Originally Posted by
WHBM
I am well aware of US custom with gratuities, and so, as far as I am aware, is everyone else I know from the UK who has been to the US.
My point was not about the general custom (as you go on to note, lecturing people about it seems as likely to seem patronizing as to be helpful) but rather the limited range of places which add it automatically even for smaller parties in contravention of the usual standard.