Man explains why he will not be tipping anymore, sparks debate

Tipping has slowly and steadily become a huge issue in American society. People have grown disgruntled by this practice and feel exploited by being forced to pay more for a service. In a report, BBC described how tipping was not the norm everywhere like it was in the US. In most places, either it is not taken or included in the bill. It makes Americans question whether they are being duped as other countries' systems seem to be running smoothly in the absence of tipping. This irritation is evident in a video of Dustin Anderson - who goes by @therealdustinanderson on TikTok.

Anderson seems to be very irritated by the ongoing tipping culture in the US. Every service, be it small or big, seems to have a tip attached to it. Moreover, the tip is not 5 or 10% because it straightaway jumps to 20%. He begins the video by clearly declaring, "I am not tipping anymore, I am done." After that, he gave his reasoning behind this call. He shared how, in the past, restaurant workers expected tips from their customers in situations where they provided exceptional service. Now, it is for everything. It bothers him that it is now just 'expected.' At the end of every service, customers are served with a bill, where they are given the option of 20%, 25% and so on.

Anderson said, "And it’s just expected. They bring you the bill at the end and they’re like, ‘Here, just fill this out.’ 20%, 25%. No, you did your job. They made food, you carried it to my table. You got me a Diet Coke, thank you. That was your job. You don’t get 25% because you did your job." Other professionals don't get that, so servers also shouldn't get this privilege. Being aware of the usual reaction to such an assertion, he declared that he was not the 'bad guy.'

The man does not wish ill on the servers or want them to starve. His assertion is, "If you own a restaurant, just tell me what it costs. I don’t want people to go hungry. What does it cost for me to get my food and also so that the waitstaff doesn’t have to join the cartel, do some Lord of the Flies, Oliver Twist stuff. I want people to be taken care of. Just tell me what it costs." 

Anderson's video became viral, gaining nearly 3M views and 135K likes. The comment section understood his points and put forward their own take on the situation. @baileymae331 was in complete agreement with the take and wrote, "Same, no more tipping. I don't get tipped for being an ER nurse and saving ya life! So yeah, I'm done too." 

@gerrychatelaine believed that if other professions don't get tips, servers should not as well, "I'm a nurse and I never get a tip. It's my job and 75 % of the time people are yelling at us." @naishalarose12 commented about the other side of the coin and wrote why tips are important, "I get it, but I'm a server and I make $3.13 an hour and it sucks that now tipping is everywhere you go. It's ruining it for the servers." Some users wanted Anderson to "become a server" and know the reality of their lives. "Try being a waiter and let's see if you change your mind, waiters do a lot more than most people think they do," commented @janaynlisa.