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Putting out those tip jars has ruined the meaning of tips. Coming from New York, where it was customary to tip everybody from cabbies to doormen to waiters to altar servers at your funeral. You tipped everybody that provided a personal service, but you did not tip automata. Since moving to California, people don't tip nearly as much, but far more cashiers put out tip jars.
The difference between McDonald's and a real restaurant is that at McDonald's they are not serving you, they are following a procedure. It does not matter how much of a tip you give them, they cannot make your experience any better.
A waiter or waitress, on the other hand is serving you. Yeah, you personally. Think about the aforementioned Bartenders. They follow a procedure, much like the McDonalds workers. But they can also very much affect your experience. For one thing, unlike McDonald's wage slaves, they don't have to serve you, and if they do, it doesn't need to be prompt. Also, even at the most busy times, the best bartenders I've seen aren't simply mindlessly taking orders and giving drinks. They provide personality that that you wouldn't get if you stole your dad's vodka and sat at home drinking with your high school friends.
Waiters and Waitresses are the same way. The best ones that I've ever had have made the experience eating in a restaurant 10 times better. That alone would be a good reason to leave a tip.
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