DEAR MISS MANNERS: Why is tipping expected? I was under the impression that it was up to the customer. In my state, servers are paid minimum wage, so it’s not a question of being underpaid.

And why am I expected to supplement a stranger’s income? If you’re not making enough money, get a different job! I’m so disgusted by this begging that I don’t tip anyone, anywhere. Is tipping really a requirement?

GENTLE READER: You are mighty cavalier about the livability of the minimum wage, and about the ease of getting a better-paying job. You absolutely must tip those workers whose jobs traditionally require it.

Miss Manners often rails against the whole idea -- why should a worker’s wages depend on the whims of customers? Yet because that is the current system, she considers some tipping mandat

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