Show of Gratitude

 

To tip or not to tip? That is the question of the day.  When is it appropriate to tip for services rendered and when is it okay to offer a gratuity at all?  This seems to be a debate that arises every now and then.  Gratuities have become so expected that some businesses have the option on the payment device, where you have no option, but to leave a tip, whether deserving or not.

When I enter a business, like a restaurant, I already have a base tip in mind for what I'll give to my server.  Then in my mind, like the reels of an old alarm clock, that tip amount either flips forward for a higher tip or backwards for less, all depending on how my companions and I are treated.  Whatever the company I'm sharing dinner with wants to leave is up to them.  I only know what I'm prepared to leave.  Of course, I read the room and if I receive shitty service because my server is overworked and busy with a shit-ton of tables, I take that into consideration, but overall, it's all attitude.

Just last evening, I decided to check out a new burger joint that I've been passing by for a few weeks.  I chose to take my food out.  I paid for my order and right away the debit machine prompted me to pay a 10%, 15% or 25% gratuity.  "No Tip" was not offered.  I protested, as I don't see the need to tip someone who takes your order.  They didn't go above and beyond.  In fact, this girl was just...  Blank.  I don't know if she just didn't want to be there or if she was on something, but a tip was not deserved for the interaction I had.  Plus, I ordered no pickles and got pickles.  She instructed me to stand to the side, at the pick-up station, so I did so.  A few minutes later, another gal comes along and verbally scolds me for standing there, ushering me off to the far side of the tiny dining area.  The burger and onion rings that I ordered were, albeit, fan-f*cking-tastic, but the service was pure shit!!  I'll probably go back, for the food, but no monies other than the food purchase, will leave my hands.

Same goes for pizza.  I always opt to pick up my pies, as delivery cost is exorbitant.  When I go to pay, they always expect a tip.  I'm not paying someone extra just for doing what is expected of them.  If I got delivery, then yes.  Of course, I'll tip.  I'm a professional driver, so I'm quite familiar with the obstacles and stupid drivers out there.  A delivery guy (or gal) should be compensated for the extra stress on their sad little lives.

In a perfect world, all the servers should be compensated with their paychecks.  Supplemental gratuities, shouldn't be necessary or expected, but many businesses just pay their help minimum wage and who the f*ck can live on minimum wage.  In some U.S. restaurants and bars, the wait staff only earn money through gratuities from their patrons.  Other businesses, have the wait staff split the tips they earn, with the kitchen staff, who didn't do shit, except their f*cking jobs.

In the end, y'all are going to do what you want to do.  It makes no difference to me.  I'm not here to try and sway public opinion one way or another.  This is simply my belief on the matter.  Go above and beyond, you get tipped well.  Give a shitty attitude then expect to be heavily compensated?  Eat shit!!

 

Years ago, when I used to frequent the bars, I'd tip very well. Especially as the night grew darker and darker and the drinks kept coming.  The tips I gave out mirrored how inebriated I was.  The drunker I got, the more money my waitress would make.  Even more so, if she were a hottie.  I don't drink anymore.  I can't afford it.  I don't enjoy it and Covid has pretty much killed the nightlife scene around this city, anyway.  Plus, all the bars I went to have either been torn down or turned into gay bars.  F*ck is there ever a lot of gay bars in this city... 🤔 What the f*ck??

Sorry.  Got distracted.  😵

Tips and gratuities...  I don't know. Do whatever you want.  I don't think they're always necessary.  You be you, Boo and I'll be me, a cheap cynical bastard.

 💸

Tattered Dreams

People say that one should avoid ever meeting their idols, for your perceived idea of who they are and what kind of a person they are, often differs greatly from reality.

I would hardly consider the town of Drumheller, Alberta, Canada as my "idol", nor even in the Top Ten of places to ever visit in my life.  However, the idea of learning shit, especially about dinosaurs, brings out the young boy in me.

I've driven, or ridden rather, through Drumheller, Alberta, two or three times in my life.  I've always wanted to stop and explore, but my travel companions never shared my enthusiasm on the matter.  So when the opportunity came for me to travel through the town once again, flying solo this time, on my way to British Columbia for a friends wedding, I jumped at the chance to stop in the town that had always eluded me before.

Drumheller is said to be one of the largest beds of dinosaur fossils in the world.  A reputation that is not lost on this town.  Dinosaurs can be seen depicting all sorts of colour schemes and elaborate poses on almost every street corner.  Wild colours that would hardly make these ancient creatures blend into the jungle background that once existed in this territory.  The woman at the gift shop was very informative when I was perusing her inventory of authentic fossils and other trinkets.  "This whole area," she told me, "Was once underwater and this creature..."

She pointed to a large fossilized head, approximately 4 feet by about 2 feet in size, perched atop a grand display, "Swam in that body of water.  They grew to be about 60 feet in length, but this skull belonged to an adolescent."  Intrigued by her spiel, I purchased a fossilized tooth that stood prominently out of the stone it was rested in, which I will display prominently upon my mantle when I return home.

In all honesty, I didn't know what to expect from Drumheller.  I knew people must've lived here, but I never realized just how bustling the town actually is.  They have all sorts of shit in this town, including a large furniture franchise (The Brick), a Canadian Tire and even a large lumber yard.  I was pleasantly shocked.  On the surface, Drumheller seems like a sweet little town.  What lies underneath is a completely different story.

Nothing sinister, mind you, just swindling.  Because Drumheller is such a destination spot for tourism, I feel that some of the local merchants may be taking liberties with the economy.  I visited four (4) different restaurants before I was able to locate one whose prices weren't a blatant gouge on the visiting tourists.  The first , was a restaurant called Sublime.  Bells should have sounded off in my head when, at dinner time, nobody was in the restaurant.  Then I saw the menu and alarms really did go off in my head.  I've had the privilege of dining in a few fancy restaurants where the prices were quite high, but you paid for the experience and the ambiance, as well as the well-crafted food.  Sublime was a hollowed out old house, the walls clad in baby puke green and black and was poorly lit, despite the sun shining through the dusty windows.  I quickly made up an excuse and made my exit.  Pork chops were priced at $40.  No f*cking thank you.

Next was Dairy Queen.  I figured I'd opt for a fast food chain.  Decent food for a reasonable price.  NOPE!!  I questioned the woman behind the counter on why the prices were SO outrageous.  "Eight dollars for a cheeseburger?  Add four bucks if I want fries and a drink?  Are you kidding?"  She was Asian, fresh off the boat, I suspect as she had no f*cking clue what I'd just said.  "Eat in or take out?" she repeated.

The owner or manager or whatever the f*ck he was, looked up from his newspaper and called out from his table in the empty dining room.  I don't know what he said.  It was broken English, interrupted by the loud freezer behind the counter.  "I'm from Saskatchewan and the prices aren't THIS expensive.  Is this a Drumheller thing?  Hike up the prices for the tourists?"

"We get from Hea- Office.  You no like.  You go back to Saskatchee-ahn."  I remarked that their pricing was horse shit and once more, made my way out the door.  The restaurant next door, was empty.  I drove down the street and noticed restaurant after restaurant had empty parking lots.  Finally, I came upon the McDonald's and the parking lot was full.  I reluctantly went inside and the place was bustling with a constant hum of conversation from the dining room.  Pricing was the same as it was at home, so it made sense why Rotten Ronnie's was so popular.

Grabbed my shit and headed back to my hotel, where I came upon a "lovely" fella in the parking lot who accused me of trying to hit his truck with the door of mine.  "Sorry." I said, moving out of the way, "I'll move to the other side."

"WHAT did you say?!?" he asked angrily.  "Did you call it a piece of shit?"

"No," I said, concerned with the sudden escalation, "I was just ---"

"It may be a piece of shit, but at least it's paid for!  I hate you chicken shit bastards who utter shit under your breath but don't have the balls to back it up!!"

I was confused and I'm sure it showed on my face.  "SIR!!!  I merely said I'd get out of your wa---"

He didn't want to hear any of it.  Got in his truck and f*cked off.  Now I'm paranoid that my truck is going to get keyed by this angry f*ck, as it's parked way on the other side from where my room is located.

I'm going to get a decent night's sleep (I hope) and get the f*ck outta this place early.  I'm going to stop at the Tyrrel Dinosaur Museum on my way out of this shit-hole town, before heading on to Calgary.  I hope shit improves once I arrive there.  As far as Drumheller is concerned, the town will from this day forth, leave a sour and bitter taste in my mouth.  It would've been better had I bi-passed this f*cking town all together.