Happy Itis Day!

I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving yesterday! In honor of the tryptophan-induced food coma (see previous post) that you undoubtedly had last night, here's a clip about the Itis.

#14: Why do we not tip well?

You're now at the tail end of a double-shift. A group walks in and your manager tells you that they've been seated at one of your tables. Oh no! It's your worst fear: a large group of Black people. You walk over, and with slightly less enthusiasm than normal (you have been working 13 hours straight, after all) you say, "H
ello, my name is ____, may I take your order?" One member of the party rolls her eyes at your lack of 100% excitement and mumbles something to the effect of "...ain't getting my tip with an attitude like that." Sure enough, after the party has left, amassing a $120 bill, your tip is... 83 cents??! They couldn't even put a whole dollar on the damn table? Now you throw your hands up and ask:

Why do Black people tip so poorly?

You see, the answer to this question is rooted in history. After Black people were emancipated from slavery, we decided it was time for some payback. We tried poisoning massa's crops, but this yielded limited success, as more and more of us flocked North to the big cities and not many were left in the fields. For a while, we had no definite plan for retribution. However, in the wake of the Civil Rights movement and the end of Jim Crow laws, we saw that we had an in. The Field Negroes might not have gotten their just due (where's my 40 acres and a mule??), but the House Negroes would finally get theirs - generations later.

The plan was simple: we would go to restaurants, and then not tip the white waiters and waitresses! It was perfect! This made up for the hundreds of years that we would cook massa's food and get no sort of payment, much less gratitude. The white restaurant workers were furious, but there was nothing they could do... deny a Black person entry into your restaurant and you could get slapped with a lawsuit. It was sweet, sweet payback indeed.

Unfortunately, like most advancements earned on the backs of freedom fighters in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, our generation has lost the meaning and the spirit of the struggle. Yes, we still don't tip much, but the meaning behind it has been lost. All too often, we just get labeled as difficult to deal with when we're at restaurants. The following is just a sampling of complaints that could lead to a reduced tip at the end of the meal:

- "how come I don't have as many fries on my plate as he does?"

- "this sweet tea isn't sweet enough"

- "there's too much ice in my drink"

- "my bun is too soggy"

- "my food came out too hot"

- "I feel a draft in here" (has absolutely nothing to do with the food)

- "the music in here is too loud" (also has absolutely nothing to do with the food)

and the number one complaint...

- "how come they got their food before we did??" (*note: "they" is always a white couple).