We make stupid amounts of money for what we do, I’m not going to lie and try to pretend we don’t. But for me like most others I work with, it’s a means to an end. It’s given me an opportunity I couldn’t get from any of the “real” jobs I’ve had. I understand how the system is infuriating, and everyone keeps asking what they’re paying for.

The answer is that, like when you become a customer at literally any business, you’re paying for the business to be able to employ its workers. The tip, though, is kind of like shipping on your amazon order. You could have $300 worth of merchandise In your cart and not buy any of it because you don’t want to pay the $8 for shipping. I get it - it’s a normal psychological response. But by taking away tipping all you’re doing is allocating that cost elsewhere. The price of your food goes up (probably way more than it has to) to compensate for new wages. Instead of giving the server an opportunity to make enough to have financial freedom and better their lives, they then make minimum wage. That money is still coming out of your pocket, but the only thing you’re doing is taking away one of the last jobs where people who have few skills can make a living and eventually get out of debt or get out of the poverty cycle, and handing your money to the millionaire who literally doesn’t need it. I know I’d rather give my server that $8 directly.

It’s easy to hide behind lies and stereotypes to defend each side of this argument, but I’m not about that. This is a world that likes to keep minimum wage people at minimum wage, and I figured out a way to circumvent that, and I’m not going to lie and pretend I’m living in poverty. I’m not, and I needed this opportunity, but I didn’t need it nearly as badly as a lot of people do, and I’m not going to fight to take away one of the last options they have. Take it away from me, I don’t care, I’ll figure something else out, but for fucks sake give other people a little opportunity to get ahead in life instead of lining the pockets of a dude who’s already outfitted in a suit made of $100 bills.