In New York, and I thought most states, before your car can be registered the dealer is supposed to collect the proper sales tax based on where you live in that state (it is part of the registration process). OTOH if you buy a car out of state (I live in NY but my favorite dealer might be in NJ), the dealer cannot register the car or at least he usually doesn't. He gives me a temporary registration and it is my obligation to trudge to the DMV fill out the forms and as part of the process pay the proper sales tax. Isn't that the way it's done elsewhere?
This is also the case where I live - Canada. The price tag isn't what you pay, as taxes aren't included. I wish they were.
In the 80s, when the national consumption ('sales') value-added-tax was implemented in Canada, a few major retailers did experiment with pricing that included all taxes. Their sales immediately plummeted as stupid consumers immediately flocked away from those stores with their 'higher' prices. The retailers immediately backpedalled and went back to tax-excluded pricing. Their sales gradually returned.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JEFFJAGUAR
It's even worse at restaurants in the USA because not only do menu prices not include sales taxes, they don't incloude the expected tip which I understand is now 20% of the bill (I only tip 15% which I consider the proper tip unless service is exceptional). You almost never see in the United States a menu where service is included.
And as another scam, they often hand you a bill where in large font is the total bill including state sales tax and in theory your tip is supposed to be based on the price of the meal before taxes.....try finding that on a restaurant bill.
And there are some places which like to add the suggested gratuity and invariably they base it on the total prices of the meal after tax and believe me I've had some verbal disputes with places that pull that garbage.
Two of my pet peeves!
I do believe that not including the tax in the price has everything to do with being able to advertise a lower price. The decision to buy or not to buy is made on the lower price tag. The tax is then regarded as an added evil. But the decision is already made. Also, I reckon most people are literally to stupid to even estimate, let alone know the proper way, to figure out how much 7.25% of 659 are.
I have not noticed the FORCED gratuity being based on the higher amount including tax. But I would raise a massive stink. Probably even report them.
I also don't tip on beverages. Especially if I buy a bottle of wine at $100 which is already hiked up by factor three from retail and probably by factor four from what the restaurant pays. I see no reason to pay $15 or 20 to have someone open a bottle for me. Mind you, it is rare that I spring for a $100 bottle for that reason. OTOH, I'd have no problem paying a $15 corkage fee for bringing my own wine, have them open it and provide the glasses.
This thread has reached page 10 without a mention of plumbing?
There are many things I admire in foreign (to me) countries, like European food labeling laws and the cleanliness of Singapore, but nobody does showers better than the Americans (I include Canada here).
A "bathroom" that is 3 ft by 3 ft with a toilet, tiny sink and a nozzle coming out of the wall does not belong in a 3 star hotel. I've encountered "bathrooms" like that in London, Amsterdam, Brugge, all over Italy, so no one EU nation bears the shame alone. I was at a YMCA camp over the weekend and the showers there were larger than any I ever saw in Belgium or the UK.
An adequate hotel bathroom should include not only the necessary porcelain fixtures, but also a place to set your toiletries kit and clothing so they don't get soaking wet as soon as you turn on the shower. There should be some sort of containment device - curtain, door, wall - to keep the spray of water from going all over and also some sort of ledge to keep the rest of the floor dry.
Agree with posters several pages back about Belgian train stations; are there laws against posting informational signs or was all the wall space sold to advertisers?
One more grudge against Belgium: having to buy a 5 euro phone card to make a single 2 minute local call because all coin phones have been removed.
In general, hotel breakfasts are better in the UK and northern Europe than the US.
In New York, and I thought most states, before your car can be registered the dealer is supposed to collect the proper sales tax based on where you live in that state (it is part of the registration process). OTOH if you buy a car out of state (I live in NY but my favorite dealer might be in NJ), the dealer cannot register the car or at least he usually doesn't. He gives me a temporary registration and it is my obligation to trudge to the DMV fill out the forms and as part of the process pay the proper sales tax. Isn't that the way it's done elsewhere?
This thread has reached page 10 without a mention of plumbing?
There are many things I admire in foreign (to me) countries, like European food labeling laws and the cleanliness of Singapore, but nobody does showers better than the Americans (I include Canada here).
A "bathroom" that is 3 ft by 3 ft with a toilet, tiny sink and a nozzle coming out of the wall does not belong in a 3 star hotel. I've encountered "bathrooms" like that in London, Amsterdam, Brugge, all over Italy, so no one EU nation bears the shame alone. I was at a YMCA camp over the weekend and the showers there were larger than any I ever saw in Belgium or the UK.
An adequate hotel bathroom should include not only the necessary porcelain fixtures, but also a place to set your toiletries kit and clothing so they don't get soaking wet as soon as you turn on the shower. There should be some sort of containment device - curtain, door, wall - to keep the spray of water from going all over and also some sort of ledge to keep the rest of the floor dry.
Agree with posters several pages back about Belgian train stations; are there laws against posting informational signs or was all the wall space sold to advertisers?
One more grudge against Belgium: having to buy a 5 euro phone card to make a single 2 minute local call because all coin phones have been removed.
In general, hotel breakfasts are better in the UK and northern Europe than the US.
You know the old line about a full English breakfast. A person asked what was included with a full English breakfast and was told a necessary appointment with a cardiologist of the NHS.
Heck, it's used worldwide "unofficially" by many people of different countries and origins.
Frankly at the end of the day most situations where it's metric/imperial have BOTH units available, it's not like I can't live my every day life without conforming to one system or the other.
I bet you'll also get into a tizzy whenever someone uses the terms pounds instead of stones....
It's not an issue of snobbery, it is both more convenient and makes more sense to use a unit system that has a stronger connection to the decimal system (e.g., 1L=1000mL) that is more instinctive to us. There are reasons that SI units are in use in the scientific and engineering communities worldwide (even in the US), and they do not boil down to 'snobbery'.
As I was schooled in the US, I have no idea what a 'stone' is.
Not sure which country you are talking about. But is there a country where there is a rule stating that the center lane is only for passing and you must stay out of the center lane when not actually passing?
Till
Germany, France, Belgium, Italy... just about the whole of Europe really
For the record, a stone is 14 pounds. I have no idea why.
And why are horses measured in 'hands'?
And why are some reactracks measured in 'furlongs'?
And why are ocean depths measured in 'fathoms'?
Just how long is a 'rod'?
Anyone know what s 'firkin' is?
Ah yes, the metric system will take over the world ... eventually.
__________________ "Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!"
I decided on my last trip to Europe that I like the pay toilets. They seemed to be cleaner than the free ones, in general.
Granted, some of the pay toilets in Europe do tend to be cleaner. On the other hand, I'd rather have access to a dirty toilet than none at all. And what happens when a person has to go to the bathroom and doesn't have sufficient change?
Something I much prefer everywhere else in the world to the US is the idea of not being rushed through a meal or coffee break or whatever. Here in the US I'm always feeling rushed, and when the waitstaff and/or busboy is always hovering at my table to remove a plate the moment I put my fork to rest ticks me off. I feel as if I'm being hurried through the meal just to make room for the next party. Whereas everywhere else in the world a meal or chance to sit down and enjoy a drink (I'm not talking about a bar, but a cafe) is not something to be rushed, i.e. the customer owns that space.
We were talking about murder rates. The US has a significantly higher murder rate than the UK. This includes murders by all weapons combined, and is based on the UN statistics posted earlier.
The majority of murders in the US are gangs killing rival gang members or drug traffickers killing other drug traffickers. Is that also the case in the UK? Gangs and drug traffickers aren 't using legally obtained guns and outlawing all guns would not stop them from having them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by KurtVH
I agree that it's very possible to show the after-tax price on the shelf with modern inventory systems.
I don't understand why this is desirable. It hides the cost of government from the people who are paying it. I'd rather have a system that exposes even more of the hidden taxes in the cost of the goods and services that we buy so that folks would have a better idea of what their government is actually costing them.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JEFFJAGUAR
they don't incloude the expected tip which I understand is now 20% of the bill
You've been listening to too many restaurant employees. 15% is fine for "normal" service. Nobody's going to think that you're cheap for tipping 15% of the per-tax bill. I rarely tip less than 10% or more than 20%.
Americans are accustom to friendly service and wait staff who check in frequently for refills, plate removal, etc. The more formal service that is common in some other countries is not what we expect. When I'm in countries where tipping is not normally expected, or the service charge is included in the bill, I find that it's more difficult to get drink refills or get a server's attention.
Something I much prefer everywhere else in the world to the US is the idea of not being rushed through a meal or coffee break or whatever. Here in the US I'm always feeling rushed, and when the waitstaff and/or busboy is always hovering at my table to remove a plate the moment I put my fork to rest ticks me off. I feel as if I'm being hurried through the meal just to make room for the next party. Whereas everywhere else in the world a meal or chance to sit down and enjoy a drink (I'm not talking about a bar, but a cafe) is not something to be rushed, i.e. the customer owns that space.
I've been "rushed" through meals in other countries. What pisses me off more is when I have a movie to catch or people to meet and servers are no where to be found.
I take it you've never worked in the restaurant business, and if you did it was probably in a non-tipping culture.
For better or worse a tipping culture tends to promote in and out service in order to maximize the potential number of customers.
That said, in a place where there is no rushing you end up with tons of campers and people that would love to experience the food but can't get a table, because of people that "own" the table and sit for hours.
I'm not saying rushing people too much is a good thing, but it has it's places and depends on the perspective of the individual.
Campers can cause serious issues when it comes to the number of people a restaurant can serve, and can piss off more people than just the person that feels "rushed".
I was a professional Maitre D, and frankly there is no reason after dessert and drinks are consumed why people sit and talk for hours, go for a damn walk and sit in a park if you feel the need to camp.
In popular restaurants people there for an hour or more past dessert/drinks are seriously impacting the (often small) ability of a restaurant to serve more people.
Selfish attitudes when it comes to dining have always pissed me off, standing in front of the door after a meal, taking ALL of the mints(which we then find outside the door of the restaurant all over the ground), and intentionally occupying a table while the restaurant has been closed and the vacuums are starting to come on.
I swear one time this couple were sitting there well past 1AM (restaurant closes at 11) and the servers had finished all sidework/sweeping/cleaning and the lights were on, eventually the manager had enough of their "camping" and had to ask them to leave because all the other employees were out the door.
There's a reasonable pace to a meal and then people that just want to sit there and "Occupy" the restaurant.
One thing I enjoy about foreign countries is actually their fast food, it tends to be more "inspired" than US fast food places.
What I don't enjoy are the "Faux" American food, I guess it's payback for all the Americanized Chinese,Italian, and Taco Bell Mexican we've brought to the world....
For the record, a stone is 14 pounds. I have no idea why.
And why are horses measured in 'hands'?
And why are some reactracks measured in 'furlongs'?
And why are ocean depths measured in 'fathoms'?
Just how long is a 'rod'?
Anyone know what s 'firkin' is?
Ah yes, the metric system will take over the world ... eventually.
Hands - probably one of the oldest units of measurement - literally the width of a hand / fist (and using body parts to measure also gives 'feet')
As it is rather hard to stack your feet vertically, horses were measured in hands, fist upon fist normally from the floor to the withers.
A furlong was the long side of an acre (in the old standard shape of an acre) - or, as much as an ox could plough without needing a rest!
Ok, that's where horse related measurements finish and I can't help with the rest!
Oh except firkin - having spent quite some time in firkin pubs, I did once know that one, I think it is a small barrel of beer.
I've been "rushed" through meals in other countries. What pisses me off more is when I have a movie to catch or people to meet and servers are no where to be found.
I take it you've never worked in the restaurant business, and if you did it was probably in a non-tipping culture.
For better or worse a tipping culture tends to promote in and out service in order to maximize the potential number of customers.
That said, in a place where there is no rushing you end up with tons of campers and people that would love to experience the food but can't get a table, because of people that "own" the table and sit for hours.
I'm not saying rushing people too much is a good thing, but it has it's places and depends on the perspective of the individual.
Campers can cause serious issues when it comes to the number of people a restaurant can serve, and can piss off more people than just the person that feels "rushed".
I was a professional Maitre D, and frankly there is no reason after dessert and drinks are consumed why people sit and talk for hours, go for a damn walk and sit in a park if you feel the need to camp.
In popular restaurants people there for an hour or more past dessert/drinks are seriously impacting the (often small) ability of a restaurant to serve more people.
Selfish attitudes when it comes to dining have always pissed me off, standing in front of the door after a meal, taking ALL of the mints(which we then find outside the door of the restaurant all over the ground), and intentionally occupying a table while the restaurant has been closed and the vacuums are starting to come on.
I swear one time this couple were sitting there well past 1AM (restaurant closes at 11) and the servers had finished all sidework/sweeping/cleaning and the lights were on, eventually the manager had enough of their "camping" and had to ask them to leave because all the other employees were out the door.
There's a reasonable pace to a meal and then people that just want to sit there and "Occupy" the restaurant.
And if it is raining, or -10 degrees outside? I enjoy lingering over after dinner drinks chatting with friends. What really bugs me is the bill being plopped on the table as I am enjoying a brandy etc. without it being asked for. I quite often have more than one drink, or coffee after a meal as I talk with friends. Unless the restaurant has a table turning policy, I don't see why sitting over coffees / drinks after a meal is inappropriate. It is part of the meal process - just like the cocktails before. That said, I rarely eat out before 8pm, and I would be surprised if any of the restaurants had people waiting for a free table come 10pm + Maybe it would be different if I ate at 6pm.
I REALLY hate being rushed through a meal. I cannot abide it when mains come out before I have finished my starter, and IMO, there is NO excuse for it other than greed and mismanagement on the restaurants part (and I have worked in the business).
I REALLY hate being rushed through a meal. I cannot abide it when mains come out before I have finished my starter, and IMO, there is NO excuse for it other than greed and mismanagement on the restaurants part (and I have worked in the business).
And did you enjoy watching your income fall drastically having worked in the business?
I've camped once or twice but I took care of the servers and made sure i wasn't impacting their bottom line.
I also respected the reality when I saw how backed up their seating is and I would finish my meal so that someone else could enjoy their meal.
Being considerate is a two way street, if a restaurant needs my table(say for a large party, it happens a lot) and I've finished desserts/drinks I'm more than happy to move to the bar if we're still drinking.
What part of "the" business did you work in?
Also like I said, rushers aren't just a US only thing and on the flip side I'd rather be rushed than be ignored.
You can ignore the rushing, you can't ignore being ignored if you need something!
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Quote:
Originally Posted by elizadoo
Something I much prefer everywhere else in the world to the US is the idea of not being rushed through a meal or coffee break or whatever. Here in the US I'm always feeling rushed, and when the waitstaff and/or busboy is always hovering at my table to remove a plate the moment I put my fork to rest ticks me off. I feel as if I'm being hurried through the meal just to make room for the next party. Whereas everywhere else in the world a meal or chance to sit down and enjoy a drink (I'm not talking about a bar, but a cafe) is not something to be rushed, i.e. the customer owns that space.
that's funny. I'm on my way home from Argentina and as much as like the place, that's one thing that drives me nuts. The pace of food service is ridiculously slow. I even find the pace of service here in the US to be lacking at times. Bring me my check with my entree. Ask me if I'm contemplating dessert or coffee. If not, leave the bill. That server gets the big tip from me. One that I have to hunt down for the bill does not rate a good tip
Must be tough for the server to gauge whether they get a diner like me or like you
