar, it was a very long bar and we always sat at a barstool after the evening meal.

We were staying in the casino resort of Laughlin, the hotel was called “The Edgewater Hotel” where we sat had a grand view of everything going on, I even played on the bar betting machine…brilliant!

The barman didn’t rush, he had a no nonsense approach, I explained to him if he saw my beer glass go down to its final quarter he should get me another all evening until I told him I’d had enough, or an elbow in the ribs from the wife telling me I’d had enough.

The year was 2005 The English pound Sterling was doing rather well against the dollar, two Dollars for a Pound.
On our last evening I called this giant bloke over, he stood before me and I put a 10 dollar note in his hand and told him it was for him, he looked at me quizzically and said “hey man that’s ten bucks?” I nodded and said “yeah, keep it”

I gave the barman the equal of £5 it was nothing to me, but for him it was I guess?

[Dr. Felix Birdbiter]

You worked for a railroad making 9000 a year in 71? Did you get laid off or mark off a lot or something? I think garment workers were making about 3000 a Year back then for a 40 hour week plus production offsets, an EMT1 was making about 5500. But Construction electricians were up around 12,000. Maybe I am thinking of a different craft.

My father got about 4500 a month as a plant engineer and corporate equipment startup manager for Alusuisse


Thank you for your bullshit post. I enjoyed it.

[Dr. Felix Birdbiter]

Are you legally bound to leave tips in America?

In a hotel casino bar a rather large example of a red Indian bloke always served my wife and I all week at his end of the bar, it was a very long bar and we always sat at a barstool after the evening meal.

We were staying in the casino resort of Laughlin, the hotel was called “The Edgewater Hotel” where we sat had a grand view of everything going on, I even played on the bar betting machine…brilliant!

The barman didn’t rush, he had a no nonsense approach, I explained to him if he saw my beer glass go down to its final quarter he should get me another all evening until I told him I’d had enough, or an elbow in the ribs from the wife telling me I’d had enough.

The year was 2005 The English pound Sterling was doing rather well against the dollar, two Dollars for a Pound.
On our last evening I called this giant bloke over, he stood before me and I put a 10 dollar note in his hand and told him it was for him, he looked at me quizzically and said “hey man that’s ten bucks?” I nodded and said “yeah, keep it”

I gave the barman the equal of £5 it was nothing to me, but for him it was I guess?

No, you are not legally required to leave a tip. However, you should understand that for the wait staff in a restaurant tipping is the bulk of their income. They are paid next to nothing in wages from the establishment with the expectation the diner will make up the difference

[Northern Rivers]

No, you are not legally required to leave a tip. However, you should understand that for the wait staff in a restaurant tipping is the bulk of their income. They are paid next to nothing in wages from the establishment with the expectation the diner will make up the differenceTipping is rare in Oz... At my fav Calabrese restaurant, where they know me...I ALWAYS start off the evening with a twenty in their tip jar. I am quite well looked after, too!

[Physics Hunter]

Are you legally bound to leave tips in America?

In a hotel casino bar a rather large example of a red Indian bloke always served my wife and I all week at his end of the bar, it was a very long bar and we always sat at a barstool after the evening meal.

We were staying in the casino resort of Laughlin, the hotel was called “The Edgewater Hotel” where we sat had a grand view of everything going on, I even played on the bar betting machine…brilliant!

The barman didn’t rush, he had a no nonsense approach, I explained to him if he saw my beer glass go down to its final quarter he should get me another all evening until I told him I’d had enough, or an elbow in the ribs from the wife telling me I’d had enough.

The year was 2005 The English pound Sterling was doing rather well against the dollar, two Dollars for a Pound.
On our last evening I called this giant bloke over, he stood before me and I put a 10 dollar note in his hand and told him it was for him, he looked at me quizzically and said “hey man that’s ten bucks?” I nodded and said “yeah, keep it”

I gave the barman the equal of £5 it was nothing to me, but for him it was I guess?
Drinking all evening and a $10 tip sounds pretty weak...

[Neo]

Tipping we don't do over here, if a waitress or a barman shows exceptional service I will leave a tip, standard or sloppy service they get nought.

[Dr. Felix Birdbiter]

Tipping we don't do over here, if a waitress or a barman shows exceptional service I will leave a tip, standard or sloppy service they get nought.

I got nought once but there is a vaccine for that now.

[Neo]

I got nought once but there is a vaccine for that now.

My wife is northern, she'd of used the term "you'll get nowt"