The difference between you and the waitress is that you, at the very least, make minimum wage...the waitress does not. It is built into the wage standards in every state that certain workers, including waitstaff, are not subject to the minimum wage laws and the employer is not obliged to change it. Add to that the mandatory % tipping to the bus boy (s) and bartender from your tips. If you think waiting tables is easy, think again.

When traveling to another country, and most especially in Europe, the "Service Charge" listed on the check IS the tip. You are always free to add to that for good service and it is greatly appreciated. If you're not certain about the service charges ask the Host or Hostess or check at your hotel.

I like the idea of a tip because you can give them more money if they do a good job and less if they do a crappy job... there are more areas where I wish we could do that! A bad tip from me is 10%, a good one is 20%!