French TV news says that Tipping in Paris cafes is dying out...............

Leaving a tip has long been "the done thing" in restaurants and bars. But today it's a dying tradition at the terrace cafés of Paris. 

 Says a young French waitress, "I've just started my shift but I don't think I'll get more than 10 or 15 euros in tips. It's going down. It seems French café-goers are becoming more and more stingy." A male customer says, "I'll tip when I'm happy with the service. But if I'm not satisfied I won't leave anything." A recent study notes 16 percent of the French public never give a cent more than they have to. That's more than double the number last year, when only seven percent admitted to never leaving a tip. Relying ever more on credit cards, people tend to have less small change in their pockets. And that's just one reason for penny-pinching. "Everyone, or almost everyone is paid a salary. So they're asking themselves, 'Why should I tip a waiter, valet or hairdresser when no one tips me for my work? I just have a salary and that's it," says a second café customer. Tourists are commonly more generous, especially Americans, who are used to waiters relying on tips to make a living, which is not the case in France. Sixty percent of Americans say they dip into their purses to leave a little extra every time they dine out.  H
Howards Note: I still tip a little in cafes and always will. The waitstaff works hard in my opinion