Whoever said black folks don’t tip must have been high on an illegal substance. I am black and I do tip but not every time because I feel and believe that tipping is not an obligation. I tip when my mood or money allows. However, to date I fail to grasp and understand why an act of courtesy such as tipping has to be attributed to the colour of my skin.
In general I feel tipping is out-dated, prone to abuse and most of the time discriminatory. In other cases it’s confusing when one has to consider when to do it, how to do it or how much to pop out. Some places and countries don’t even allow tipping! I also doubt I am the only person who doesn’t feel good about tipping in some instances. The history of the practice is not even straightforward and is quite confusing. It’s unclear when or how it started, why it came into being, who introduced it or what it was introduced for. One online article on the history of tipping states: “Tipping began in medieval England and Europe as a way to buy protection and evolved into a complicated social practice. Contemporary tipping involves a complex set of motives, including social expectations, guilt, hope for future good service and the public exhibition of one’s wealth.”
