Funny how someone who refuses to give waiters (many of whom make $50K+ a year) 15-20% extra at the end of their meal is "cheap" and "misanthropic", but when we have a measure on the ballot to raise sales tax by 0.25% so that our schools can increase salaries of teachers who are getting paid $40K, it gets soundly defeated.

I hate the tipping system, and I make it known both on the internet and in real life. I don't hesitate to share my views with servers and managers when appropriate. Usually I just tip the standard 15%, but I adjust it in either direction as appropriate. And before anyone calls me cheap, I would wager that I donate a higher percentage of my income to charity than the average American, but I donate it to people based on their needs and not on social pressure.