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This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

Food

Video: Watch Waiters' Reaction to $200 Tip (And Why You Should Reconsider Stiffing)

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Wallet image by Fedorov Oleksiy via Shutterstock

One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.

We're big believers that most bad tippers have never actually worked in the restaurant industry themselves. If you'd thanklessly slaved away for minimum wage, hustling from table to table on the nights that most people are busy cutting loose, there's no way you'd stiff your server. Tips are how waiters pay rent.

But we've seen it happen over and over again. Maybe diners just expect employers to pay their staff properly, displacing the responsibility on someone else. Or maybe they think the employees should stand up for themselves,protesting for a raise in minimum wage. Or maybe they're just jerks.

Two guys that are the exact antithesis of jerks captured the reaction of waiters to an extremely generous $200 tip on camera, and you can see how much the appreciation means to these hard workers. One of the waitresses had been hit by a bike recently and was overwhelmed with gratitude. Another was nearly brought to tears by her newfound funds. It restores a little bit of our faith in humanity. (And also makes us wish that there were nice folks like them around during our many years serving and tending bar.)

You can watch the video below:

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