You've been to the wrong parts of the UK. The tipping system in the US is purely about the employer dodging taxes by "encouraging" the patron to pay their staff. The difference between tipping in the UK and tipping here is that in the UK, it's a genuine show of gratitude for a bartender pouring you an almost-double of Scotch because he it's ten minutes to closing time and he wants to get rid of that bottle, or to a waiter for giving you truly excellent service. There's a different standard of service when tipping is expected vs. when it's earned, and if you leave a restaurant in the UK without tipping, you can still go back there again tomorrow without fear of being poisoned.

Every time you eat British food you have the fear of being poisoned.

Every time you eat Chipotle you have the fear of getting e. coli. Every time you eat Blue Bell you're risking listeria. Every time you eat Mexican food you're chancing any number of stomach maladies, possibly up to and including cholera. Every time you eat Taco Bell, you're eating sand. Your point?

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Every time you eat British food you have the fear of being poisoned.

Every time you eat Chipotle you have the fear of getting e. coli. Every time you eat Blue Bell you're risking listeria. Every time you eat Mexican food you're chancing any number of stomach maladies, possibly up to and including cholera. Every time you eat Taco Bell, you're eating sand. Your point?

British food sucks. I thought my point was obvious...

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

I've NEVER tipped anyone for anything here in the UK.. I've never even said 'keep the change' if it's a measly few pennies. They're doing their job..

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80% of what I talk about is nonesense.. the other 25% is made up statistics...


 

Every time you eat Chipotle you have the fear of getting e. coli. Every time you eat Blue Bell you're risking listeria. Every time you eat Mexican food you're chancing any number of stomach maladies, possibly up to and including cholera. Every time you eat Taco Bell, you're eating sand. Your point?

British food sucks. I thought my point was obvious...

What about it sucks? British food is roughly 90% the same as what we eat, they just have different names for it.

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British food sucks. I thought my point was obvious...

What about it sucks? British food is roughly 90% the same as what we eat, they just have different names for it.

Greasy fried, gelatinous, mushy, spotted...lots of reasons, though I haven't fared the local in two decades now. Perhaps it's better, but I'm not taking the chance.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

Every time you eat Chipotle you have the fear of getting e. coli. Every time you eat Blue Bell you're risking listeria. Every time you eat Mexican food you're chancing any number of stomach maladies, possibly up to and including cholera. Every time you eat Taco Bell, you're eating sand. Your point?

British food sucks. I thought my point was obvious...

It's changed.  Last time I was over there, I noticed there is hardly any food around that can be called "British."  There's a lot of Indian, Chinese, Greek, Italian, Thai, etc. Immigration has brought them a greatly improved cuisine.  

It's not like all you can get is steak and kidney pie.  Although I did like steak and kidney pie last time I had it, which was a long time ago.

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British food sucks. I thought my point was obvious...

What about it sucks? British food is roughly 90% the same as what we eat, they just have different names for it.

It's just bland and unadventurous.

The British dish of the last 30 years is a half-Indian, half-British invention... uhhh... tiki chicken marsala? I can't remember. Just shows how lacking they are in true culinary culture that countries like Italy, France and to a lesser extent Germany have.

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I've never been to Britain, but somehow I get the impression that curry is a national dish.

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