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The weirdest thing about American culture (lemmy.ml)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/funny@sh.itjust.works
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[–] 38 points 3 months ago (11 children)

we show you a price, then charge more at checkout

it's easier to get a gun than a doctor's appointment

tipping

pharmaceutical commercials

casually having the largest prison population in the world and pretending it's normal

violence on tv is okay, but no cussing or sexuality

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago (9 children)

    it’s easier to get a gun than a doctor’s appointment

    A lot of times, it's cheaper too!

    tipping

    I don't think tipping is weird on it's own, but the default expectation of tipping, and the fuckery around wages that makes tips essential to earning "a living" instead of a nice bonus is definitely weird.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago (7 children)

    Tipping is weird on its own. The idea that you are showing gratitude by pushing money on someone is gross at best and downright offensive at worst.

    If someone tried to thank me with a hand full of change I'd tell them to fuck off.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago* (2 children)

    What if it was a small stack of 20s? 100s? What if it meant the difference between paying rent or not?

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    If it were 20s or 100s it would be more insulting, you understand this, no?

    If it's the difference between paying rent or not then it's a huge problem that the behaviour exists to enable that situation. If it weren't a cultural behaviour it would be called panhandling.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago

    I see it as an extra "thank you" if someone goes above and beyond what I was expecting for a service. It's not something that should be given out lightly or something that is expected, but I also know that tipping is necessary for people in some jobs to make a living. It's not a fault of their own, but a fault of a system that saw a benefit they were getting, and was like "oh, we can just under-pay these employees and use tipping as leverage against them." Do I hate the tipping system in the US? Absolutely. Am I going to impose financial stresses (by not tipping) on the waitstaff at a restaurant in order to make a point about how badly they are compensated for their work? Absolutely not.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago

    Considering that giving cash to someone under any other circumstances is considered tacky (even gift certificates/cards are more acceptable, and that's just cash with limits on where/how you can spend it), it is weird that tipping is so ingrained in our culture. And unsettling, to be honest...

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