[Rain Man]

Well, my first (and most embarassing) tipping experience was when my senior class after graduation rehearsals went to Bob Evans for breakfast. I was always broke and/or cash strapped in high school. Well, anyway I had $5 with me for breakfast and I barely had enough to pay for the meal. My tip to the server: a dime.

After that, I resolved to tip better and I have kept my word to this day.

As a rule, at restaurants I always pay a minimum of 10% in tips, and 15% on average. 15% represents average, decent service, 10% represents "a'ight" service (read: not impressive, but not piss poor either). One time myself and some frat bruhs was at a restaurant where this server IMHO gave us some rather mediocre service and several of us, myself included, was tempted to leave this server little or no tip, but an older bruh (read: crossed in '89) said, "Naw, frats. Alpha Phi Omegas ain't cheap". So we dug deep in our pockets and came up with some cash, and from the volume of cash I saw on the table, I know this server got a least a 20% tip despite her below par service.

I also tip 10% on take-out service at sit-down restaurants, which I do all too often. I don't know what the protocol is for tipping under those circumstances, but IMHO I think 10% is reasonable (Emily Post, Jr., where ya' at?).

Anything over 15% represents a server doing ABCD (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty) service for me. Once I tipped a server 40-45% because I had a food stain on my good shirt and I went to the restroom to clean it off. She observed what I was trying to do and took the initiative to give me a glass of club soda to help clean off the stain (which did work, btw). So in gratitude, I hooked the sista up with a generous tip for extra personal service.

Now I was a night auditor (read: 3rd shift desk clerk) at a hotel for about a year while I was in college and I got some of the best tips during that shift (drunk guests will hook you up every time). I also looked forward to driving the hotel shuttle van for that reason--and I love driving to begin with. I know my uniform jacket had at one time $500-600 in CASH in the inside pocket. I was hustlin' like Ralph the Doorman on The Jeffersons.

My most memorable tip came from comedian Don Rickles as I helped put his luggage on his limo bus. He said to me when I was done (and he hooked a brotha' up, btw), "You're a good man, [Rain Man]". I didn't even care about the tip. I just loved what I did on my job.

In short, always strive to give great service, and while you might not always get a great tip immediately, you will make up for it later on.

To the cheapskate tippers: Do better.