SERVERS adding 18% Tip to French diners

Yeah, the SERVERS, not the restaurant owners. It seems those pesky French Canadians come across the border to eat but then leave a dollar tip on a 100 dollar bill. So, some of the servers have taken to putting 18% tip on bills for French speaking patrons.

I *HATE* mandatory tipping. Rarely will go anyplace with a large group if they have that rule. But, I know there are some skinflints who think it perfectly OK to leave two bucks on a $40 dinner.

Here is the story: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2194797/Burlington-Vermont-restaurants-automatically-adds-tip-foreigners-bills.html Please Notice It Is A Story In An English Newspaper.

The most telling part relative to Louisville is the last sentence of the article. I dare say there are no servers getting that wage here. I could be wrong of course.

Tip thread!

I also found the statement: "The problem likely arises from a cultural difference. In Canada and most countries, tipping 10 to 15 percent is customary, though many restaurants automatically include a gratuity on the bill." interesting.

Tip thread!

[Robin Garr]

Tip thread!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAp9sFVdERQ

Having dealt with many a French Canadian during my time in New England, I can attest that they perpetuate the stereotype of being bad tippers because for the most part, they are. Way back then, when the exchange rate was around .65 Canadian to the US dollar, you would always hear them ask in one of the broken English phases they had committed to memory,"Do you take Canadian dollars at par?" Some places would run specials offering that on slow weeknights during the off season to get asses in seats, and so naturally they just assumed that everybody did this all year long.

They flock to places like Old Orchard Beach, ME and Hampton Beach, NH in the summertime. Kind of like a closer version of Miami Beach for Cannucks! Complete with pasty fat old guys in Speedos. I never understnd why they favored those places because that water stays COLD, even in the summer. I will keep the rest of my feelings about the tourists from Quebec to myself because they aren't very nice. Kind of like most people from Quebec

Anybody know the difference between a Cannuck and a canoe??? A canoe is gonna tip!!

Dining aside and somewhat off the subject, It's difficult to put into terms that someone from middle-America...or someone who's only experience in Canuckastan is a quick visit to Vancouver or Toronto can understand...but suffice it to say there is no love lost between -many- of those who reside on either side of our northern border. Most people have no idea just how much cultural animosity there is between citizens of our two countries until they've experienced it. I lived in Minnesota for almost 20 years and was a frequent visitor north of the border...I've been there 20...maybe 25 times, usually on some kind of fishing expedition. In all those visits, it was a -rare- occasion when our group was not jacked up for -some- kind of unprovoked trumped-up-I'm-just-doing-this-to-dick-with-you-pain-in-the-ass-bullshit....My all time favorite was the time myself and a friend were anchored in quiet wilderness bay on Lake of the Woods when around a small island comes a speeding boat with blue lights flashing...The guy driving the boat -rams- my boat (causing what turned out to be $1200 in damage) and four "Royal" police...semi automatic rifles locked and loaded...hop on my boat and without a word...other than "put your hands behind your head"...commence to tearing my boat apart looking for any fish that were an inch too short to keep. On another occasion a member of our group was denied entry into the country because he they discovered that five years prior he had a misdemeanor traffic violation on his license...and he wasn't even the owner/driver of the vehicle. On our last (and I -do- mean last) visit our group of of six 50-ish year old men were held at the border for over 4 hours while their version of the Gestapo took the car apart and searched every square inch of our belongings.

So stick 'em with an 18% tip ???....Hell yeah, I'm all for it. MOF lets make it 50%.

I think the best way to put it would be the way most native Hoosiers and Kentuckians feel about each other.
It can run the gamet from absolute distrust and hatred to an un-easy tolerance.
As a transplanted native Hoosier, one of the things I used to hear a lot of is "You people don't know how to drive".
After living in the East End, off the Hurstbourne corridor for 5 years now, I often wonder the same thing about the typical red light running, texting or cell phone yakking, non directional using, driving slow in the fast lane, luxury SUV driving soccer moms with Oldham county plates running to wherever they are going.

There was a convention in town a few weeks ago that hosted a large French Canadian attendance. Everything I've read here seems accurate.

Having dealt with many a French Canadian during my time in New England, I can attest that they perpetuate the stereotype of being bad tippers because for the most part, they are. Way back then, when the exchange rate was around .65 Canadian to the US dollar, you would always hear them ask in one of the broken English phases they had committed to memory,"Do you take Canadian dollars at par?" Some places would run specials offering that on slow weeknights during the off season to get asses in seats, and so naturally they just assumed that everybody did this all year long.

They flock to places like Old Orchard Beach, ME and Hampton Beach, NH in the summertime. Kind of like a closer version of Miami Beach for Cannucks! Complete with pasty fat old guys in Speedos. I never understnd why they favored those places because that water stays COLD, even in the summer. I will keep the rest of my feelings about the tourists from Quebec to myself because they aren't very nice. Kind of like most people from Quebec

Gee, that's strange. I've been up to Quebec six times the past five years. My experiences have been fabulous. I even had an old man in Montreal go get his car for our 3 vehicles to follow him 10 miles back to the proper exit we needed to head towards Toronto after getting lost........ A Quebecois I stayed in touch with from 28 yrs ago drove all the way from Monteal to Quebec City after work to see me for one night--and even insisted on picking up the tab! etc. etc....

Experiences in food, drink, travel etc. are all in the eyes of the beholder.

[Robin Garr]

Experiences in food, drink, travel etc. are all in the eyes of the beholder.

it may simply be that you reap what you sow.

The waiters have legitimate complants regarding Quebec tourism. However, there are two sides to this story. I read about this months ago when the City Council of Burlington passed a non-binding resolution to become more "French friendly" including French street signage, Bienvenue store signs, French lessons, etc. There were a number of news reports with interviews and other reporting, mainly in French, at the time. Here are a few articles below. ......Moral of the story? We can't live with ya, but we can't live without ya!


Burlington votes to add French to its signs
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/ ... signs.html

Burlington Employees Say "Oui" to French Lessons
http://www.7dvt.com/2010burlington-empl ... ch-lessons

Vermont : Burlington ouvre la porte à l'affichage en français (Burlington opens the door to French signage)
http://www.radio-canada.ca/nouvelles/so ... rces.shtml

I don't know beans about Quebec but I was in Toronto a few years back. I loved it. Very clean city, friendly people and when a bunch of skateboarding teenagers took a corner too closely and slightly bumped me they all stopped and said "excuse us. We apologize fr running into you."

I will say the tv news was filled with snarky comments about yanks and the lack of gun control but that was the only unwelcoming aspect I experienced. I remember thinking I should consider retiring to Canada. Perhaps Quebec is very different.

[Robin Garr]

Perhaps Quebec is very different.

Actually, I think Carl Sandburg nailed it:

Drove up a newcomer in a covered wagon: 'What kind of folks
live around here?' 'Well, stranger, what kind of folks was there in the
country you come from?' 'Well, they was mostly a lowdown, lying, thieving
gossiping, backbiting kind lot of people.' 'Well, I guess, stranger,
that's about the kind of folks you'll find around here.'

And the dusty gray stranger had just about blended into the dusty gray
cottonwoods in a clump on the horizon when another newcomer drove up:
'What kind of folks live around here?' 'Well, stranger, what kind of folks was
there in the country you come from?' 'Well, they was mostly a decent,
hardworking, lawabiding, friendly lot of people.' 'Well, I guess, stranger, that's
about the kind of folks you'll find around here.'"