Originally Posted by
FlightDetective
Someone will no doubt make a point about etiquette in the Middle East and how I have made a faux pas, but I truly found it really uncomfortable. I'm happy to hear if I have made an error here of course, but that is how it was for me and how I felt.
No-one expects you to understand the nitty-gritties of each countries approach to tipping. At least I don't !
I was pointing out that the attendants are likely to have been "corrupted" by wayward tippers importing their country's tipping philosophy. (Not pointing fingers, but a tip jar placed next to the un-manned buffet in a LAX hotel lounge caught my attention some weeks' back....).
This has led to the lads learning and honing a behaviour which some customers find uncomfortable. Reinforcing the behaviour by tipping against one's better judgement leads to ever more attentive behaviour . So I guess the message is
trust your judgement.