Hacker News Reader

Comment by tomohelix | Hacker News Reader

I wonder if this article is ragebait but I do feel kinda irked when I read things like this.

Coming from a place where the price you see is the price you pay (i.e. most of the world), the US surprised me with the taxes on checkout, then the business's fees, then the waiter tips, then the fucking "valet" who block off the parking lot and gave me no option but to use their "valet" service. By the time I finish paying everything, it could cost double or more what I was seeing on the menu.

I am surprised these things are treated as normal.

View on HN

> I am surprised these things are treated as normal.

Most Americans have never lived, or significantly traveled, in a country other than their own.

So they naturally treat every aspect of American culture as "the only possible way."

It's really a shame. America has many great things. And in some areas, e.g. how prices are displayed, and healthcare, we could definitely learn from others.

In the UK, we have had creeping adoption of US style tipping … 10-15 years ago, 5% cash tip was middle of the range to quite generous. Now 12.5% “discretionary” service charge is added to the card payment and you are made to feel like a pariah if you question this. It is a hidden price hike to the restaurant and doubtful the wait staff see more than a fraction. A dark pattern.

I stopped going to places where they ask for tips.

I also stopped going to places where it's expected to tip, like sit-down restaurants.

I still go to diner-style places and franchises, in my country there's no tipping bs going on in those kind of places.

OMG I FUCKING HATE VALET PARKING.

It's such a scam. Many places with valet will have valet-only parking lots. Often, they will have them in locations where self park garages are too far away to be practical. (I'll still park at those garages, though; I'd rather walk than use valet.)

Some valets will drive your car recklessly to a parking spot and change your power seat configuration. Valets with tight lots will double or triple park cars, so you'll need to wait for them to Tetris your car out of wherever they parked it. If you're picking up your car at an off-peak time and they only have one attendant, you're waiting at least ten minutes if there are others in queue.

"Free" valet; paid valet; doesn't matter. They all suck!

Reply on news.ycombinator.com