The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-08-23
GBRHANY'S WAITING PALM
SCALE OF THE TIPS WHICH
EVERY ONE EXPECTS.

for the Conductor OF the street chr'
BERLIN, Aug. e.-Generally speaking
no one In America except the waiter ex-
poets a tip; In Germany every one does.
Ignorance Of this leads to all sorts OF
between foreigners and natives In both
countries. To try TO tip gets the foreigner
in America into trouble. To fall TO tip or
20 refuse to tip gets the foreigner, and
particularly the American, into trouble IN
Germany. -.
Not long ago the writer met an Americani
the smoking saloon Of a Hamburg-American
liner. He wal on his way home after visit
ing Germany for the first and,a as ne saio'
the last time. .,.
Il hate the country and the people!' hi
declared at intervals. "A bunch OF snobs
and beggarsl"
The trouble arose almost entirely from
the fact that the American did not know
when, whom and how much to tip. An
experience happening to him in the famous
Cafe Bauer in Berlin ON the avenue Inter
den Linden will serve as illustration.
Il was sitting with a party Of friends
he said, 4and as IL was time to get on with
our sightseeing / signalled the waiter that
wished to pay. 1t took a mighty long Time
TO CaICn nlB 6y6, Dut tlut W ~ -
when he did come, instead OF taking
the money himself he called another waiter
they called him the oberkellner, boss
waiter. I suppose. ! was a bit surprised.
but I paid him and he gave me change, at
the same time looking hard at me, evil
IDENTIFY for q tip.
Il didn't give him anything. but showed
q mark, about 20 cents, ! guess, over TO the
waiter who had brought us the goods. But
what do you think2 Why. he showed 1t
over to theb boss waiter.
whats that forf' says l..
THAT'S for the oberkellner,' he y
I'm not allowed to take it.
do you think l let it go to the ober ohapf
Not mel
Look here I says to the ODER. I've
never seen your ugly mug before and 1
don't want to see 1t again and you've done
nothing for u.s. And with that i pocketed
the coin andwe all went away"
And did the Ober say nothing'' n
Of his hearers asked.
sYes, he did. but / didn't stay to hear
what 1t was nor what the Germans said
either, who were all standing up and watch
ing the whole performance
The same man told Of another tipping
experience Of his. This time It was in
Hamburg. He was pretty well served
at the hotel there. it seemed. and after
q two day stay his bill came to about ID
marks.
Il was well looked AFTER he said, and
handed out is marks in tips
These two Incidents are good examples
Of the behavior Of large numbers Of for
eigners, especially Americans. who when
travelling In Germany, indeed everywhere
on the Continent. either tip too little or tip
too much. In both cases they do a lot
Of harm without knowing 1t.
In the first case they make bad blood
between the two peoples and leave a very
bad impression about their countrymen
and their o~ountrymen's manners and dis
position. In the second case they put
those of their fellow countrymen who come
after them in a false position, for II they
do not tip on the same extravaganza scale
they are considered mean and treated &C
cordingly.
1t il simply a matter Of ignorance Of
the custom Of b country. and a very
excusable ignorance. inasmuch as tipping
in q country Is a science which 1t takes a
good deal Of miscellaneous experience in
that country to learn. Here are some
pointers for the use INT guidance in Ger
many Of those who do not start out travel
ling, as some do, with a full determination
not to tip at all or with a general idea they
will tip according to the service rendered.
as sun more 90, oSe : 81 H. n n~n t HmV p systa@
and that each sort OF SERVICE the traveller
receives has Its own tip assigned to 1t by
popular custom.
lake the ordinarily we'll to do traveller
"a A. 1laAa k1tol tr anr larrn narrnop
town-Berlin, Dresden, Frankfort, Leipsio,
NLirnberg, Cologne. You are alone and
stay three days, taking your breakfast
in the hotel and other meals out.
On leaving Civ the hall .pp porter Str who %h has
you have probably discussed the sights,
tho weather, the town's amusements and
the political situation, two marks. or say
half a dollar; Il only a day or two in the
has taken your bill to 6e paid or else is
lowering in the offing while you are paying
II at the cashiers desk. should have one
mark. n und walters you will have
already tipped twenty pfsnnigs 2 lime
brought. or 10 per cent. on your bill when
you were settling for a meal In the hotel. In
most hotels the meals are settled for at
once. not put down In the hotel bill. If
~fayorite waiter 80 p~fennigs.
The ohambermaid who looked after your
bedroom may have 50 pfennigs too. Then
there 10 the boots who has fetched down
your luggage and Is standing at the drosohke
door. he gets SO pfennigs.
Other servants expect dps-the lift man.
the bell boy. the man who drives the station
omnibus. Let them. Their expectation.
founded on sad experience, is not very
lively and their disappointment oonse-
quently viii not be painful. II. however.
you have ooppers in your. outside pockets
hand them 20 pfennigs each, pressing their
hand kindly as you put the money into 1t.
OF ooures II you are married and have
your family with you the tips all around
should be raised; but not more than to
leave . good impression Of the family al a
whole. The hall porter might get 30 per
cent. more. the boots ditto, and in the hotel
restaurant the pourboire at the end Of the
meal might be 80 pfennigs for the whole
family instead Of 10 pfennigs.
II you stay q week or more the tip at
departure should be slightly augmented.
but not e~xtravagantly. What has been
said will ssrve your good sense as a basis.
In all cases Of doubt in q hotel slide 20
pfennigs into the waiting palm.
II you have any uncertainty a. to the