to wonder if British people who go on holiday in the States deliberately seek out the stupidest...

[AtheneNoctua]

people they can find so they can come back and tell everyone how stupid all Americans are.

Here's an example. I was staying at a very expensive hotel and checking out in a hurry -had left it very late to get my flight.

Hotel receptionist presented me with the bill to sign and I said 'do you have a pen?' and she said: 'no, I'm so sorry, I don't have a pen for you to use at this time' and my first reaction was 'oh ok, don't wory.' Then it dawned on me: hang on a minute, you work on hotel reception - FIND A FUCKING PEN!

I also have to deal with a lot of American PRs as part of my job - without fail they all say 'absolutely I'll get right onto that and do it for you now' and then they never actually do it.

Nancy66 - had that experience. Gaaargggggh - just find a pen woman!!!.

My wife checked in once after an overnight flight into NYK at a top end hotel. After queuing for ages she aproached the desk and the reception person just said "Sorry Madam. You wil have to join the back of the other queue as I am of now." My wife went ballistic [that is a very very frightening thing] and they went into a total panic and the manager served her persoally and carried her bags. We find screaming at poor service in America does often work - but why is it just not always great anyway?

The way you have to tip for everything is just annoying. It is not that I mind paying -its just I want to pay the sevice with my bill and the hotel pays staff properly.

I guess us Brits really annoy Americans as well. Any stories the other way from the Americans on here? I know rubbish dribbly showers and small rooms in hotels really annoy my American friends.

we do have the most rubbish showers in the world....

And we don't put enough ice in drinks (which means of course that we get better value as we don't have a load of frozen water filling the glass ).

I'm sure there are nightmare situations in both countries.

My story: when pregnant with dd, I returned to the USA for the final 3 months of the pregnancy. I intended to pay for the cost of birth out of pocket, but wanted insurance as back-up in case something went disastrously (and expensively) wrong. I found I was unable to purchase private health insurance to cover me for the birth, as the pregnancy was deemed a 'pre-existing condition'. I was therefore, declared 'uninsurable'.

I then trotted down to the local government health offices, and after several meetings/appointments and filling out papers (yes, it was a pain), I was declared 'insured by the state'.

Fast forward to the day of birth - I went to my hospital of choice to check in. I was ushered into a huge, clean, newly decorated private room, gave birth 12 hours later (given an epidural half-way through and a caesarean due to worryingly high blood pressure). My own GP delivered the baby, and I spent 4 days in hospital recovering from the birth.

Cost to me? A big fat ZERO. I couldn't have been treated better. The big irony was that I could have paid (and orginally intended to), but because of my inability to secure insurance, the government program took care of everything.

Mine is a happy story, which I thought I'd share to balance out the horrir stories.

Leonie - tips are taxable income. IRS website here.

I completely agree that in the USA it's really important to tip as the wait staff rely on it for a normal income.

I also completely agree that you should tip more in the US as people need it to live on, but cringe every time because they shouldn't need it to live on.

I actually thought that loophole had been closed, and that bar staff etc now had to be paid the actual minimum wage. But maybe I heard wrong.

Okay so I know Wikipedia isn't always the most accurate thing in the world but OMFG.

"As of July 24, 2008 (2008 -07-24)[update], the federal minimum wage in the United States is $6.55 per hour. Many states and municipalities have minimum wages higher than this (see List of U.S. minimum wages), but some U.S. territories (such as American Samoa) are exempt. Some types of labor are also exempt, and tipped labor must be paid a minimum of $2.13 per hour,[1] as long as the hourly wage plus tipped income result in a minimum of $6.55 per hour."

Why OMFG?

I waitressed a few nights a week at a mid-level restaurant while at university and averaged around $25 per hour in tips. It was the best way of earning good money in a short amount of time.

I was told early on though, that it would be wise for me to tip the cook a bit every night if I wanted my orders done promptly.

$2.13. That's why.

(also very at bribery within the workplace to make someone do their job)

Latecomer, but fwiw...

I go to NYC regularly and am always struck by how bright, sharp and witty everyone is - from the person cleaning the toilets to the high faluting banker. They're all so direct and ballsy and just fabulous, really.

However, when visiting the ILs in Florida I am frequently struck by how ignorant and sheltered many of the people are. Religion seems to play a big part in their ignorance. That and people rarely travelling outside of their own state.

Didn't really bother me to give the cook a fiver a night. The logic was that he contributed to the enjoyment of the diners. If they liked the food and were treated well, they tipped more.

Still don't really understand why you are aghast at the hourly rate paid to wait staff when it is a small percentage of what they earn based on tips received. I was always thrilled to receive my hourly wage cheque as it felt like a windfall.

Because you have to earn more than double your actual hourly wage in tips just to get to minimum wage!

You are used to the idea and so you think it's fine, I think of the concept of 'minimum wage' as being an actual minimum that people should be paid, and so I am shocked that they can get away with actually paying you less than a third of that.

It's just a cultural difference. I suppose it seems to work, because everyone knows you need to tip a lot. I was aware that the reason you should always give high tips to people in the US is because they need them, but I didn't realise the gap between real pay and basic minimum wage was that high.

The diner is making up the wage shortfall of the waiter - while the restaurant still charges top dollar for its food.

Hmmm - I see your points, but guess it is a mindset. Americans (huge generalisation) are a service oriented culture.

If you are an extra good waiter/waitress, you usually will be given a higher 'commission' for performing better than average. Customers also have the ability to 'reward' you better by tipping more if they have enjoyed themselves.

The discretionary tip amount is a motivator (usually).

"My wife checked in once after an overnight flight into NYK at a top end hotel. After queuing for ages she aproached the desk and the reception person just said "Sorry Madam. You wil have to join the back of the other queue as I am of now.""

oh come on, now you're just making stuff up - surely he would have said "back of the other LINE."

Trillian is right. And even worse, a well known manufacturer uses labor in American Samoa and boasts, 'Made in America'

goodnightmoon - yes sorry you are right. It is only the Brits that 'queue' after all.

Aside form the fact that a New Yorker would never say "queue", let's not forget that all Americans not from New York think New Yorkers are rude. I mean really, it's like saying "hey get this. I went Louisiana and they talk slowly" I mean really, what would you expect?!?!

yet so many New Yorkers are actually super friendly. I can't believe how many random conversations, compliments, etc. roll in from New Yorkers when you are just going about your business. ok, i used to be one so maybe i'm biased.

But they are ahead of us on human rights....they let the really thick ones have a go at running the place