[tolbiny]

tipping is not really discretionary anymore- waiters/waitresses are paid less than the minimum wage because it is assumed they will make up that money in tips- and are required to report a certain % of thier sales on tax forms to the government regardless if they made less- and in many restaurants the servers are required to pay out another % of thier sales to the BOTH employess- again regardlesss of thier tips. While there may not be a written contract that you have to tip, it is understood that your meal costs less because servers don't get paid a living wage and it is up to you to determine what their service was worth. If you tip nothing there had better be a damned good reason for it.