Here's a tip!

Are you a fan of Dim Sum? I sure am. There's nothing more fun than getting an appetizer-size plate of everything asian. So after we finished our brunch, our waitress tallies up our bill of stamps, and we to take our bill to the front counter to pay a different lady. We racked up a $30 bill and I handed the lady $40. As she hands me my change she says, "TIP IS NOT INCLUDED!" WTF!?!?! At this point, a few thoughts flash in my head:

1. Who does our tip go to, because we get a good mixture of good service and shitty service.
2. Did it occur to her that I already left a tip at the table? (I didn't)

The tradition of tipping has been horribly skewed by notions of karma. Isn't tipping a gesture of rewarding good service. Not a requirement to fulfill government's duty of taxing the service profession. Don't get me wrong, I'm not cheap. By all means, I tip generously when service stands out and I'm a true beleiver in rewarding hard work. In this case, yelling "TIP IS NOT INCLUDED!" was really uncalled for. I gave her a dead stare in the face as she kept her eyes down at the cash register, trying to figure out what prompted her to say that?

I didn't leave a tip. Good thing I only go to this place once every few months.

Oh, and HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!