ahh, the "Verbal tip" sooo much fun, lemme tell ya.
Also, back on the "a server just takes my order, brings me food and drinks and i'm expected to pay for that"...just take a look around. Who do you think keeps the tables clean, set, the chairs wiped down, the sugar/salt filled, the silverware polished and cleaned, the floors cleaned, the glasses are clean/not spotty, etc. Then, take a walk back to the kitchen and see who makes sure everything looks right when it goes out, who makes sure there is always enough tea, bread, lemons, side stuff setup, etc. then go around and see how many tables a server gets. Generally, it's between 3 and 6 unless you're in an applebees where it goes up to 12-15 if it's a lunch shift. If you ever wondered why applebees has some shitty service, there is your answer
it's almost funny though, as I and most people don't really know what your'e getting into when you start serving. It's a lot of memory, time management, and just general interpersonal skills. People pick up on the slightest thing and if you're not at your best, not in the best mood, etc, people immediately know and your tip goes down. Seriously, people only think that servers work only when someone is there. it's rare for someone who has never served to know just how much work goes into the job, even if no one is there...
I really feel bad for my friends in manhattan who are serving at some of the middle/upper establishments. their shifts start about 2-3 hours before the restaurant opens so they can clean up, check specials, learn everthing, make sure everything is spotless, then work a shift, then everyone closes, so that's basically 4 hrs of 2.13/hr work..and they still come out of the night averaging a bit over $24 an hour..