I have been tipping heavily since restaurants reopened in the summer amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but I hate the tipping system.
I’d rather restaurants paid a living wage, and pass along the cost to customers, so servers - especially women – didn’t have to put up with degrading behaviour from certain customers.
Many female servers have told me about the fake smile they have to wear in order to please male customers who consistently cross the lane of acceptable behaviour - all because a fragile ego can lead to getting no tip.
The pandemic has made women even more vulnerable as tips have cratered due to a steep reduction in the number of customers. Servers are seeing their incomes drop and customers know this, leaving some to take advantage.
I witnessed this kind of situation recently at a big chain restaurant in Burnaby. I was quietly watching the game and munching on some food when two dudes sat across from me.
They were in their 20s and had a disgusting leering grin pasted on their faces as the servers – all women – walked by.
When their server came with their drinks, one of the gross dudes said this: “Too bad you have to wear a mask – I’m sure you’re really cute.”
She nodded and said thanks and then asked if they wanted any food, but the gross dude wasn’t done.
“Awww, come on, pull your mask down so I can see your cute face.”
The server didn’t, of course and finally steered this lech back to the food order.
I lost my appetite.
Since that happened, I’ve asked a few other women if customers had pulled this on them before. They said, of course. It’s all variation on the “wish I could see what you look like.”
Imagine with everything going on around us asking someone to risk their safety for such a scummy reason.
We’re fresh off 11 new COVID-19 related deaths being announced Friday, for a total of 724 deaths in British Columbia.
People are dying left and right, but gross dudes won’t let that stop them.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
