A "How To" Guide to Being a Tourist (4)

Looks like I'm back on topics concerning pub behavior, I know this guide is a bit shorter than normal consisting of only one topic, but I feel it is a topic which must be covered.... enjoy.

VIII) Tipping

I know I previously stated in my 2nd edition of a 'how-to' guide that the tipping culture in Britain is poor at best, and in many places ceases to exist all together, but I feel this is a point which needs a bit more explaining. For some reason unknown to me (or to anybody who isn't God) the custom in Britain seems to be a 10% tip on restaurant bills and a 0% tip on bar tabs. Nobody knows where this rule originated yet everybody seems to adhere to it. It just seems to be a fact of life you get used to living in the UK. 

What concerns me is the tipping tendencies of the tourists to our town. As pointed out in the first 'how-to' many tourists are incapable of learning what our money looks like or how to use it, how to successfully make a purchase with a credit card, and blind to all acceptable pub behavior. Tourists seem to be unable to learn any of the customs of the UK, with the exception of changing their average tip from 20% to nothing. 

I'm not expecting Americans to tip bar staff as much as they would in the U.S.. Where the time you wait to be served directly corresponds to the amount you tipped on the previous round. But keep in mind that a person behind the bar in the UK is earning an average of £45 (in hourly pay) per 8 hour shift, and American bar tenders are taking home $100-$500+ (in tips) for the same amount of work. Working in a bar is not a walk in the park and sometimes the bar staff would very much appreciate you not waiting incessantly for your £0.05 change.