the tip jar

someone asked me today when i was moving? now that i am re-entering this post-near-death fight with the flu world of social interaction, i keep getting that question.

"When are you moving?"

i don't know exactly. i may have a job as early as a week from this monday, or i may have to wait until late august/early september. it all depends on the way it goes. so.....uhh....go watch some theater, support the arts, tip your audio engineer as you leave the theater.

okay, i'm kidding about that last thing. although, seriously, every one else in the world feels entitled to their own tip jar, why can't i have one? if you can tip the guy at dunkin' donuts that turned around and picked up your donut for you and charged you way too much money for it, why can't audio engineers have tip jars?

you know why? cause it is against all my morals.

waitresses get tips cause that's what they live on. hair dressers and the like get tips cause they usually have to rent their space or pay out a portion of their earnings to the owner of the establishment. these people are living off tips.

m waiting for a tip jar at the mcdonalds drive thru. "thank you for doing exactly what youre being paid to do. i admire your talent to cash out a customer and talk on your cell phone at the same time. but then i would be talking on my cell phone, too, if i stood at a cash register all day for minimum wage. i use my intense will power to not tip at DD, or any other place where you can not pass judgment of how well they did their job.

How can you tell whether that guy who pulled your slice at the pizza place did it well? Did he handle it with care? Was it at optimum temperature? If I can't judge how well you just did your job, i am not tipping you.

i show up at work, i do what i am paid to do. it is what i have chosen to do. if i wanted to make more money i would find a better paying job, not ask for tips.

now, i will be the first to admit that minimum wage is nothing close to a living wage (especially with inflation in the last years), but if you're making minimum wage you are not living off tips. in fact when all is said and done, your're probably making more per hour than i am.

i guess the problem isn't the tip jar, the problem is minimum wage. the tip jar is a symptom of the ever increasing gap between the upper and lower class. the tip jar is where middle class america is forced to choose. share the wealth and join the ranks of the poor and underpaid? ...or... stand strong against the plea of the working class and hoard your pennies and dimes?

maybe there's another choice...

i can't think of one, but i don't have the money to tip my donuteer or barrista.

so, when i am moving? as soon as 9 days or as late as mid august.

i don't mind not knowing.

hell, when i moved back, i didnt have a place to live until i was halfway here.

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