A diner decided that since he gives God ten percent of his income, he doesn’t have enough left over to give his waiter a tip.
The diner, who notes above his signature that he is a pastor, scribbled a note on his receipt : “I give God 10%, why do you get 18?” Being in the God business makes you exempt from tipping servers, according to this guy. The photo shows a receipt for $34.93, but apparently the group the pastor was with racked up a total of over $200 before taxes and the mandatory 18 percent gratuity that the restaurant charges for large groups. Sneakily, the group thought that if they rang up separate checks (which is a pain in the neck for the server, by the way) they could avoid the mandatory gratuity, which is clearly noted on the menu.
So, when the pastor grabbed all the tabs and paid for everyone’s meal with the same card, the 18 percent tip showed up on the receipt.
The diner scribbled it out, and noted that if he gives a gracious 10 percent to God, then why on earth does the hard working server expect to make 18 percent? That’s 8 percent more than God gets. Blasphemy!
But instead of making his point and tipping the server less than 10 percent — or simply being a nice guy and paying the tip — he simply refused to tip at all. The diner’s receipt hit Reddit yesterday , and outrage has ensued amongst commenters on all sides of the religious spectrum. “Parties up to eight at my work may tip whatever they’d like,” the server explained . “But larger parties receive an automatic gratuity. It’s in the computer, it’s not something I do.” The auto-gratuity policy is apparently on the menu.The server also noted that the lack of tip wasn’t a reflection of service quality. The server writes, “They had no problem with my service, and told me I was great. They just didn’t want to pay when the time came.”
I get it. Automatic gratuity is a pain. It’s annoying and something to get upset about. But a restaurant’s policy to add mandatory gratuity is generally put in place to protect servers from being under-tipped. Taking on a large party means that servers can take in fewer tables over all, and can significantly lower their tips for their shift. Regardless, I can’t recall any religious texts that claim the best way to serve God and make a stand against unpleasant protocol is to write a passive-aggressive note and stiff a hard working employee the tip they deserve.
Here’s what some Reddit commenters had to say :
Batquux points out, “Whatsoever you do to the least of my people, that you do unto me.”
Skeptical Romulan notes, “Also see Proverbs 14:31: ‘He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.’ ”
And another, Butcherandom: “As a Christian who waited tables until being laid off recently, I’m thankful for having worked a wage that depended on the generosity of others. It’s a perspective I will not forget. EDIT: Oh yeah, and that guy’s a dick. I mean…he’s ‘misguided.’ ”
Commenter Farfener gives this advice:
How to be a jerk: Don’t pay a Tip.
How to be an ignorant twit: Write a note about why you aren’t paying tip (assuming the reason is not valid)
How to be a total asshole: Write an ignorant note that uses your own religion as a reason why you aren’t paying a tip.
What do you think of this pastor’s note?
[Feature image via Shutterstock]