That is a good rule. Leaving a couple of pennies may be satisfying in its own passive-aggressive way, but if the service was egregiously bad enough to warrant that chances are the waiter will be too clueless to even recognize that he/she was the problem. Explaining to the manager why you're not leaving a tip ensures the message gets through.

Having grown up in the US I accept tipping people who perform personal services as the way things are done in the US. What I don't accept are the cues, let's call them, for holiday tips from people for performing jobs that really have no personal service component. Mainly I'm thinking of the guy who delivers newspapers to my building -- a big stack of them, plopped in the lobby while his engine is running (I imagine--I'm never there to see it). Every year around Black Friday I get a holiday card in a conveniently addressed envelope for my gratuity. Who is this guy and what has he done to deserve a tip above and beyond the delivery fee built into my subscription price?

The night doorman who actually brings the paper to my door gets a larger holiday tip than the guys on the other shifts because he performs a personal service. But not the guy who drives the delivery van.

Holiday tips in the big city are something I hate--it's annoying to spend more on holiday tips than on gifts for the people I care about, but I kind of have to--but they're not unique to the US.

I have to say I apply the "when in Rome" rule when it comes to tipping. I have on occasions left no tip (but not in the US) because of rubbish service, and requested the manager take a service charge off the bill.

The one aggressive tipping incident I had was a bellhop at a hotel in VA when I was storing a bag. The guy taking the bag made a point of saying he wouldn't be there when I got back because his shift was ending. The bags were "stored" in a roped-off area of the floorspace by reception. I mentioned the matter to a manager and you can guess what tip was given.

I was a waiter for a month when I was in college. I remembered waiting on a table of 6 and they left a 5 dollar tip on a bill that was probably $100.

When I was cleaning the table and booth, I found 25 dollars. The money must have fell out of the pocket of one of the guest.

Not yet anyways. With culturally ignorant travelers heading off to far destinations and exporting their tipping policies, it's only a matter of time.

10 years of visiting the US and I am still confused about the status of tipping!
I know you have to tip because its their wages but there isnt any scale of payments, I usually ask the server and they tell me how much they should be given. I understand they keep the money for themselves and dont pool and share it like we used to do in the restaurants I worked in in the UK as a teenager. Then they still should be tipped if the food isnt up to standard because its not their fault, then you should leave 10% tip as an insult if you hated the service???.
No wonder Americans have so many fast food places, they probably cant work out the tips in restaurants either!
I gave up in the end, I stay at the sumerfield and cook instead

baggage handlers
 

It would be nice to see some "personal standards" about how much to give per bag or per 10 yards of carrying distance.

In 2008, I happened to chat with a baggage handler at the curb in JFK, before flying out with my wife and kids. He revealed that they are legally paid below minimum wage because NY law allows employers to deduct "expected tips" from the official wage. I don't think he was whining or whinging -- it really is standard practice in a lot of places.

refusing tips
 

Tipping is generally conceived as a reward for good personal service. In fancy clubs, it is forbidden because it can lead to preferential attention by staff -- all members figure they have paid a bundle to join, so why should one of them get more attention than all the others?

Depends on the restaurant, but in general, they do not (although at nicer places, they're often required to "tip out" to bussers and back-of-house.)

And on restaurants, it's really not hard. Anything from around 15% on the pretax to 20% on the after-tax is acceptable. Just look at it as an unadvertised cost, rather like sales tax.

Precision is neither necessary, nor desired, and unless the bill is tiny (under $15, say) you can safely eyeball the math -- eg on a $92.23 bill after tax ($85 before, around here) anywhere from $12 (15% on the pretax rounding down) to $19 (20% on the after tax, rounding up) would be a fairly range for the tip. Leaving $105 rather than waiting for change would not be an unacceptably low tip.

Shouldn't, but many people do.

10% is a fairly mild complaint, not an insult. 2 cents is an insult/very strong complaint. Don't worry about it if you don't care to.

Yes, some job categories in the USA can legally be paid (sometimes far) less than minimum wage, although the employer is required by law to make up the difference if the employee doesn't get enough in tips to make minimum. Employees are also required to report tips to the employer for tax purposes, although not all report 100%. Tips left on credit cards of course are accounted for.

I tip in a fairly narrow range, 15-18%, although I will tip more in a low-priced joint. After all, does the guy who brings me a $4 hamburger work only 1/10 as hard as the guy who brings me a $40 steak?

I have on occasion left a tip on a credit card, then accidentally taken the copy with the tip with me, leaving the server with nothing. Every time that happens I call the restaurant and ask them to add a tip. Most do, but a few have said they can't but not to worry, that they compensate the servers. One time I did that and went back to the same restaurant the following week, sought out the server, and handed him cash.

On the other hand, I once had a $66 dinner bill on which I tipped $10. However, when I got my credit card statement, it showed $84. I went to the restaurant and saw that the server had put a second circle above the "0" in 10, making the 0 look like an 8, changing the tip to $18. The manager saw that the handwriting wasn't identical, it was clear someone had changed it, and thanked me and gave me a chit for a free appetizer. I assume that if this was the first time it happened the restaurant ate the $8, if it was the second time they probably fired the waitress.

So the guy who overserved a customer (perhaps illegally) then turns around and calls the cops on said customer? He should get arrested too.

I once rode on a bus (50+ seats) from LGA to JFK (you pay a fixed price--it is not a free shuttle); when you boarded the bus, there was a cup marked "tips" next to the driver.
Does anyone tip drivers of city operated buses, so why would one tip the driver of this airport connecting bus?

The LAX FlyAway bus has luggage storage compartments underneath. If I have a large suitcase and the driver stows it for me, I'll tip a buck when s/he retrieves it at the destination. Otherwise no tip.

never tipped a big bus, but those shared ride, limo types, one time I tipped a guy, probably a $1 per bag, and he complained to me. was a while ago.

I have heard that tipping is a custom, these people are minimum wage employees, provide service, and other explanations. I agree. What I don't understand is the "percent" business. Is one job better than the other? Is the waiter in an expensive restaurant any better than one in a lower or medium priced restaurant? What does a cab driver do other than driving (Unless luggage is involved)? Why not tip a flight attendant/bank teller/store clerk/an office receptionist, bus driver, and many other professionals who may not make much money. I have watched many times the taxi meter go faster than the taxi itself and felt guilty when the driver caught my eyes on the meter and to pay a hefty tip on top of it. Even more annoyed when I knew that the driver took the scenic route! In addition, there is evening rate, night time rate, airport rate, city/county line rate, additional passengers rate, ...