# Have you ever tipped a fast food server.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 3, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872 "2010-12-03T23:07:32Z")
**Posts on this page:** 18
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/1 "2010-12-03T23:07:32Z")
You know, a behind the counter person who takes your order and assembles it for you to take away. Like MacDonalds or Burger King or Subway ?
Why not ?
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### Author:  [@Larzipan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larzipan)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/2 "2010-12-03T23:12:07Z")
If I get back a few coins in change I’ll tip the person, simply because I’m to lazy to really do anything with some coins I’ll probably never actually use. Other then that, I don’t really bother.
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### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/3 "2010-12-03T23:19:55Z")
Pretty much all the fast food places prohibit the employees from taking tips. There also isn’t any easy way to slip them one on the sly.
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### Author:  [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/4 "2010-12-03T23:22:50Z")
I’ve never even thought about it. Servers and the like get tips because they make far below minimum wage on their paycheck and depend on tips to make a living. I’m sorry if you work fast food and get a shitty paycheck, but I’m not going to make up for it.
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### Author:  [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/5 "2010-12-03T23:29:26Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#):
>
> I’m sorry if you work fast food and get a shitty paycheck, but I’m not going to make up for it.
Yeah, two words, “learn to fucking type”.
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### Author:  [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/6 "2010-12-03T23:30:58Z")
No. I’ve never tipped the guy at Seven Eleven either.
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [December 3, 2010, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/7 "2010-12-03T23:42:02Z")
You left out: “No, I have thought about it and rejected the idea.”
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/8 "2010-12-04T00:22:37Z")
> [@Leaffan](#):
>
> No. I’ve never tipped the guy at Seven Eleven either.
I’ve heard of people tipping cashiers, which I find utterly bizarre.
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### Author:  [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/9 "2010-12-04T00:27:07Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#):
>
> I’ve never even thought about it. Servers and the like get tips because they make far below minimum wage on their paycheck and depend on tips to make a living. \
In the US - servers make at least minimum wage here (minimum wage is $8 per hour in Alberta).
I don’t tip cashiers and fast-food workers no matter how many tip jars they put out. A waitress actually serves me - brings me stuff, takes stuff away, has some input into and affect on my dining experience. Someone punching numbers in a till and handing me a bag isn’t serving me - they’re conducting a transaction.
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### Author:  [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/10 "2010-12-04T00:30:27Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#):
>
> You know, a behind the counter person who takes your order and assembles it for you to take away. Like MacDonalds or Burger King or Subway ?
Your standard fast food joint, no.
Something like a favorite taqueria where they _literally_ assemble your order, for example building a burrito for you while you are standing there, yes ( i.e. depositing a buck or whatever in a tip jar - not a full 20% or more restaurant tip ).
Speaking of restaurants I do also tend to tip a full amount at places like Indian lunch buffets where, even though I serve my own food, there are actual waiters there to bring you drinks and fresh naan, whisk away your dirty plates and generally act as attentive servers.
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### Author:  [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/11 "2010-12-04T01:40:19Z")
I’ve thrown loose change into the Starbucks tip jar at the airport. My main motivation is getting rid of the change. It stings when the change consists of a 20 peso coin (that’s almost $2!).
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### Author:  [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/12 "2010-12-04T02:38:42Z")
Yes, at Sonic. Pretty much the custom here to let them keep the coins from the change back. At least among my crowd it is. (sometimes a bill or two, also.) Car hop type service for those who don’t know Sonic.
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### Author:  [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/13 "2010-12-04T03:11:37Z")
I never did it but I know they’re monitored real close. If you gave someone a tip, it might look like they were pocketing the money for a legit sale.
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### Author:  [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/14 "2010-12-04T03:25:50Z")
No, why the hell would I.
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### Author:  [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/15 "2010-12-04T03:52:44Z")
Is it anything like cow tipping?
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### Author:  [@Jormungandr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jormungandr)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/16 "2010-12-04T05:04:18Z")
The only two fast food places where I tip are Sonic and Farmer Boys because they bring the food to you and check to see how your meal is going.
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### Author:  [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)
#### Post date: [December 4, 2010, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/17 "2010-12-04T22:58:58Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#):
>
> No, why the hell would I.
Because you appreciate the fast service ?
Because you want to be socially just ?
Seriously folks, I think the whole tipping thing is a fucking joke. I don’t know why a server who comes to my table to bring me a coffee and clean up afterward to go along with my smorgasboard meal at the Flamingo in Vega deserves a 17 % gratuity (Included in your bill for large parties) on an expensive meal while the McDonald’s server just a few door down is expected slave his ass for you for you for pennies. They serve more than 10 people an hour.
Nobody works at MacDonalds if they could get a better job.
Forget about child labour and sweat shop conditions in the third world that Nike takes advantage oif. We are all taking advantage of unfortunate people when we choose to eat at MacDonalds.
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### Author:  [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)
#### Post date: [December 5, 2010, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-you-ever-tipped-a-fast-food-server/562872/18 "2010-12-05T11:22:14Z")
> [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](#):
>
> Nobody works at MacDonalds if they could get a better job.
What job does this rule not apply to? :dubious: