A traveler was left scratching his head when a self-service kiosk at Denver International Airport prompted him to go away a tip regardless of the absence of any employees.
The perplexed passenger shared his expertise on Reddit, noting the eerie solitude as he made his purchase: “I was just asked to ‘leave a tip’ at this self-service airport kiosk.
“Denver International Airport, midnight, no one round for a hundred toes. Nobody to even make sure we do not steal.”
The Reddit post sparked a heated discussion, with some criticizing the audacity of the machine and others debating the broader issues surrounding America’s tipping culture. And it’s safe to say some think tipping has got completely out of control.
One commenter expressed their astonishment: “Wow, that is actually subsequent stage. My go to instance up to now about out of control tipping tradition was how Papa Murphy (a pizza store the place you are taking it home and cook it your self) requested for ideas. This is now my new go-to.”
Another chimed in with a prediction: “As long as people keep tipping, companies will keep asking and the proportion will keep going up.”
A frustrated user vented: “Tipping is voluntary theft, are Americans that giving or that silly? Maybe there’s a higher phrase however this simply p***** me off!”.
Someone else criticized the system’s reliance on habit: “They are counting on the unconscious mind coaching from tipping in every single place else how grasping and opportunistic..”
And finally, one individual confessed a certain admiration for the absurdity: “Honestly, I variety of love these really unhinged tip screens that make no sense. I believe a lot of tippers simply see a tip screen and press an option with out actually considering as a result of that is simply what you are purported to do.
“But when all of the social pressure is gone (there’s no human to exert social pressure), all but the most far-gone tippers are going to stop and think, ‘Do I actually need to tip here?'”.
“It teaches them it’s okay to not tip, and builds the muscle memory of pressing no tip. I really believe the end of tipping will be a tragedy of the commons situation, so when I see the most egregious over-grazers, I know the commons time is nearly up.”
“As in all countries, it’s polite to tip porters, taxi drivers and the people cleaning your hotel room – the expected tip is much smaller than the standard in bars and restaurants. If the service has been poor, don’t hesitate to hold back on the tip.
“As within the UK, it is meant to be a reward for good service.”
However, for individuals traveling to America, the UK Post Office recommends to “tip in nearly each transactional scenario”. Denver International Airport has been contacted for a remark.
