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Comment by Larrikin | Hacker News Reader

So like the accountant filing your taxes, the person who fixes your bug in the bug report, the electrician adding power to a new room, the plumber fixing a leak?

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No. Most of those people are self-employed, so you are usually already paying 100% of the compensation directly to them in the first place. Tipping is for when someone is doing work directly for you, but as an employee of another party.

Why is there a difference between somebody carrying a plate from the kitchen to my table and somebody preparing that plate just for me?

Do people in the US tip flight attendants who serve them meal?

Tipping flight attendants happens often enough that it wouldn't be considered bizarre, especially in business/first class. But it's not the norm, no.

This comment made me gag.

"Tipping culture" has definitely gone too far.

What about the pilot and other members at front? Do the tipped flight attendants kick some bucks over to them?

It definitely feels like an abdication of responsibility (and obligations) of the company that those people work for.

Does one leave a flight attendant tip in the seat or in that envelope in the seat pocket? (Handing a tip to someone directly feels so gauche, like I'm pretending to be some fancy person.)

Or the checkout workers at Walmart?

Do people choose to dine on airplanes? Do airlines even still serve meals?

I don't think I've ever had the electrician who showed up to my house or business be the owner. I guess it is possible, I've just never seen it.

I guess I will start tipping my dentist and dental hygienist. Also will tip at the DMV

Do you tip your nurses and your bus drivers?

What exactly does a bus driver do directly for just you? Everyone tips private drivers though.

Nurses don't get tips but it's very common for them to get thank-you gifts and treats.

In my city, it is common courtesy and sometimes expected that you say 'thank you' to the bus driver when getting off at your stop. It's not too much of a stretch to the scenario where bus drivers are tipped, except that most bus riders (at least in the US) tend to be poor. Maybe we'll have bus drivers tipping well behaved passengers instead lol.

Do you tip the mortgage specialist at the bank that prepared the mortgage for you?

No -- it's also not customary to tip people who get a commission from your purchase.

Most of those people are self-employed? Citation heavily needed.

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