A closer look
Gratuity culture in the United States exploded right after the Civil War because wealthy business owners strongly preferred the idea of forcing newly freed slaves to live exclusively off customer tips rather than paying them an actual wage. What started as a deeply racist loophole to avoid fair labor practices has now mutated into an inescapable social obligation where you are expected to tip 20% on a black coffee that took three seconds to pour. We are basically subsidizing billion-dollar restaurant chains out of sheer social guilt while the executives sit back and watch us fight with teenagers holding rotating iPads
