‘Tipping is a scam in New York’: Indian influencer’s post sparks debate on an American norm
Underlying it are questions of labour, fair wages and exploitation as well as differing cultural perceptions of paying tips.
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Is the American custom of paying 15% tips unreasonable? An Indian influencer’s social media post has set off a huge debate after he said tipping in New York City is a scam.
But underlying this debate are also questions of labour, fair wages and exploitation as well as differing cultural perceptions of compensation for services.
In a post on August 20, YouTuber Ishan Sharma claimed that he paid $50 for a meal costing $45 at a restaurant but the waiter did not return $5, saying that he “had to pay the tip”.
“Why do I pay extra just because restaurants pay minimum hourly wages?” Sharma wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that has seen immense traction – and drawn harsh criticism.
Users accused Sharma of being “cheap”, with some pointing out that it was customary to leave a tip in the US. But several others said that tipping should be the customer’s choice.
Soon after, the X handle of The Deshbhakt, the journalism and satire platform headed by Akash Banerjee, posted a video of Sharma claiming to earn Rs 35 lakh a month.
The video featured Sharma in conversation with entrepreneur Ashneer Grover and Naukri.com founder Sanjeev Bikhchandani. “The waiter was just trying to make a decent honest living –...
