Reservoir Dogs is a 1992 film, by Quentin Tarantino, about a group of ruthless criminals who gather at their warehouse hideout after a botched diamond store heist. Two members were missing or dead, and they soon began to realise that there is a police informant among them.
The film begins with the criminals, who do not know each other’s real names, eating at a diner before the heist. The conversation is dominated by whether they should tip the waitress.
The scene is attached here and an abridged version of this classic Tarantino dialogue is repeated below:
Nice Guy Eddie: C’mon, throw in a buck!
Mr. Pink: Uh-uh, I don’t tip. …
Nice Guy Eddie: … Let me get this straight: you never ever tip, huh?
Mr. Pink: I don’t tip because society says I have to. Alright, I tip when somebody really deserves a tip. If they put forth an effort, I’ll give them something extra. But I mean, this tipping automatically, that’s for the birds. As far as I’m concerned they’re just doing their job.
Mr. Blue: Hey, this girl was nice. …
Mr. Pink: Jesus Christ man, these ladies aren’t starving to death. They make minimum wage. You know, I used to work minimum wage and when I did I wasn’t lucky enough to have a job the society deemed tip worthy. …
Mr. White: You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. These people bust their ass. This is a hard job.
Mr. Pink: So is working at McDonald’s, but you don’t see anyone tip them, do you? Why not, they’re serving you food. But no, society says don’t tip these guys over here, but tip these guys over here. It’s bullshit!
Mr. White: Waitressing is the number one occupation for female non-college graduates in this country. It’s the one job basically any woman can get, and make a living on. The reason is because of tips.
Mr. Pink: Fuck all that! I’m very sorry the government taxes their tips, that’s fucked up. That ain’t my fault. It would seem to me that waitresses are one of the many groups the government fucks in the ass on a regular basis. Look, if you show me a piece of paper that says the government shouldn’t do that, I’ll sign it, put it to a vote, I’ll vote for it, but what I won’t do is play ball. And this non-college bullshit you’re givin’ me, I got two words for that: learn to fuckin’ type, ’cause if you’re expecting me to help out with the rent you’re in for a big fuckin’ surprise.
***********
Mr Pink
After all that Mr Pink ends up tipping when the organiser of the group tells him to. So he lost the battle. But who do you think won the argument?
Was it Mr Pink?
Mr Pink is against tipping automatically regardless of the situation of those he is not tipping.
Or was it Mr White?
Mr White
Mr White blindly tips those in certain professions because ‘its the right thing to do’.
In many ways, the broader question is – should we concern ourselves with the situation other people, strangers, find themselves in and them treat them differently on that basis, or not?
Voting is open now.
The debate: Should Australians tip? 
Interesting post. A vote and a broader question. Better vote before the AEC catches up with me.
I agree with, and vote for, Mr Pink. No need to automatically tip. However I don’t know why he is so upset about the inconsistency of tipping. Who cares about consistency of human actions? Not me.
And now the broader question. My answer is “Yes, we should concern ourselves with the situation strangers find themselves in and treat them differently on that basis.” The person and the situation are important. Time to back that statement, and this paragraph, up with an example. If I see a young fit scallywag drop his bag I don’t think I would need to assist him. If I see an older individual drop their shopping at the markets and I assess that in the situation they may need help then I offer it.
That example was a bit lame. Not like Mr Pink’s line about government and asses. That was very amusing.
I don’t think it was a lame example. But it was interesting how you voted with Mr Pink, but your logic is closer to Mr White, it seems.
I love Reservoir Dogs!
Its a good film. I prefer Pulp Fiction, but I won’t get to refer to that movie in this blog, as they don’t talk much about tipping. If this blog had more to do with accidentally shooting people in the face while they’re in the back of your car, then things might have been different.
Nice blog, tippinoz. I just read all your posts in one sitting and am enjoying your attempt to make sense of our tipping behaviour. I think one of the interesting aspects of this issue is the way tipping has insidiously crept into Australian behaviour with little public examination – it certainly had not been thoroughly discussed in my friendship group (until the advent of this blog, of course). Possibly our reluctance to discuss money (perhaps the last social nicety) is responsible. I look forward to more discussions in this forum.
Thanks Bron, glad to hear you have found it interesting.
Oh, and Mr Pink.