I’ve worked in restaurants, local cafés, and bars. I’ve made salads, cleaned up after people, juggled ten tables, dealt with drunks, got stiffed by whole families, and still walked away smiling because tips were what kept me afloat. And let me tell you something: this system is broken.

Here’s the deal. Servers should be paid like every other employee. Period. A tip should be on top of a real wage, not a band-aid to cover the fact that a business refuses to pay fair wages. If I’m doing the work of a waitress and a busser and a prep cook, I shouldn’t be relying on a stranger’s mood to make rent.

And now? Tipping culture has gotten completely out of hand.

Everywhere you go, someone is flipping around a screen asking if you want to tip. Coffee shops. Bakeries. Even the damn cookie shop. Like what are we doing? You baked cookies. You handed me one. You’re already getting paid. And somehow, I’m made to feel guilty for clicking “no tip”?

We’ve gone from tipping as appreciation to tipping as OBLIGATION. And that’s messed up.

The worst part? We’re letting food establishments get away with it. They’ve passed the cost of paying their employees onto the customer, while still raking in profits, and somehow convinced people it’s normal. It’s not.

I’m not against tipping where it’s earned. I’ll always tip a hardworking server. I’ve been there. But tipping for a $1.26 soda at Sonic because someone hesitates at the window like I’m supposed to slide them a buck for walking five feet? No. I’m done.

We need to talk about this. Loudly. Because until we change the system, it’s just going to keep getting worse.