[Billcat]

There has been a lot of "tipping creep" here in the US, where there are suddenly tip jar at all sorts of counter service places. The old rule of thumb used to be that you did not need to tip for counter service. In fact, some chains used to prohibit tipping for counter service. No longer. If I am doing take-away food, I certainly do not expect to tip.

Also, it used to be that a good tip was 15%. Now the wait staff expect 20%. It was explained to me by the comment "we haven't had a raise in years." Of course, every time the owner ups the charges, the wait staff get more tips, so they've had "raises" right along. Of course, if the service is poor, I give them less. If the service is rude, I make sure that the manager know why no tip has been left. I'd hate to leave them under the impression that it might be an oversight.

Whether through tips or higher charges on the menu, the wait staff should be paid. Frankly, I prefer the "service compris" one finds in Europe, with no tip required! But, when travelling, one should tip in accordance with local customs - provided, of course, that the service was decent.

BTW, the fellow who put the bags on the cart without first asking "may I help you" was way out of line. If you have baggage you can manage on your own, you have every right to do so!