Tipping

[126th street]

RE: Tipping
The difference is in the culture. If you don't leave a tip in a restaurant or diner in New York, or round the taxi fare up a few dollars, you are considered to be extremely stingy. Not by the person receiving the tip (although they won't be impressed) but by people in general. It is accepted that people particularly in the food service and bar sectors are on terrible wages and need a reasonable sum in tips to make a living.

Likewise in some cultures if you offer a tip to a taxi driver or similar it is liable to cause offence, or they just won't understand what you're trying to do as it is not part of their country's way of doing things. Japan for example.