Restaurant service fees

Quote: Vegasrider

Well noted on the drawbacks of dealing with cash. But cash is legal tender. Now what if a scenario came up that all credit card machines go down? Maybe the server, or whatever reason and it stays down for hours or days? I know it will never or cannot happen but if it did, then what? Most businesses should take cash, another form of payment is always a plus. Maybe you lose your wallet? But have cash?
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One of the common scenarios amongst dystopian fiction writers is the EMP (electro-magnetic-pulse) type disasters that wipe out most electronic-based infrastructure. Included in that are the telecommunications that support the credit card systems. That would give you the hours to days-long outage that would prevent credit card usage.

More info:
EMPs are most commonly found when nuclear weapons are detonated in outer space (usually near-earth orbit). The idea is that the thoroughly ionized plasma that is the nuclear fireball radiates a very strong spherical electromagnetic field. Once that field nears the ground, it sweeps through the telephone wires, railroad rails, high-tension lines, and water and gas pipelines, inducing very large currents in them. The same thing happens when the sun flares (see Carrington Event). The induced currents blast through the stoutest surge protector and wipe out almost anything electronic.

The most fascinating scenario is the EMP wave that is the very first indication of a nearby supernova. There is quite literally no way to know it is coming, since it travels at the speed of light, and is the very first part of the supernova blast. Eta Carinae is a star that is quite likely on the cusp of turning supernova, but at a distance of 7500 light-years, its blast is unlikely to result in an EMP disaster. But a supernova 100 ly away? That would be another story entirely.

Anyone remember the movie "Sneakers" with Robert Redford in which the "bad guy" wanted to wipe out electronic financial records so everyone would start back at 0? I always wondered what would really happen if such a plan were to succeed.

Quote: smoothgrh

Anyone remember the movie "Sneakers" with Robert Redford in which the "bad guy" wanted to wipe out electronic financial records so everyone would start back at 0? I always wondered what would really happen if such a plan were to succeed.
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The Hebrews used to have a Jubilee Year every fifty years, where all debts were forgiven and everyone started out fresh. They realized the cream always rises so .......

I live in a Midwest state where the tax rate is7% I ate at a restaurant and when I received the receipt it said Indiana 9% come to find out it is not uncommon for restaurants to charge 9% and not illegal. What kind of irked me is they sell this dish called New York style chicken over rice.when they first started selling it was 6.49 then in jumped 7.99/8.49/9.29 now 9.99 really jumped since they first started selling it.but they know you like it until at some point you just don't go there anymore. Reminded me of when I was talking to a coworker about the local paper.when I cancelled I was paying 32 month. My coworker jaw hit the floor. He was paying 70 a month. Great American way I guess.except customer support for the local paper is in a third world country

For the longest time, the salad bar at my office was $4 so lines were generally long. Then one day it was either $7 or $8, and there seemed to be great resistance to buying salads. I said they should have just raised the price by a dollar every year or two instead of suddenly doubling it! Eventually, the lines started to get longer again as people, I assume, became resigned to the (arguably fair) new price.

Just think how much the economy suffers if someone hacked into the credit card system which caused it to shut down for days or week? Can’t buy a plane ticket, rent a car, pay bills or buy things online, what else? Country is too dependent on plastic or electronic payments. Cash still must be an option.

"Curses, foiled again..."

This was summer when they first started offering it Chinese takeout place used to have vary prices on combo meals and then they gradually raised prices.now all combos last I heard were 9.99 irregardless if vegetarian with noodles or crab meat.needless to say I don't go there

Went to Ethiopian restaurant with 2 friends.
We come here annually.
This time 20% tip was automatically added to bill.

service definitely did not warrant 20%.
it probably didnt even warrant 15%.
It was only $40 bill + $8 auto-tip.

Not worth the hassle of reducing the tip by $2 but it's Last time we're coming here.
Probably should leave a negative google review about the auto-tip.

Six-ounce tenderloin burger, grilled on my ninja grill, potato roll, bacon bits, swiss cheese, a mix of teriyaki and bbq sauce.
There was a learning curve to cooking burgers on the ninja, but I've got it down to the microsecond.

Quote: billryan

Six-ounce tenderloin burger, grilled on my ninja grill, potato roll, bacon bits, swiss cheese, a mix of teriyaki and bbq sauce.
There was a learning curve to cooking burgers on the ninja, but I've got it down to the microsecond.
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I hate it when I do that, too...

Gas stations showing separate prices for cash and credit used to be common. Now it's prices "with a car wash" and "without a car wash."

Quote: 100xOdds

Went to Ethiopian restaurant with 2 friends.
We come here annually.
This time 20% tip was automatically added to bill.

service definitely did not warrant 20%.
it probably didnt even warrant 15%.
It was only $40 bill + $8 auto-tip.

Not worth the hassle of reducing the tip by $2 but it's Last time we're coming here.
Probably should leave a negative google review about the auto-tip.
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I wouldn't blame you for posting that ina review.20% mandatory tips nonsense. If it were a large partysuch as8 ormoreiwouldagree. They need to be upfront about it though