> Britain too. And any part of Europe that I've
> been to.

I'm going to Germany for a few weeks (we leave Thursday) with my German class, and my teacher says that in Germany you don't pay the tip in the sense that you leave a percentage of money on the table when you go, but rather that it's included in the bill. Which, in my opinion, is stupid. I'm just going to make sandwiches for myself the entire three and a half weeks.

What I'm wondering, though, is who sets the rules for tipping? I've heard that the standard tip used to be 10% but then "they" moved it up to 15%. Who's "they"? Is it like a servers' union? Could the rest of us form an eaters' union and negotiate with them? I'd like to see that. Of course, knowing what a mischievous character Fate is, we'd probably have to tip the union leaders 15% of our dues.

-Eric Sleator
Mon 25 Mar A.D. 2002