Are biblical passages a good substitute for tips?

[BOSSHOG]

Saw this very enlightening letter in this mornings Gulfport, Mississippi paper:

- "To the person who is leaving fake money with christian messages on it for tips, STOP! Waiters and waitresses work very hard for their tips. Your worthless money cannot be used to pay the rent, buy groceries, buy gas to get to work or any of the other things they need their money for. You are a cheat and a thief and you are leaving a very bad impression about Christians."

Wow, someone else leaving a bad impression. On the bright side I didn't see any stories about Priests or Preachers having sex with children. Maybe its just too damned hot.

[Dogmudgeon]

1. It's the diversity of the True Church

You have some who rip off waitstaff, some who molest children, and some who go to Congress and deny food and shelter and medical care to the poor.

All have their place in God's Plan For Salvation.

But there are many Christians who burn with shame at the way the Pharisees have come to dominate the temple. Look for some major kicking of ecclesiastical butt in the coming generation.

--p!

[Warpy]

2. Barbara Ehrenreich in "Nickled and Dimed"

said the conspicuous Christians--the ones with WWJD? t-shirts and crosses everywhere--were the worst tippers of anyone.

It's just more proof that anyone who feels compelled to tell the world what a great Christian he is will invariably prove himself to be a total shit.

[BOSSHOG]

4. Tax-exempt status?? Tip-exempt status??

One of my favorite lines:

- Don't tell me you are a christian let me figure it out for myself.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

8. My rule of thumb...

If you have to tell me you're a Christian, you're probably not very good at being a Christian.

[BOSSHOG]

11. There is a man running for county sheriff

I never had any intention of voting for him because there are others way more qualified to be sheriff then him, but I got one of his flyers hanging on my doorknob. The very first line of his qualifications: I am a Christian Man. That is irrelevant to me when it comes to law enforcement in the county. The guy with the most experience and law enforcement education has nothing about his religion in his literature.

[Jeff In Milwaukee]

13. LOL!

If you have "tell" people you're a Christian, what does it mean when you have to "tell" people you're a man?

[Bill McBlueState]

24. here's what baffles me

It's almost a lock that "the guy with the most experience and law enforcement education" is also a Christian. In a county that's probably over 90% Christian, it would be surprising if any of the candidates practiced a religion other than Christianity.

[BOSSHOG]

28. You are probably

100% accurate. I know there is at least one Catholic running for something or other and almost all the rest list Baptist as their religion. But the guy with the experience played to his strength. He didn't have to tell me he was a Christian. In other words he didn't rub my face in it. I want the sheriff to maintain law and order in the county, not prosletyze. The guy I'm going to vote for in the Dem Primary lists Baptist as his religion in the questionnaire published by the Paper but I know he ain't a "strict" Baptist and that's fine wiht me. And he don't advertise the fact.

[Merlot]

10. They were the worst tippers in our restaurant

We would dread the Sunday after church crowd. Not only did they tip really poorly, they would split orders, take up a lot of table space, and generally be a pain the arse.

If they couldn't afford to tip or order a full meal, they should have better sense than to come to a nice expensive restaurant, don'cha think?

[nealmhughes]

39. Absolutely as true in Tennessee as in California. Floor managing on Sunday morning was likely to

have 3/4 of the waitresses in tears and maybe a quarter of the waiters. Except for when the Episcopalians and Catholics came in first -- the Baptists get out later, it seems.

I will never forget one man leaving 35 cents on a banquet table when the waitress asked me not to add the 15% as she knew them from church and they would "hook her up big time." Well, I actually met them as they were putting on their coats and said, 'Terribly sorry, mistake on the bill, we forgot to add the gratuity which is our policy on banquet tables and for groups that go over 2 hours, it is 20% and the waiters have to split that out with the bus boys and the salad girl. You people were here for over 2 hours with 8 people and left 35 cents. She makes 2.35$ an hour minus tips. She didn't make gas money today after your tip."

Of course they were adament and called down the Lord's wrath on me, to which I replied, "Oh, I went to church at 8am and was at work by 10 to open. You can't call the manager as he is drunk at home. You can't call the owner, as he is in cocaine rehab again. Just us. Here is your new check, I have torn up the credit card receipt of the old one and you won't be charged it, as I am cancelling it when I Z out the waiters later this afternoon. Please pay me in person at the bar."

I was going to graduate college one week later and had already given my notice! Fifteen minutes I got to 86 my first rowdy drunk and have him "escorted" to the parking lot by 2 very large and heavy pipe-hitting cooks. When rehab was over, I simply said, "Fuck them, fuck you, fuck this town. I am leaving for grad school in 2 days. Later." and then threw my long apron at him and my chart with the seating on it!

Restaruant work is hell.

[Skittles]

41. they have to put their money in the church plate

you know, to pay off the results of pedophiles

[PurityOfEssence]

18. Think about that for a second; it makes total sense

If a cold-blooded reductionist argument is used, what is the prime duty of a christian? If stripped-down (pardon the salacious wording) to its barest, single drive, the goal of the christian is to save his/her own eternal ass. It's between him/her and his/her maker, and is pretty much straightforward selfishness.

A good catholic friend of mine--who's quite conservative, even to the extent of being a Republican--confided in me that of all the business dealings on which he's ever been screwed, extreme majority and worst of them were at the hands of fundies. To many of them, it doesn't matter what they do as long as they square it with the big guy. (I didn't bring up the dynamic of confession as a handy mechanism for habitual abuse; he's a good guy and he was being fair-minded.)

This type of behavior isn't a perplexing contradiction, it's at the heart of the belief system.

Yes, a lot of good comes from this particular faith, but the net result doesn't seem positive by a long shot.

[tom_paine]

44. You definitely need to read the free book that is linked to by my sigline

As you said: "This type of behavior isn't a perplexing contradiction, it's at the heart of the belief system."

There is one researcher who has studied this pehomena as has used science to experiment and understand what is at the core of the Right-Wing Authoritarian soul.

And while there is no set, pat answer, this research I have linked to below does much to explain some questions which have been mysteries since the beginning of history.

Why did Hitler, Stalin, Pinochet, Bush, and the rest happen?

Why are they so obvious in their intentions but to their followers they can literally do no wrong.

Why does it seem like there has always been and will always be 20-30% of people who will fall in love with these monsters and follow them right to the bitter toatlitarian end?

These are almost metaphysical questions, and that is how I though about them until through my own experiences during the Rise of the Bushies, which enlightened me to end end about how Hitler came to power and held it, and the research I have linked to below, made me see that science can even give understanding of the forces desroying science (and the world, for that matter).

Give it a read, if you will. I promise you won't be disappointed and may be blown away with enlightenment.

[PurityOfEssence]

47. Thanks; It's on my list. Ever read Eric Hoffer's "The True Believer"?

A classic.

Thanks for the referral; I'll get to it fairly soon.

[tom_paine]

48. No, but it's on my list, also

And thank you for reminding me and one of these days I shall also sit down with Hoeffer's masterpiece.

Undoubtedly made creepier by the fact that many of us DUers have a sort of zealotry, which in my opinion is long overdue in defending America from the predations of zxealotry from the Busheviks, which cut like a knife through butter to our checks and balances.

As Pat Robertson correctly observed, "zealots crash in the front door" (or something very close to that).

My point is, perhaps in our zealotry (although I can only speak for myself) we DUers have become more like Hoeffer's "True Believers" in our defense of our nation against even more zealous people out to destroy it.

But of course, all that is meaningless until I sit down and fully read the book, not just excerpts and articles ABOUT the book. Sloppy thinking on my part. :silly:

[The Doctor.]

31. Having been a waiter many years ago,

I can tell you that it's absolutely true.

The more "Christian" they advertise themselves to be, the worse tippers they are.

[PurityOfEssence]

36. Frank Zappa put it best

in his splendid song "The Meek Shall Inherit Nothing":
"...and when you pay your bill,
kindly leave a little tip,
and help that next poor sucker
on his one-way trip."

[polichick]

46. Yep, and that was a great book!

I'm also finding that those in the "spiritual" movement who talk about it the most seem to act from the spirit the least. Go figure...

[Crunchy Frog]

3. Damn, I've been busted.

And I thought I'd be able to get away with it. :blush:

[underpants]

5. The old lady who used to give out Bible passages at Halloween

She may have just been poor but we didn't really appreciate it at the time.

I would be pissed off too if I expected cash and got literature-what the hell can I buy with THAT??? oh yeah salvation I almost forgot.

[BOSSHOG]

6. Well it is TRICK or treat.

I guess bible passages don't rot your teeth. Yeah, I can imagine some single Mom slaving away at Waffle House worrying about making the months rent really being concerned about hell fire and brimstone.

[Harry Monroe]

37. It IS called "Trick or Treat"!!

You should have soaped her windows or TP'ed her house. But, then again, you'd probably go to hell for pulling pranks like that on a poor old lady!!:evilgrin:

[TlalocW]

7. Unfortunately this site doesn't seem to update anymore but...

I recalled a story concerning this that you can find here:

http://stainedapron.com/misc.htm

Search for "little Mexican restaurant" and you should find it.

TlalocW

[China_cat]

9. It's even worse when they do it on Sunday morning

right after church as an admonition to the staff who weren't.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

15. but if the restaurant staff were at chuch,

the dinner wouldn't be ready for the church goers, would it?

[China_cat]

19. Of course not, but that doesn't stop them.

[IndianaJones]

12. man...the Christians can't catch a break can they? nt.

[BOSSHOG]

20. Break from what?

There seemingly daily appearance in the news in an unflattering manner?

[DemBones DemBones]

23. A break from all the hatred directed our way.

These particular "Christians" acted rephrensibly. I'd tell them so to their faces if I could. Some other "Christians" behave badly.

But a lot of DUers delight in any tidbit of news about a Christian doing wrong. This story is about people acting like jerks but they didn't break the law or physically harm anyone. Generally, servers have enough good customers that they make good tips despite morons who don't tip. I think what they did is disgusting but in a world where people are being killed, maimed, raped every minute of the day, it's pretty small potatoes.

For the anti-Christian DUers, though, no story is too small. What's the deal? You people still mad because mommy and daddy made you go to church?

[BOSSHOG]

26. Tidbits?

An avalanche of self rightious tidbits? Raping small boys and offering 60 million dollars to settle lawsuits (in just one case) - small potatoes? Hating in the name of Jesus Christ on a daily basis on the radio (focus on the family)? Wanting to use the constitution as a weapon against law abiding citizens? Supporting bush in mass quantities in 02-03, believing his lies and cheering on the slaughter of innocent non-white, non-christian citizens while blathering on about being pro-life? I don't delight in any tidbit. I just pick up the daily paper.

I don't know if I was made to go to church but I was an altar boy and I contemplated the priest hood at an early age. I stopped going to church about four years ago because I was tired of being told who to hate on any particular week.

[tom_paine]

43. Well said, Chief. Well said, sir.

:toast: :patriot:

[sarcasmo]

27. Thankfully this Atheist was never "forced" to go to church.

It sure is nice to be able to think for yourself.

[yardwork]

33. Nobody made me go to church. My parents were pagan, too.

Do you have a link for your assertion that "Generally, servers have enough good customers that they make good tips despite morons who don't tip." Every been a waiter working the after-church shift in a family restaurant? Did you know that restaurants are exempt from paying minimum wage, because the assumption is that they'll make up the difference in tips. Did you know that a lot of waiters and waitresses barely make minimum wage for hours of literally back-breaking labor?

[Skittles]

42. my mommy and daddy never brainwashed me

I made up my own mind

[yardwork]

32. Christians are as Christians do.

I don't see any "hatred" in this thread except demonstrated by those who would deny a tip to a hard-working waiter or waitress. If the greedy and selfish advertise themselves as Christian, who are we to ignore their own labeling?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

14. You'd think that they'd at least put them in fortune cookies

then the wait staff would have SOMETHING they could use. Fake money with messages sounds-well-cheesy to me. Personally, I'd rather be a type of person who gave the wait staff a generous tip and have them say, "I don't know if that person is a Christian or not, it doesn't matter-they were nice to me." than to "preach" in such a miserly way.

[PurityOfEssence]

16. Too hot? Nope, that's because it isn't news.

"News" is something that happens rarely enough to be an oddity. People of the cloth going after young flesh is too commonplace a habit to be of note.

[SOS]

17. If the cheapskates come back to the restaurant

the waitress could replace their super-sized burger order with a few lettuce leaves on a plate and tell them to emulate Daniel.

[DemBones DemBones]

21. You want to hear worse?

There's a prep school here and when they have a day off from school, they hang out at a deli downtown that's very popular with teenagers, college kids, young families, old people, everybody. But these little shits go in there and make their server run back and forth. They order something, then when the server brings their order, one of them orders something else. When s/he brings that, another one orders something else. S/he returns with that and another little shit orders something. And so on. Then they leave no tip, of course, or a couple of pennies.

My daughter waited on these little shits many times, but the worst was the group that left her a paper napkin on which they'd written "TIP: GET A BETTER JOB." Fortunately, she was a very good waitress and always made good tips, despite the cheapskates and the dumbasses who don't believe in tipping "because I don't get tipped for doing my job." Idiots!

What the "Christians" did was reprehensible but at least they didn't run their server back and forth and then stiff her/him, as far as we know, and I believe the letter writer would have mentioned it if they had been that manipulative. I hope they find out if these idiots are from one religious group in the area and can expose them.

I have always tipped well, long before my daughter started waitressing, long before I had a daughter at all, actually, and as a Catholic I'm outraged that these "Christians" would behave in such an uncharitable manner. If they want to leave a tract with a tip, fine, it's a free country. But there is no excuse for not tipping. If you can't afford to tip, you can't afford to eat out.

[BOSSHOG]

22. You seem to be describing young republicans.

that is not nice at all. I tip to service and 90+ percent of the time we get very good service and I always tip more then 20% unless the service sucks and then I tip appropriately. I also give our mail carrier a gift card every Christmas, and I carry candy canes in my truck around Christmas to pass out to whomever, and our house is the favorite in the neighborhood at Halloween and all the kids who live close by us get Candy baskets at Christmas, and we don't go to church and we don't do crime and we pay our taxes and mow our lawn nicely and we give to many charities. We are just horrible human beings. Evil liberals who are the cause of all the problems in the world and between my wife and I we have more then 35 years of military service. We should be deported.

[DemBones DemBones]

25. Oh, yeah. A guy I taught with had taught at the prep school and

told me about a basketball game in which they were playing a local school that's named after a textile mill and most of the students' fathers and/or mothers work in the mill. The preppies were losing so they started cheering "Ho, Ho, Hey, Hey, You'll all work for us one day."

My former colleague went to talk to the headmaster about it but he wouldn't do a thing about the little darlings. These are not just local rich kids, either. They have boarding students from all over the world. It's a perfect example of the shallowness and selfishness of the rich.

[Virginia Dare]

29. Probably a priest who has taken a vow of poverty..

or maybe Jesus has come back? Nah, probably just some cheap fundy, figures his little Bible quotes are more valuable than money...:crazy:

[AtomicKitten]

30. years ago, my neighbors passed out Bible verses on Halloween

which always ended up in my front yard shrubbery

[cui bono]

34. I need to get me some of that "Christian" money!

I'll use it to pay my taxes.

[BOSSHOG]

35. Isn't christian money tax exempt?

[cui bono]

49. Huh? My income isn't, I just want to pay my taxes with that fake "christian" money

mentioned int he post.

[Joe Chi Minh]

38. Unfortunately, I always think of these things afterwards, but if I'd been one of the

waiters, I'd love to have called out after them, "Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain. Deu 25: 4!"

[TygrBright]

40. Oh, yeah. Back when I was trying to take home...

...enough cash to keep the lights on for another month I was always THRILLED to get a tract from that table that had all the 'specials' (as in, "I'll have a BLT, but hold the T, and instead of the B, could they fry up some ham, and oh, yeah, thousand island instead of mayo...") instead of a $5 tip on their $35 lunch tab.

Yep, that really thrilled me, alright. Made me feel all 'saved' and shit, yep...

Believe it.

Or don't.

sourly,
Bright

[salin]

45. That happened to me some 20+ years ago

was a waitress in the day and bar-tender at night for a hotel. On the day job I received a nice bible tract for a tip. Not a new phenomenon. Thankfully not a common one - at least back then it only happened once in the summer that I worked those jobs.