Stingiest things thread(op for R&R access)

Deise Vu

partyguinness wrote: »

Funnily enough I was in some restaurant in England a few back. I can't remember which it was but when the waitress was there holding the card machine I was apologizing for not having cash and having to leave the tip on the card rather than hand it to her in cash.


She basically told me not to bother as the tips on the card do not get passed on anyway- so I didnt.

I think this has something to do with the restaurant having to return the VAT on credit card tips. It would still be only 13.50% or 23% of the total tip though. I can never understand why the waiting staff wouldn't just take the equivalent out of the till in cash. As long as the actual bill before the tip is the only thing rung up, then the cash is still going to balance and nobody is any the wiser.

ArnoldJRimmer

partyguinness wrote: »

Funnily enough I was in some restaurant in England a few back. I can't remember which it was but when the waitress was there holding the card machine I was apologizing for not having cash and having to leave the tip on the card rather than hand it to her in cash.


She basically told me not to bother as the tips on the card do not get passed on anyway- so I didnt.

Which is basically theft, not stinginess. Have heard of places in the past where the managers/ owners would take the tips and use it to supplement the minimum wage that was being paid to the waiting staff. Whatever your opinion of whether you should tip or not, which is a personal preference, this is absolute sc*mbaggery of the highest order

partyguinness

ArnoldJRimmer wrote: »

Which is basically theft, not stinginess. Have heard of places in the past where the managers/ owners would take the tips and use it to supplement the minimum wage that was being paid to the waiting staff. Whatever your opinion of whether you should tip or not, which is a personal preference, this is absolute sc*mbaggery of the highest order

I don't know but I'm certain it was a chain food joint (they all are in England) and I am willing to bet that their contracts of employment cover it but yeah it is low life especially when more and more people are paying with card.

handlemaster

arctictree wrote: »

Got some '99 cones for the kids at the beach yesterday. 50c per squirt of sauce on the cone. Stingy bastard![/quote

Tell that to his kids!

Paddy Cow

Deise Vu wrote: »

I think this has something to do with the restaurant having to return the VAT on credit card tips. It would still be only 13.50% or 23% of the total tip though. I can never understand why the waiting staff wouldn't just take the equivalent out of the till in cash. As long as the actual bill before the tip is the only thing rung up, then the cash is still going to balance and nobody is any the wiser.

I think it's just pure stinginess. I worked in a posh restaurant in London years ago and in fairness to the owners, any credit card tips were always put onto our wages. Sure we'd pay tax on them but that's fair enough. Owners keeping tips for themselves is not on. Customers leave a tip thinking they go to the person who gave them good service. If they knew it went to the owners, they probably wouldn't leave it.

Le Bruise

_Dara_ wrote: »

That’s... kinda weird. Why did you need the pomp and circumstance? It’s only a tenner and at least he paid it back. A true stinge wouldn’t.

It was more just the principle of the thing and not letting him away with actually paying me back in bus receipts. I didn't mind doing a favour, but don't take the proverbial.

Plus a tenner as a student in 2001 was worth a small fortune!;)

LilRedDorcha

LilRedDorcha wrote: »

This is similar to other stories mentioned further upthread. Out for dinner with a group of friends a few years ago, and we all brought cash to pay, bar one of the girls. No problem with this as she said she'd put it on her card and take the cash from us. We'd all left a nice enough tip since it was a large enough group and they'd given great service. The stingy bh took literally all the cash, including the tip. I didn't even cop it at the time because it took me a while to process what I'd actually seen. I wouldn't have minded if it was an awkward amount left in notes and she had to dip in and take a euro or two just to not be down money, but to pocket all of it is disgraceful :mad:

Let me guess, you said nothing and then spent years fuming over it.

The amount of these stories where someone in a group pockets the tip but no one says anything, well all I can say is grow some balls.


We were out for dinner with another couple recently and my wife went and paid the bill, when we pick up the bill we always expect the other couple to leave the tip as if someone treats us to dinner we always make sure to leave a very generous tip. This time the other couple thanked us and as we were leaving I noticed there was not tip. I asked them about it and they simply said "we don't tip". I pointed out that we had paid for dinner and drinks and they once again thanked us but refused to leave a tip. As I didn't want to make a scene I took out 20 and left it on the table. We have never gone out for so much as a drink with that couple since and never will again.

I cannot stand stingy people and always felt that if someone buys you dinner that you pass the goodwill on and pay a good tip, w recently we went out for dinner with my parents and we picked up the bill, my parents then left a nice tip as it is the done thing.

LilRedDorcha

LilRedDorcha wrote: »

As I said in my post, I didn't cop it right away because I'd never seen it happen before. I actually have called her out on this nonsense since and it's partly why we're no longer friends, but I didn't really see how any of that was relevant to the story :rolleyes:

I think that if I saw a pile of money left on a table and someone took it all in one go that it wouldn't take time to process what I had seen. In fact I've seen it happen and knew instantly what had occurred and called them on it.

To add, why is it relevant, well if you see it happen and say nothing then you can't really complain about it later. You had a chance to stop it at the time but didn't.

fatbhoy

Le Bruise wrote: »

...so there was a bit of public transport...

This was when, instead of giving change on the bus, you got a little receipt for the monetary amount (20c or so) which I usually lost within minutes of receiving. My friend, however, kept these religiously, squirrelling them away for a rainy day.

Of course this in itself is not stingy, just thrifty and well organised. But then one day he asked me to do him a favour and pop in to the Dublin Bus headquarters on O'Connell St to redeem his bus receipts for him, as I'd be 'passing by' getting my bus from the quays (not quite passing but how and ever). I had no problem with this as I don't mind doing my mate's a solid, so he handed me the neatly stapled receipts, amounting to the princely sum of €10.

...

I used to collect them and store them in my wallet, until I had a good few to redeem, which would make my cycle into the city centre worthwhile.

One time, I was looking forward to my cycle into town and collecting my 1.37 when, to my horror, I noticed that the receipts didn't have anything written on them :eek:. The ink Dublin Bus used to write the amount had disappeared. I'm pretty sure DB used some kind of spy ink on purpose to catch out fools like me. It was a dark day in the fatbhoy household that day. It took me a couple of years to collect those (I was an infrequent traveller, you see). Sick, I was.

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

I think that if I saw a pile of money left on a table and someone took it all in one go that it wouldn't take time to process what I had seen. In fact I've seen it happen and knew instantly what had occurred and called them on it.

Aren't you great

facehugger99

Deleted User wrote: »

I asked them about it and they simply said "we don't tip". I pointed out that we had paid for dinner and drinks and they once again thanked us but refused to leave a tip.

the_pen_turner

fatbhoy wrote: »

I used to collect them and store them in my wallet, until I had a good few to redeem, which would make my cycle into the city centre worthwhile.

One time, I was looking forward to my cycle into town and collecting my 1.37 when, to my horror, I noticed that the receipts didn't have anything written on them :eek:. The ink Dublin Bus used to write the amount had disappeared. I'm pretty sure DB used some kind of spy ink on purpose to catch out fools like me. It was a dark day in the fatbhoy household that day. It took me a couple of years to collect those (I was an infrequent traveller, you see). Sick, I was.

its the heat. most of those are thermal ink.
i have to photocopy receipts or they will fade

bluewolf

bluewolf wrote: »

Aren't you great

Do you actually have anything to add to the thread or just posting to get a dig in as you have a habit of doing

_Dara_

Le Bruise wrote: »

It was more just the principle of the thing and not letting him away with actually paying me back in bus receipts. I didn't mind doing a favour, but don't take the proverbial.

Plus a tenner as a student in 2001 was worth a small fortune!;)

I was a student in 2001, I know. Still didn’t need it handed to me. If there was some other way to pay back money, that was always fine.

loyatemu

fatbhoy wrote: »

I used to collect them and store them in my wallet, until I had a good few to redeem, which would make my cycle into the city centre worthwhile.

One time, I was looking forward to my cycle into town and collecting my 1.37 when, to my horror, I noticed that the receipts didn't have anything written on them :eek:. The ink Dublin Bus used to write the amount had disappeared. I'm pretty sure DB used some kind of spy ink on purpose to catch out fools like me. It was a dark day in the fatbhoy household that day. It took me a couple of years to collect those (I was an infrequent traveller, you see). Sick, I was.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwEmQNd6wMA

Buford T. Justice XIX

Mod note: Folks, discuss the stingiest things here, in this thread.



Taking pot shots at each other can be carried out elsewhere, please, preferably not Boards.ie.


Thanks in advance,


Buford T. Justice.

davidk1394

Thrifty or mean, ye can decide. So on the farm I was on their was 2 Irish girls working on the farm. You bring your own lunch each day, anyway the sandwich bags they used, they washed dried and reused them for the duration they were there. I wouldn’t have believed it only for I saw it for myself. I think it was thrifty bordering mean.

Also the term a “dour Scott” is true. Their was a Scottish girl working on the farm. Myself and my friend went shopping in the near by town which was 80kms away. We asked if anyone wanted a lift and she said yes. That was fine off we went did the shopping and came back to the farm. We unloaded our shopping into our fridge and she looked after her own shopping. So about 10 minutes later she came storming in saying we took her toilet roll. I said we didn’t by a packet of toilet roll but she said no she bought an INDIVIDUAL roll of toilet roll and wanted to be reimbursed 50c for her roll. Myself and my friend started laughing and told pìss off and don’t be so hungry. She stayed looking for the money until we left

SuperS54

Deleted User wrote: »

We were out for dinner with another couple recently and my wife went and paid the bill, when we pick up the bill we always expect the other couple to leave the tip as if someone treats us to dinner we always make sure to leave a very generous tip. This time the other couple thanked us and as we were leaving I noticed there was not tip. I asked them about it and they simply said "we don't tip". I pointed out that we had paid for dinner and drinks and they once again thanked us but refused to leave a tip. As I didn't want to make a scene I took out 20 and left it on the table. We have never gone out for so much as a drink with that couple since and never will again.

I cannot stand stingy people and always felt that if someone buys you dinner that you pass the goodwill on and pay a good tip, w recently we went out for dinner with my parents and we picked up the bill, my parents then left a nice tip as it is the done thing.

First I have ever heard of that being "the done thing"! If I invite someone for dinner I would pick up the bill and the tip, I certainly wouldn't expect to be leaving a tip when someone else is paying. Generally the invite would be reciprocated at a later date if it was someone I considered a friend.

As to refusing to leave a tip, if this was in Ireland then I wouldn't have a problem with it, although I wouldn't have insisted they tip in the first place. There are many and many long threads on tipping in Ireland so I'm not going to get into it but suffice to say that it's not the same as the situation in the states where tipping keeps staff above the bread line.

quickbeam

davidk1394 wrote: »

Thrifty or mean, ye can decide. So on the farm I was on their was 2 Irish girls working on the farm. You bring your own lunch each day, anyway the sandwich bags they used, they washed dried and reused them for the duration they were there. I wouldn’t have believed it only for I saw it for myself. I think it was thrifty bordering mean.

Thrifty. Okay in my book. We use too much plastic as it is, it's good to recycle.

davidk1394

quickbeam wrote: »

Thrifty. Okay in my book. We use too much plastic as it is, it's good to recycle.

Very true

SuperS54

SuperS54 wrote: »

First I have ever heard of that being "the done thing"! If I invite someone for dinner I would pick up the bill and the tip, I certainly wouldn't expect to be leaving a tip when someone else is paying. Generally the invite would be reciprocated at a later date if it was someone I considered a friend.

As to refusing to leave a tip, if this was in Ireland then I wouldn't have a problem with it, although I wouldn't have insisted they tip in the first place. There are many and many long threads on tipping in Ireland so I'm not going to get into it but suffice to say that it's not the same as the situation in the states where tipping keeps staff above the bread line.

So if you go out to dinner with someone and they pick up the bill you also expect them to pay for a tip if one is left, that is stingy as it comes.

I think I would feel ashamed if I was out for dinner with someone and they paid for dinner and I then sat there waiting for them to leave a tip on top. I assume that if you were getting someone back for dinner and they offered to leave the tip then you would insist that they hold onto their money as it is not the done thing as the person who pays for the meal pays the tip.

As for saying it's not the same, well it is and it isn't. With zero hour contracts being quite common in Ireland these days it's not uncommon for many wait staff to be only working a couple days a week and as such a tip goes a long way. When I was in college there was one girl who got two 4 hours shifts a week (on a good week) meaning that her tips were the difference between her eating that week or not.

SuperS54

Deleted User wrote: »

So if you go out to dinner with someone and they pick up the bill you also expect them to pay for a tip if one is left, that is stingy as it comes.

Exact opposite, inviting someone for dinner and then expecting them to pay the tip is as stingy as it comes, it's like an 80% invite and the invitee gets to pay the other 20%! Certainly not a common practice.

_Dara_

SuperS54 wrote: »

Exact opposite, inviting someone for dinner and then expecting them to pay the tip is as stingy as it comes, it's like an 80% invite and the invitee gets to pay the other 20%! Certainly not a common practice.

Well no, given that tips are 10%, you’re giving only less than 10% of the dinner+tip total. It’s not a norm or expectation, but I always pay the tip if someone brings me out for dinner. Feels like the polite thing to do. It’s somewhat common in our social circles.

SuperS54

SuperS54 wrote: »

Exact opposite, inviting someone for dinner and then expecting them to pay the tip is as stingy as it comes, it's like an 80% invite and the invitee gets to pay the other 20%! Certainly not a common practice.

If it is a case of inviting someone out for dinner then maybe it may you can argue that it is stingy but when people are out and go for dinner and one picks up the tab it is the height of stinge to sit there and not even offer to pay the tip. Maybe it's just how I see it but if someone pays for my meal then I insist on getting the tip as it is the least I can do. Getting a free meal and drinks and then expecting the same person to pay the tip to me is pure and utter stinge and the kind of carry on carried out by round dodgers.

If someone asks you to get some lunch do you expect them to pay for your sandwich and drink as they invited you or is it just when invited to dinner that you have such a rigid system in place that as the invitee you are to be looked after?

If someone text you saying would you like to come out for some drinks tonight, would you expect them to pay for your drinks all night and get them the next time when you invite them out?

arctictree

With Darko on this one. Conversation normally goes like this:

Host: I'll get this.
Me: No, I'll get it.
Host: I insist
Me: OK, At least let me get the tip.

Its just being polite.

Shenshen

I've never even heard of this - I'd be mortified if someone I invited out ended up paying the tip!
Either I invite someone out, in which case I'm paying for everything, or I'm not and then we split the bill.

Kat1170

ILikeBoats

arctictree wrote: »

With Darko on this one. Conversation normally goes like this:

Host: I'll get this.
Me: No, I'll get it.
Host: I insist
Me: OK, At least let me get the tip.

Its just being polite.

Yep, play this game with the father in law every time we go out for dinner. He will never let me pay (unless I'm very sneaky) but I'll always pay the tip as a sign of gratitude

Quazzie

Deleted User wrote: »

So if you go out to dinner with someone and they pick up the bill you also expect them to pay for a tip if one is left, that is stingy as it comes.

I think I would feel ashamed if I was out for dinner with someone and they paid for dinner and I then sat there waiting for them to leave a tip on top. I assume that if you were getting someone back for dinner and they offered to leave the tip then you would insist that they hold onto their money as it is not the done thing as the person who pays for the meal pays the tip.

As for saying it's not the same, well it is and it isn't. With zero hour contracts being quite common in Ireland these days it's not uncommon for many wait staff to be only working a couple days a week and as such a tip goes a long way. When I was in college there was one girl who got two 4 hours shifts a week (on a good week) meaning that her tips were the difference between her eating that week or not.

Do you not give the tip when paying. I know I do. I would assume if someone paid, they also gave the tip at the same time.

ArnoldJRimmer

Every few months or so, this thread descends into arguments over whether to tip or not, but this is definitely a new take on it. I will always tip, but its a personal preference, if someone doesn't want to do it, then thats up to then

Actually got into a bizarre argument years ago where I was out with around six work people. The woman who took it upon herself to sort out who owed what tried to give me back the 10% I left on top of my portion of the bill. She said 'we' shouldn't be tipping, and I told her that everyone at the table could do what they wanted, but I was tipping on my portion of the meal, which I thought was a reasonable response. Being the stupid b!nt that she was, she then loudly announced to the table that I was insisting that we all had to leave 10% and started to rummage through her handbag for change. I again argued otherwise, but she took it a personal insult that I was tipping, and kept claiming that I was forcing the rest of the table to do the same. Calm down people