Appropos of nothing, I used to ring the Salvation Army bell every year around Christmastime for the red kettle campaign, outside our local shopping mall. After many hours of people-watching, I learned that you could tell in ten seconds whether someone approaching you was going to drop any money in the bucket. By and large, the folks with perfect manicures, designer clothes and flashy jewelry, clutching their cups from Starbucks or their bottles of Evian, would not only walk by with their noses in the air, but would actually give me suspicious sidelong glances, like they were afraid I was going to lay down my bell and pickpocket them, or something. It was the families with shabby coats, farmers in their work boots and Carhart jackets, and even rough-looking teenagers -- those who looked like putting a few dollars in that red bucket might actually be a sacrifice for them -- who tended to stop and give, the parents often giving the kids a dollar or two to put in the bucket themselves. I don't mean to judge anybody for their charitable giving habits -- maybe all those wealthy people are giving generously elsewhere -- but anecdotally, it did seem to me that those who had the most were often the least generous, perhaps because they'd forgotten (or never known) how much those small gifts mean to those at the bottom of the economic food chain.
On the subject at hand, however, nobody should have to endure criticism for what they choose -- or don't choose -- to tip.
Relax! Just my warped sense of humour.This Mousemaid tipping can get various answers.We usually leave $ 3.00 per day.
I'll keep tipping per day and suggesting others do the same.