Today is 19 December 2024. My late father would have been 95 today. It's been over six years since he passed 12 April 2018.
I missed noting my late mom's birthday a month ago when she would have turned 90. She has been gone for more than a decade having passed on 6 February 2013.
People now know the concept of walking in a single file. Bumping into other people is a thing of the past.
People make an effort to avoid walking directly toward strangers and instead give way and walk to one side or the other giving as wide a berth as practical. People no longer assert their imagined rights to walk where ever they want, ignoring other people that might exist.
People bow and smile or fist bump instead of shaking hands. Kissing non family members on the cheek is a thing of the past.
Birthday cakes no longer feature candles to blow out.
Everyone coughs and sneezes into their elbows.
People avoid touching their face if they have touched unknown items (such as door handles, walk signals, restaurant menus, gas pumps) until their hands have been cleaned.
No one licks their fingers to turn a page of a book or newspaper, open a plastic bag, or deal a deck of cards.
Yes, lessons NOT learned from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Some people don’t tip on the total bill, but go through the gymnastics of removing the tax first (“I’m not tipping on the tax!”)
Let’s check the math.
Let’s assume the taxable item in question is $100 before taxes (this just makes the calculations easier for the cheapskates).
On $100;
GST at 5% is five dollars
PST at 7% is seven dollars
(total tax rate is 12% and amount is $12)
Therefore total tax for our item is $12 on $100 (which incidentally is the same as a 12% tip)
Calculation “A” – tip on pre-tax amount:
Item + tax + 15% tip on non tax amount
(in this example, 15% tip on $100 is $15)
$100 + $12 + $15 = $127
Net amount with tip is $127
Calculation “B” – tip on amount after taxes:
Item + tax
$100 + $12 = $112
15% tip on $112 is $16.80
Item + tax + 15% on net amount
$100 + $12 + $16.80 = $128.80
Net amount with tip is $128.80
(or the equivalent of (just less than) a 17% tip on $100 before taxes. One could just argue they are giving 17% instead of 15%).
Tip difference is $1.80, less than $2 per $100
Seriously, people bitch about less than 2%? Less than $2 per $100 or less than $1 per $50. How many years did you work in the retail and service industries? How did you like the “enormous” paycheque? A couple of bucks here and there can make quite a difference to lower income earners.
Years ago (before bills were easily separated out between parties) there were several times I went to group dinners and at the end of the meal people brought out calculators as quickly as their cash or payment card at a restaurant. I never went to dinner with those people again.
