When last I worked a server job (working on 20 years ago) the employer pays between 2 and 3 dollars an hour, the rest of the money is based on tips and must be CLAIMED BY THE SERVER.

This means it is not uncommon to work, record the tips for two weeks or so, and then, if you did a GOOD job as a server, receive a paycheck which is $0. This means that the income tax charged against you for your payment from your employer and your tips exceeded the amount of the weekly paycheck. "BAD" servers make less money but get bigger paychecks from the employer.

The money you claim after a night of work is all the money signed on a credit card (which most systems show to the penny) and whatever you admit to having made in cash. Tip amounts are by and large in the 18 to 25 percent range, so it's not like you can just call this zero.

To the point:

You are not obliged to tip. If you DONT tip there are repercussions. 1. You might actually cost your server some money because the government is basically assuming their income based on the amount of your check, that means the bigger the check you stiff, the worse it is for your server.

And 2.

Oh thank goodness 2.

You can think whatever you want about tipping. It is a failed idea and should be fixed, but the people relying on tips have the least power anywhere in our economy to change it.

If you don't tip, you have made it clear you are an asshole. If you go to the same place more than once, you will get increasingly shitty service. I would be happy to "forget" you are my table. You are punishing people based on your view of the world and you WILL get judged for it.

You don't have to tip at Starbucks, but if you go to restaurants and stiff servers you aren't a commando for justice, you're just the other side of the obnxious American tourist coin: you're a flaming asshole.