Times You Didn’t Tip Enough and Ruined Someone’s Life- Tác giả Katie Nguyễn

Szechuan Kitchen, 2003

You were going through a breakup and just wanted to eat alone in peace. But when your server Jay’s girlfriend stopped by the restaurant to drop off Jay’s cell phone, which he’d forgotten at home, you were forced to remember how you, too, used to be loved. When it came time to pay, you were so bitter and resentful that you wrote on the tip line, “Why don’t you just get your girlfriend to tip you, you smug bastard.” That night, Jay asked his girlfriend to lay off the P.D.A. She got offended, and for a whole year refused to do that weird thing Jay liked in bed.

Plaza Bar, 2005

When you drank yourself sloppy, vomited in the corner of your booth, and left seven business cards instead of a tip, Joel’s rough night was only just beginning. Having to clean up your mess for no tip was the last straw. After his shift, he cried in the alley behind the bar for twenty minutes, questioning every decision he’d ever made. Then a stray cat attacked him, and now Joel can’t enjoy cats anymore. Joel used to love cats.

Dunn Bros. Coffee, 2006

Because you didn’t leave your sixty-five cents change as a tip, the barista, Ellen, found herself short on bus fare to get home. So she walked to her ex-boyfriend Jake’s house, and he read her a shitty poem that he’d written after they broke up. They got back together, and now Ellen has to spend every Easter for the rest of her life watching “The Passion of the Christ” at Jake’s mom’s house, despite the fact that she’s Jewish.

Red Lobster, 2009

Since you thought Bryan wasn’t upbeat enough, you tipped only five per cent. In fact, he was distracted because he was working three jobs to pay off his mortgage. Had you tipped Bryan more, he would have been able to afford a haircut before his interview the next day, for a well-paying, full-time job. But Bryan didn’t get a haircut, it turned out that the interviewer’s ex-wife had cheated on him with a guy who had long hair, and Bryan didn’t get the job. The bank foreclosed on his home, and now he lives with his polyamorous younger sister and her lovers.

Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 2011

Remember the time that cute server accidentally gave you lemon water instead of regular water, and you decided to knock a dollar off her tip? Well, Molly could have used that dollar when her friend went into diabetic shock because of low blood sugar. Molly managed to find a vending machine, but she didn’t have any bills smaller than a twenty. Molly’s friend was taken to the hospital, and, though she made a full recovery, she was charged two thousand dollars for the ambulance ride. She hasn’t spoken to Molly since. They had been best friends since the fourth grade.

Turtledove Café, 2015

It was sweet young Tommy’s first day on the job, and he was trying his hardest. But, even though he gave you an extra espresso shot and whipped cream, you didn’t tip him. When he realized that his earnest efforts had been in vain, his cheery attitude disappeared. Tommy’s boss told him to smile more, and Tommy punched him. Tommy lost his job, had to give up his HBO subscription, and became that annoying person who interrupts every “Game of Thrones” conversation, telling everyone not to spoil it for him, even though it’s been months since the show aired. He is the worst.