So there's this frozen yogurt shop that I live about ten minutes away from, and I've gone there several times. Each time I walk in the door, I follow a simple procedure: I go in and I pick up a Styrofoam bowl, which are all the same "medium-ish" size (there are no "small" or "large" sizes). Then I go to one the six dispensers and pick the flavor I desire, which often varies for me. The flavors they have include Non-fat Vanilla and Chocolate, Strawberry, and Butterscotch.

Once my bowl is full of my flavor preference, I walk over to the station where they have all the toppings. You can get as many as your bowl can accommodate. Of course, they have the standard treats you'd expect such as Gummy Bears and M&Ms. However, they also have breakfast cereal as toppings as well, such as Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles. I've always found that strange. I mean, I don't know about anyone else, but the thought of breakfast cereal being unceremoniously dumped into a container to be used as a topping is pretty.....unappealing to me. So naturally, every time I come across the topping station, I ignore the cereal, usually sticking to the Gummy Worms and even Sour Patch Kids.

Once I have picked out my toppings, I go up to the cashier counter and place my bowl on a small scale to be charged appropriate to its weight. But in that moment just before I place my bowl on the scale, my eyes come across something else on the counter. Something that sits ominously, striking me with contempt the moment I see it.

It's the tip jar.

Oh, yes, the tip jar. There is a tip jar sitting beside the scale where you are undoubtedly guaranteed to see it. And almost every time I do, I'm reminded of the famous scene from Reservoir Dogs:

Full disclosure, I always tip in restaurants. I don't have the slightest problem with that. But this tip jar glaring me in the face is another story.

Tipping is, above all else, an act of gratitude. It's a way of rewarding servers who went out of their way to ensure your own happiness. I mean, sure, that's their job and they get payed for it anyway, but it's no secret that some servers do it better than others, and thus deserve more than the minimum wage that their job grants them.

However, in this case, I've received no "service." I filled up my bowl by myself, and I also put the toppings on by myself. So am I supposed to leave a tip just for having my bowl weighed? That's pretty much the equivalent of tipping the McDonald's cashier just for taking your order.

Leaving a tip here is a prime example of tipping for the hell of it. There is simply no legitimate ground whatsoever to leave a tip. And yet, every single time I see the tip jar, it is full of dollar bills and coins from people who were suckered persuaded into tipping just because the jar was there.

However, I still cannot blame them, because trying to avoid it is unexpectedly difficult. Not only is the jar clearly visible, so that you cannot possibly lie by saying that you did not see it, but its presence makes you also start to wonder something. How much could this job possibly pay its employees? All they sell is frozen yogurt, and from my experience, the average tab comes out to about $5-7 per bowl. They may get a decent amount of business, but it would not surprise me to learn that they rely on tips for an extra push.

So when I see the jar again, I simply leave the coins that I get back as change out of nothing but pure guilt. Sometimes it's as low as a nickel, other times it's nearly a dollar in coins. In any case, at least I can say that I left something.

Then I turn and exit the shop with my bowl, casting an intense glare at the jar as I leave. Until next time, you greedy, money-grubbing piece of glass. :okiedokielokie: