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Are Jews Bad Tippers?
By Null / October 12, 2007
They are indeed, at least according to some of the editorial staff at UofA's Daily Wildcat. Accusations of antisemitism and lukewarm apologies are surrounding this latest college paper scandal, caused by a thoughtless, unfunny cartoon.
The cartoon, created by Joseph Topmiller, shows a cafe receipt that totals $78.73. But the customer, a "Mark Goldfarb", only left a tip of $5.27.
The caption says, "Attention all crappy tipping Jews!!! Just because you're ‘screwing' the server…does not mean that it's a mitzvah."
Want to drop Joseph a line, and ask him what he was thinking? His email is conveniently provided on the Arizona Daily Wildcat website. Oh, heck–out of the generosity of my Jewish heart, I'll spare you the trip and post it right here: Josephtopmiller@gmail.com
Joseph's Editor-in-Chief, Allison Hornick, claims that her editorial staff discussed the cartoon, and although questions were raised, they decided to run it anyway. She does not explain why they decided to run it, although she did offer a half-assed apology.
"The comic did not intend to maliciously attack or disrespect the Jewish community. We apologize to any readers who were offended."
The ADL has already offered conduct sensitivity training with the editorial staff. Can't wait to see the cartoons that come out of that!
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i share the same feelings as you (waitress) they just never tip. I work in one of the most expensive place in New Jersey and to tell you the thruth jews never tip. These are the best tippers: Irish, Greeks, Italians i think! Most of the Asians wont tip, Im asian so i really hate asian parties. But the worst are Hindus! ill brb …..
….continued
As a waiter at a predominantly Jewish country club, the only "richer experience" I'm being "deprived of" is reasonable tips from the Jewish customers I serve. Many, I mean the vast majority don't even tip at all and the gratuity is not inclded in the total bill either, they're just cheap. Kills me to see them drive off in their new Mercedes, Lexus, Infiniti, Porsche. Guess my tip money goes for gas for those to get to and from to the club. Now I know why they have had such high turnover in staff at this club, there is no tip money received. I'm not a bigot, just informing you of the truth.
Hi, I am not Jewish and I would like to think of myself as not being a racist in any way. As far as I am concerned, if you roll the clock back far enough, we are all African.
That being said, the reason I was compelled to this chat is because of something a friend said to me. I believed his comments to be less than enlightening and I struggled with finding the correct way to help him understand things in a better way.
He said that his Uncle worked as a hair stylist in New York. His Uncle said that the Jewish people that came for their hair-cuts never tipped. He called Jews, "cheap". I was very offended at this, because it is an obvious and negative-sounding stereotype. So I set about attempting to disuade him from his Uncle's views.
It was disheartening. His family comes from a background where they all speak of the different races of people in the world very concretely and without any finesse or awareness of the power of negative language. They say things like (paraphrasing), "I like the Hindus and Chinese, because they come over here and work hard and make their businesses", and "I don't like Blacks and Puerto Ricans because they come here and get on Welfare and abuse the system".
I would like to think that this unsophisticated and short-sighted way of viewing people is dying out and that we can grow into a world that can look past stereotypes and racial lines.
I cannot, however, just tell my friend that his family are obtuse and small-minded bigots. I know that this is not the way to peace and would only serve to ostracize him and perhaps even push him in the wrong direction concerning his personal views. So, I am hoping that maybe someone here can help me learn how to find the right words to tell to "borderline racists". My friend is somewhat intelligent and has an essentially good nature. It is just when he hears something and it seems "logical" to him, he has a hard time entertaining other notions.
I really don't know much about Jewish culture, so I couldn't redirect him from these views with a cultural argument. I told him that even if his Uncle wasn't exaggerating, that one cannot make assumptions about a world full of people based on a sampling of a handful of people. He then countered that his Father also did business with Jews and considered them "cheap". So now I am really feeling like I am dealing with this poor guy who was raised around a bunch of close-minded bigots and what do I say?
To keep a long story from becoming a longer story, I will just tell you that I spent a good half hour debating with him. I really tried to convey the ugliness of stereotypes and the folly of believing a whole group of a behaviour because a small number exhibit some possibly unthoughtful tendencies.
He looks up to me, so I can see that he wants to believe me…but like I said, I don't know the Jewish culture very well and I don't really know any Jewish people personally. I am going to research stereotypes in general and learn how to battle it verbally, but I would also like some help in this endeavor.
What can I say to my friend to convince him that Jewish people are not "cheap", in general, and that he suffers from a malady which deprives him from a richer experience and a more peaceful world?
I apologize for the length of the comment and I appreciate any input in advance.
David William Schwab
I work at a predominantly jewish country club and can verify that Jews are the worst tippers around. The older Jews don't tip at all. They perpetuate this stereotype day in and day out. Jut my direct observation.
"I thought it was just about an ignorant editorial team at a college paper making fools of themselves thanks to their own stupidity."
Thats what I thought when I read your piece. I don't many of the ensuing comments.
Good call.
Touche.
Craig,
I think you and Helen are using different terms. She said less wealthy people teneded to be good tippers and you said poor people are bad tippers. That may not be inonsistent. I consider myself in the middle class. I tend to give generous tips because I remmeber how much I appreciated a good tip when I was working delivery. It's likley that the young parents Helen referred to may be in the same boat. The wealthy and the poor may not have that same experience.
Tipping is a complicated business in the UK. And the people you encountered are right, they do pay for the service, more than we Americans if we eat out and don't tip. There is no separate wage level for service industry workers in the UK, as there is in the US, therefore there is no discrepancy in wages which is supplemented by the customer, letting the employer off the hook.
That said, Britons do tip (around 10%), if they are receiving table service. However, since most meals ordered in pubs are ordered at the bar and unceremoniously delivered to the table, there is no expectation of a tip.
I really don't see why this is a problem; why should we expect the rest of the world to conform to our customs? Hell, in France, servers are unionised!
After reading your posts, i'm convinced that the only thing missing from your id are the letters IC.
I would rather be ruled by the French or the Swedes than by Israelis.
Okay?
Are you, ok. meaning please ? Be honest, because you chasing your own tail come on, conflict or pure tipping?
That Israelis are often dominant and elitist diners.
DK if you don’t mind please clarify, bad tipping and conflict between Israeli and Palestinians. It’s really amazing, how you can put this to things to one suck ? Oh bay do way it’s not a stew.
Where you from, Helen? Cause I did delivery work for two years, and by and large poor people were the shittiest tipper. Real scumbags. I went to a place one time where they sent their kid, probably 1st grade age or so, out with a handful of dimes, nickels, and pennies to pay me. No tip whatsoever.
Just don't let it bother you.
From what I have heard in America tipping is almost necessary because the waiters don't even get paid minimum wage. In Europe or somewhere I was told that staff gets paid more in the first place so tipping isn't a big deal. In america waiters depend on tips as pay.
Helen,
Bringing out for discussion the reality that Jews are bad tippers was not inappropriate, and you don't need to beat your breast or pretend it was about "standing up to racist stereotypes" or any of the other hogwash we tend to seek refuge behind when we call a group — even our own group — out.
Helen Jupiter wrote: "As for comparing religions or ethnicities, I never noticed anything along those lines, but that's not really what this is about, is it?"
In that case, you should have come up with a different headline for your article.
The one thing I noticed was that my biggest tips came from my poorest customers, and vice versa. The super rich customers ordering 20 gourmet pizzas to be delivered to their sprawling mansions tipped small amounts–if they tipped at all. But the young parents in apartments, ordering a small cheese, tended to tip above and beyond. As for comparing religions or ethnicities, I never noticed anything along those lines, but that's not really what this is about, is it? I thought it was just about an ignorant editorial team at a college paper making fools of themselves thanks to their own stupidity.
the 'comic' was bad, but the subsequent comments – really bad.
For the record, I happen to be a "Diaspora Jewish waiter" who also supports Israel. There's no excuse for rude behavior, but Israelis certainly aren't the only non-Americans with a reputation of tipping badly. I also don't really see what the original question (are Jews bad tippers?) has to do with the Israel/ Palestinian conflict. Maybe DK can clarify.
Maya Wainhous wrote,
"That's not an excuse to be rude to wait staff or for travelers to undertip when they're in the US"
Well, that's what it sounds like.
In Israel you only tip 10% in restaurants and you don't tip cab drivers at all. I know waiters in the US who've had bad experiences w/ European customers because they tip less in Europe too. That's not an excuse to be rude to wait staff or for travelers to undertip when they're in the US, but I think you have to recognize that tipping isn't the same in every country.
Israelis are really fucking bad. Worse than regular cheap Jews. And they demand service like they are paying serious cash. I bet you can't find a Diaspora Jewish waiter who isn't sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. I realize Diaspora Jewish and kosher restaurants can't officially ban Israelis like they reputedly do in Thai hotels, but waiters should be allowed to wear those "peace scarves" sold at Urban Outfitters in solidarity with other oppressed by these cheap and demanding Zionists.
So, are Jews bad tippers or not?
Hmm. Maybe there's a different attitude toward the gratuity. It's more of a reflection of service than a requirement. Maybe?
It’s shame that this sort of accident happened. I don’t now if always must be like that, when one Jew do something that isn’t ok with some racist maniacs, all of us taking kicks no matter we are we living. Well to be honest mostly I’m leaving tips, and then no won will say a word even after arguing who decided to burn my dish, tips on the table means no hard filings and thank you.
I disagree there's a grain of truth in the "joke." But even if there were, it's not an appropriate comment. What's next, "jokes" about African-Americans and criminal behavior?
I am afraid we have a definitive illustration on philistine so-called wit. This cartoon ech mir a joke?
I'm afraid there's a grain of truth in this stereotype. Ask any waiter who works in a Chinese restaurant or Jewish country club. I wouldn't have believed it until I started delivering pizza in a very wealthy town and noticed how small the tips were on every house with a mezuzah.
Always tipping generously and urging our fellow Jews to do the same will do a lot more to alleviate this stereotype then making a stink whenever there's a tasteless joke about it in the newspaper (at best, that replaces the 'cheap jew' with the 'touchy jew' – not exactly a huge victory).
There isn't much tipping going on here in Israel either. Food delivery people seem almost shocked when they get a tip. I always thought that it was just good manners no matter where you were.
When I was in business in Britian, none of the people I encountered believed in tipping. They couldn't understand why American's insist on it, since they felt they already are paying for the service.
Nope.
Is there even a joke in there?
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