Skip to content 
AITAH for not tipping after overhearing what my waitress said about me? Last night, my mom and I went to a restaurant to meet my boyfriend’s mom for the first time. Being punctual people, we arrived 30 minutes early for our reservation and were seated without any hassle. The restaurant was nearly empty, yet it took 20 minutes for our waitress to approach us.
When she finally did, her attitude was frosty no greeting, just a curt inquiry about our drink orders. She didn’t even bother to write them down.
Another 15 minutes passed before our drinks arrived, and they were completely wrong. My mom pointed out that she had ordered ginger ale, not Pepsi. The waitress rolled her eyes, snatched the glass, and disappeared. Feeling frustrated, I excused myself to find the restroom. As I neared the server area, I overheard our waitress complaining to some hostesses about having to serve “a black table” because “they” never tip well. My mom and I were the only black people in the restaurant.
I felt a mix of anger and sadness but didn’t let on that I had heard her. I asked for the restroom location and headed there, fuming. When I returned, my boyfriend and his mom had arrived. Both are white, and the transformation in our waitress was immediate and shocking. Suddenly, she was all smiles, jokes, and impeccable service, ensuring our water glasses were always full and getting every order right.
The night went smoothly, so I decided to treat everyone and pay the bill. When the waitress handed me the machine, I keyed in “0%” for the tip, smiling as I did so. She didn’t notice until after the receipt was printed. By then, we were already leaving.
She tapped me on the shoulder, asking if I made a mistake. I told her I didn’t think so and glanced at the receipt. She asked if there was a problem with her service, and I replied, “Your service was fantastic, but since I’m a black woman, I don’t tip well.” Her face drained of color, and she laughed nervously while I walked out, feeling a mix of satisfaction and indignation.
Outside, my boyfriend’s mom asked what had happened. I explained what I had overheard, and she was visibly upset with me, saying I should’ve tipped anyway to show character. She seemed pretty mad, but my boyfriend and my mom were on my side. Now I’m wondering, should I have just thrown in a $2 tip to avoid all this drama?
more info: reddit
AITAH for not tipping after overhearing what my waitress said about me?
Want More: Reddit Stories
Let’s get into the top comments: AITAH for not tipping after overhearing what my waitress said about me?
Meeting my boyfriend’s mom for the first time was supposed to be a pleasant evening. My mom and I arrived early to the restaurant, ready to make a good impression. The place was nearly empty, yet our waitress took her sweet time to attend to us. Her demeanor was cold, and she didn’t even greet us—just asked for our drink orders without writing them down.
Fifteen minutes later, our drinks were wrong. My mom pointed it out, and the waitress rolled her eyes, took the glass, and stormed off. Frustrated, I headed to the restroom and overheard her complaining to other staff about having to serve “a black table” because “they” never tip well. We were the only black people there.
I returned to find my boyfriend and his mom had arrived, and the waitress’s attitude did a 180. Suddenly, she was attentive, funny, and got everything right. I decided to treat everyone and pay the bill. When she handed me the machine, I entered “0%” for the tip, smiling.
As we left, she tapped me on the shoulder, asking if I had made a mistake. I calmly replied, “No mistake. Your service was great, but since I’m a black woman, I don’t tip well.” Her face went pale.
Outside, my boyfriend’s mom asked what happened. I told her, and she scolded me for not tipping, saying it showed a lack of character. My boyfriend and my mom were on my side, but her reaction made me question my decision. Should I have just tipped to avoid the conflict?
ellaf21 writes:
NTA. I worked as a server for six years and I would absolutely not expect a tip for behaving like this to customers. She probably does not make much in tips, and this industry isn’t for her. It’s so inappropriate to ask people why they didn’t tip you, this is so embarrassing.
