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Comment by rspeer | Hacker News Reader

Yes, I'm glad that on top of the cultural problems of Uber, at least they don't support tipping culture.

I use Lyft when I have the choice now, but the tipping makes me uncomfortable. Tipping is why taxis drive past people of the wrong skin color. Tipping is why the most important thing in restaurant service is to be sexually attractive to your customers. Lyft does not entirely have the moral high ground, because it supports tipping.

Just pay your employees the money they earned and charge me the correct amount for it.

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"people of the wrong skin color". Ugh

I should've explained. I meant, how can skin colour be wrong or right!

@rspeer used sarcasm, implying everything you said in your two posts and more.

Your arguments are socially valid, but not statistically. People may not be racists nor sexual addicts, but unconsciously they will go to the place with less "poor people" and more "nice people", if they are able to pay for it. We can pretend that such thinking doesn't exist, but ask yourself with more attention.

"Tipping is why the most important thing in restaurant service is to be sexually attractive to your customers."

This isn't true. You tip for their service not sexual attraction.

It's hard to calculate the service they provide. Wouldn't you pay more for a pleasant drive than for an unpleasant one?

Besides these points, I think it is a stretch to say tipping is immoral.

> This isn't true. You tip for their service not sexual attraction.

Or you think you do: http://scholarship.sha.cornell.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?artic...

"This study found that attractive waitresses earned larger sales-adjusted tips than did less attractive waitresses. Attractiveness had no effect on the tips of waiters."

If this was just based on (an even) salary, wouldn't it be better for everyone?

The same logic applies without tipping. Attractive waiters can negotiate a better salary or get the job instead of someone less attractive.

Not in case of known salaries per position. (Or at least small differences in case of ranges) But we won't get there in one day. Getting rid of tipping is one of the steps.

Salaries might be set per position per restaurant, but go have a look at the staff at your local high-end steak place. Then go visit your local Chile's/Applebees/Fast Casual Dining place.

Which has a more attractive staff? Which do you suppose makes more in tips? (Or would in salary if straight salaried?)

I believe that in a straight salary system that more attractive people would be well served (no pun intended) to seek jobs at higher-end restaurants; I believe that's already happened to some extent. One table turn could tip $100 or more at a high-end place today. That will be partially shared with the multiple staff serving the table, but it's still going to be a very strong hourly rate.

Sure, there would be some migration towards the high-end, but at some point you either hire experienced people, or your reputation will suffer and you'll no longer be high-end. This migration leads to hooters, not to a place with sommeliers.

Getting rid of tipping is like treating chronic disease with symptomatic pills. Though we have to question, whether it is a real disease or simply our nature?

Demand is on customer side, not on service company or place. If someone wants to be surrounded by attractive service and is ready to pay for it (not rejecting averages, of course), is he completely wrong?

> This isn't true. You tip for their service not sexual attraction

Yes it is true. You may _think_ you do not tip for attraction, but in that case you either think wrong or do not represent a typical person.

https://psmag.com/attractive-servers-get-bigger-tips-2c7d89d...

That may be how it's supposed to work, but that's not how it actually works.

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-startling-truth-about-tip...

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