🫙 The new rules of tipping

School Construction Incomplete

Students at Portland Public Schools’ alternative high school, which shares a campus with the newly renovated Benson Polytechnic, showed up in August to find that construction wasn’t finished. Alliance High School had a kitchen they couldn’t use for culinary classes and an inaccessible rooftop garden — while Benson was fully finished. [Oregonian 🔒]

Fivefold Increase in Public Defender Crisis

There’s been a fivefold increase in the number of defendants without a public defender across the state over the last 18 months. That increase came even as the state has focused on addressing the problem. [Oregonian 🔒]

Should Portland Get Rid of Tipping?

What are the new rules of tipping in Portland? Tipping used to be confined to a few select service industries, but now it seems like every transaction wraps up with a tip screen. But is the trend actually working for workers? [City Cast Portland 🎧]

A couple weeks back I ran a segment on the increasing pressure to tip at Portland restaurants, bars, and other establishments.

As always, my favorite part is hearing from readers about your perspectives.

Here are some views on Portland’s tipping etiquette, some of whom are featured on the City Cast Portland podcast episode today:

“My husband and I have discussed this several times. During the pandemic, we found we were giving large tips just to support food businesses and help keep them open. It was a struggle for all of them. But it felt like then they started expecting it after the pandemic. Burgerville definitely was one of them. We finally decided to stop tipping many places, especially fast food places.” — Marilyn

“I’ve been a server for over two decades. But since COVID I have left the industry for the most part, because the tips are being taken by management, and the customers tip less. The job got more stressful and more duties, while the tips declined. I miss my customers and the vibes of a restaurant in full motion. Unfortunately I don’t see myself returning to it.

“This affects service, since experienced servers have left the industry or only work high-end places. Most restaurants you eat at on a day-to-day basis have to hire young people, with no experience. On top of that: Most of the young people that I know, don’t care about their jobs because you can’t afford a living even working full time.

• “I tip 20% when I get served at a table.
• “Out a window: $1 per person.
• “A drink: $1
• “If you are a restaurant that serves food out the window and makes me clean up my own table when I’m done eating, I do not tip.” — Dustin

“In Oregon, we do pay workers decently — not great but decently, there is none of this $2/hr bullshit like other states. But we do seem to be going more toward the customer going to the counter to make the order, pick up said order, and even clearing the table, whilst being encouraged at the counter for a larger tip. So my philosophy for tipping is this: if I do the work, I get the tip. So, great table service is typically the high end — 20-22% — especially if it is good enough for me to keep coming back. But counter service where the staff member does nothing more than hand me something: 0-10% typically. It may be harsh but my work is non-tip, and I do not earn a huge wage, so I have to budget where I can.” — Dannell

“What bugs me is restaurants where I scan a QR code at my table, order my food, pay and tip…so I’m tipping before I’ve had any service or tasted my food!” — Sandra

“Honestly, I think it's time for tipping to go away altogether. Let's just pay people what they deserve, huh? If consumers are tipping anyway, why can't we just shift that cost to slightly higher prices for better wages? In the meantime, I have a personal rule that I only tip when I pay at the end. Otherwise, the amount I tip seems arbitrary. If tipping really is about service, why would I tip before I get it?” — Nick

Your turn: What is your experience of tipping? Please email us.