# Tipping
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping/66772
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [May 28, 2001, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping/66772 "2001-05-28T13:09:23Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2001, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping/66772/1 "2001-05-28T13:09:23Z")
I’m looking for some opinions about the practice of tipping just about any individual providing a service in the name of their job. Specifically, during the holidays, it is considered good practice to tip your mailcarrier, paper carrier, trash collectors, etc.
Now, I make a fair amount of money throughout the year, but really question that I would be tipping someone that makes a good amount MORE money than I do.
And what about delivery people (other than pizza) where I’ve paid for the luxury of having a heavy item delivered to my home, for example, furniture, appliances, etc?
As an aside, last year I gave a small tip to both mailcarrier and postal carrier but didn’t receive a thank you from either. Should that factor into this year’s tip?
I have emailed numerous times to the etiquette mavens, yet have never seen the courtesy of a response. Since this board is so vast, please share your feelings with me.
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### Author:  [@dqa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dqa)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2001, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping/66772/2 "2001-05-28T13:58:36Z")
When in doubt, Google.
[http://www.tipping.org/tips/TipsPageTipsUS.html](http://www.tipping.org/tips/TipsPageTipsUS.html)
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### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2001, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping/66772/3 "2001-05-28T14:20:22Z")
Thanks for the reply.
However, what I’m really interested in would be people’s feelings and actual experiences with this. Anybody have strong feelings on tipping the trashman who nets $50K a year as opposed to yourself bringing home considerably less?
And how about the non-existant appreciation? Seems to me that postal carriers could have a pre-printed card to drop in the box saying “thanks for thinking of me, I appreciate it!”. Does no-one else agree?
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### Author:  [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2001, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping/66772/4 "2001-05-28T14:22:09Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by MizGrand \*
> \*\*As an aside, last year I gave a small tip to both mailcarrier and postal carrier but didn’t receive a thank you from either. Should that factor into this year’s tip?
> \*\*
**dqa’s** link is an excellent one and I myself have wondered this, so thanks dqa!
Since you asked, here is _my_ opinion of the above question: I feel that a tip is a “thank-you” from _you_ to them for “a job well done”, and no thanks from them is required. To my way of thinking, it’s the same as tipping a waitron. Are they required, to chase after you as you leave the restaurant, thanking you for their tip? Or, should they mention it the next time you visit said restaurant? I wouldn’t expect it, and would find it embarrassing where one to do so.
No. You thought enough of the mail and postal carrier (what’s the diff?) to give them a little money at Christmas, and you may rest assured that they sent some warm thank-you thoughts your way when they opened that litle envelope. To require more is a little selfish, in my eyes. Hope this helps.
Quasi
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### Author:  [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2001, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping/66772/5 "2001-05-28T15:13:50Z")
What about tipping at a dinner theater? This is an establishment that has a buffet dinner followed by a stage show (sorry for stating the obvious, but I hear there aren’t that many of them around). At the local one, you watch the show from the tables you just ate at. The ticket price, about $40 each (varies by night of the week), obviously includes both dinner and the show. So … how much do I tip the wait-staff? 15% - 20% of the whole thing seems excessive, why should I tip based on the “play” part of the ticket?
I checked the Google cite, above, and it has nothing on this (evidence of the rarity of dinner theater?).
I know the Teeming Millions can help.
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### Author:  [@Andy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2001, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping/66772/6 "2001-05-28T15:34:57Z")
You could wade through some of these threads…there are many more as this topic (in general) has come up many times, although I’m not sure if your specific point was addressed.
[Tipping Pizza Deliverymen](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=55134)
[Non-Restaurant Tipping](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=32988)
[Tipping, again.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=27936)
[Tipping Ettiquette-one penny](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=66940)
[Tipping at the buffet](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=39049)
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### Author:  [@Carina42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carina42)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2001, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping/66772/7 "2001-05-28T18:09:07Z")
I personally do not tip my mail carrier or trash guys (they are gov’t employees & I never see them anyhow.) I do tip my newspaper delivery person. If someone were to make a delivery to my house, I would tip them, especially if they had to work extra hard to get a large item in place.
If I did tip my mail carrier, etc, I would not expect a personal “thank you” unless I was there. Also, how much a person makes relative to what I make would not factor in the decision. Though most people I tend to tip are fairly low-paid workers - room service people, hotel maids, delivery people.
Interesting that on **dqa’s** link it is suggested that contractors’ foremen & workers get tipped. Ptooie. I’m a contractor, & it’s very rare that anybody tips any of my employees. I wouldn’t even think of it.
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### Author:  [@Rayne\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rayne_Man)
#### Post date: [May 28, 2001, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping/66772/8 "2001-05-28T18:27:46Z")
Slight hi-jack but more all less on the right theme. When in France remember that by law the price in a resturant includes a service charge and tipping is not neccesary .Even then if the service has been realy good an extra (small) tip is appreciated .
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### Author:  [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [May 29, 2001, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tipping/66772/9 "2001-05-29T00:47:01Z")
> [@](#):
>
> However, what I’m really interested in would be people’s feelings and actual experiences with this.
**MizGrand** , meet our “In My Humble Opinion” forum. IMHO, meet **MizGrand**.