Content for Tuesday, July 20
25% of Americans Aren’t Tipping at Sit-Down Restaurants
As pandemic restrictions have begun to fall away, people are reverting to their pre-pandemic tipping patterns — which are often inconsistent and less than generous. In fact, tipping patterns in June 2021 were almost identical to what they were in 2019, according to a new survey from Bankrate. In some categories like restaurants and food delivery, the percentage of people who always tip their servers actually decreased by a few points. “Even at sit-down restaurants... only 75% [of people] are tipping all the time. And then it just gets worse from there.” Only 59% of people always tip their food delivery driver, down from 63% pre-pandemic. And just 23% tip at coffee shops, versus 24% who did so in 2019. The conventional wisdom is to tip a restaurant server at least 15% of the bill. But a lot of people don’t really know many of the expectations beyond that. MORE: Eleven states have set their respective hourly minimum wages for tipped workers at above $10, according to the Labor Department. New York has gone even further, carving out increases for fast-food workers so that they earn almost $15 an hour. However, 17 states still rely on the $2.13 standard set by the federal government, according to the Labor Department. “So many of these workers really depend on tips, and if they’re not getting them, that has a huge effect on their bottom line". And “that has really been exacerbated during Covid.” Etiquette expert Jodi Smith says, “As we transition out of the pandemic and venture out into the world again, it is important to reacquaint yourself with the tipping protocols. “For sit-down dining, the standard is still 15%-20%. For takeaway, the standard is still 10%-15%.”
People are Sharing the Most Disrespectful Things Guests Have Done in Their Homes
Someone on Reddit recently asked the internet, “What's the most disrespectful thing a guest ever did in your home?” People shared their wildest stories about guests who went way too far. Here are some of the top responses: 1. "A friend of a friend crashed a party at our house. He proceeded to tell everyone that he was a drug dealer and that he could get them the best product. He hit on all the married women who hadn't brought their husbands, punched the friend who brought him, and drove home, drunk and high. He's the only person I have banned from my house." 2. "I let my drunk friend sleep on my couch. He peed in his sleep and nicely folded a blanket over the couch cushion. I didn't know until after he left and blamed my cat." 3. "Dude came over, apparently pooped his pants, and threw his heavily skid-marked underwear in my dirty laundry pile. I found my dog chewing on his underwear the next morning. 4. "A guest cut their toenails in my living room. They were just visiting for a few hours." 5. "So, it was myself and three friends. One of them was homeless, and his name was Freddy. Because I’ve also been homeless and had recently gotten out of it, I invited them back to my place because I'd bought some stuff for Freddy: shoes, socks, and supplies. While he and I were getting his things, my other two mates went through my stuff and took 3 to 5 expensive items. They were angry that I didn’t buy anything for them." 6. "The couple sat down at a table with a cake (which hadn't been served), each took a fork, and started to eat it — not slicing a piece for themselves, but going back-and-forth with forks to mouths to cake, smacking and slurping. Nobody else wanted any cake." 7. "Neighbor’s kid came in with dirt all over his feet and then wiped them on the carpet. Never got the stain out." 8. "My son’s middle school friend opened all the yogurts in my refrigerator. Didn’t eat them — just opened all the tinfoil lids." 9. "A grown adult stuck chewed-up chewing gum under the dining table at Thanksgiving! Then, it stuck to the knee of my jeans during the next game night we had." 10. "A family member stole some of my mother's jewelry, including some that was left to her by my great grandmother who passed recently at the time. A few years before that, we also had another family member steal some pain medication from my mom as well. Let's just say we don't really interact with my family that much anymore.” 11. "Had my cousin stay with me for two weeks. I came home from work one day, and my guest bedroom and living room was rearranged. I asked her why the hell she felt the need to move MY house around. She said it looked better and I should thank her. Hasn’t stayed with me again, and family also won’t let her stay with them after they heard what she did.” 12. "We had my in-laws' wedding in our backyard. A few hours into the festivities, I found 'need more toilet paper' written on the bathroom wall with human feces."
Peppa Pig Has American Children Acting British
Parents across the US say their children are acquiring British accents, thanks to Peppa Pig. Some parents say the “Peppa effect” has their American children saying “mummy” instead of “mommy”, using phrases such as “Give it a go”, and pronouncing tomato “to-mah-to”, not “to-may-to”. The show was popular with the pre-kindergarten crowd before the pandemic but it has experienced record-breaking demand since US states imposed restrictions last year. In fact, Peppa Pig was the second most in-demand cartoon in US households, after SpongeBob SquarePants. Some linguistic experts aren't buying the idea, but across social media, parents are posting evidence of their toddlers speaking in British accents. A Wall Street Journal reporter recently tweeted: “My five-year-old niece had an American accent before the pandemic. Now she has a posh English accent after spending a year at home watching Peppa Pig. This phenomenon is so widespread that it’s a trending hashtag, #PeppaEffect.”
What's The Most Embarrassing Thing That's Happened To You While Public Speaking?
"In eighth grade I forgot the Gettysburg address for my English assignment where we had to memorize it. I started crying half way through, asked for a moment, was told no, skipped to the end, then the teacher proceeded to have the whole class grade me. Mortifying..." -- Turtlequeen "i started crying during a speech in sixth grade so the teacher had the whole class put their heads down so i could finish without them watching me. looking back it was pretty kind." -- anne13 "I’m a tour guide at a small but popular museum. I made the mistake of eating a breakfast burrito before I had to lead two tours, even though eggs give me indigestion... I was doing fine until near the end of tour number one, when I started getting rumbles. I rushed through the last few minutes and spent my entire break in the bathroom. Then I burped out loud when addressing the next tour group. I’d like to say I’ve learned my lesson, but I’ve learned absolutely nothing." -- julial11 "said orgasm instead of organism." --Moonlxght "I was probably 10 or 11 and asked to read a scripture in front of my church. I was used to doing this, I was an old pro, and I had practiced over and over. But for some reason I will never understand, when I reached the word "Gentiles" in the Bible verse, I said something that basically sounded like "genitals". My mom said a lady in the back had to get up and leave because she couldn't stop giggling." --raphaelahops "I didn’t even get to the public speaking part before I embarrassed myself. I had received an award at a large ceremony and on my way to the stage, I tripped on a wire and it got unplugged. The next thing I know, the electricity is out for the whole venue. It was an easy fix and the power returned but I’ll never live it down. Seriously tho- why would you put the chord in the middle of the walkway?!" --L "I did competitive public speaking in high school, and my senior year I made it to the finals of the state competition. All my teammates watched my performance, and I noticed some of them look amused, or concerned, and it threw me off my game a bit. As it turns out, my fly was open, and in a very noticeable way. So not only did I not win, I had to endure "your fly is down" jokes for the rest of the year."-- AXJ66 "Having your power point fail and having to spend the next 10 minutes trying to bullsh*t your way through a presentation."-- Jeff
A Shocking Amount Of People Have Apparently Had Sex On Public Transportation
Nearly a quarter of Americans had sex on public transportation. Researchers found that nearly 23% of Americans have engaged in sexual activity while on public transportation… this equates to almost 59 million people. The study also found that 28.6% of people have had a one-night stand while on vacation.
Craigslist Ad Offers $1000 to Find a Wedding Date for a Mother-in-Law That 'Needs Constant Attention’
A Craigslist ad seeking a wedding date for a future bride's mother-in-law came with a $1,000 payday. The ad was titled "Wedding Date Wanted for Mother-in-Law," and was posted to the Hudson Valley Craigslist. The ad said it was looking for someone available for an August wedding. It reads: ”She needs constant attention and supervision. She will probably wear white and try to escalate small dramas - your job is simply to distract and de-escalate. Flatter her for 2 days and make an easy $1,000." The ad included a list of qualifications needed for the job, including that the date must be a "conversationalist," "good dancer," and "has own suit to wear." It added that the date must be "able to pretend you happen to be a guest interested in sitting/dancing with MIL" and "experience with narcissists a plus." On the other end, the ad said the date would be provided with food, travel expenses, conversation topics, background information, and a hotel room. "Please send a photo of yourself and a quick blurb indicating your interest/qualifications. You will also need to be able to OK with us running a background check on you just for safety's sake.”
Microbiologist: Your Bed May Be a Germ-Filled Petri Dish
Your bed may be one of the germiest places in your home. A researcher from the University of Westminster explains all the hidden dangers that may actually be turning your mattress into one giant petri dish. He says all the sweat, saliva, dandruff, and dead skins cells people leave behind after a night’s sleep is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to a less-than-cleanly bed. All these things create the perfect environment for bacteria, fungi, viruses, and even microscopic bugs to grow. People shed about 500 million skin cells each night while sleeping. This provides microscopic dust mites with a smorgasbord to feed on. Unfortunately for humans, these mites (and their droppings in your bed) can cause people to develop allergies or even asthma. Items inside your own home can contribute to a germ-infested bed. Bringing soiled clothing and towels into the bedroom can expose your bed to more germs. The the best thing to do to keep your bed clean is to wash early and often. It may be tough for most people wash their sheets every day, but airing out your sheets every morning can be helpful. Pulling back the covers and exposing the sheets to air makes your bed a less attractive nesting spot for germs and bugs. Along with washing your bedding every week to two weeks, the author recommends also vacuuming the mattress to remove excess allergens and dust. Also, never keep a bed around for too long. After 10 years, it’s time for a brand new mattress. Showering before bed and avoiding naps in bed while sweaty will cut down on the germs you track into your sheets as well. He also recommends people avoid eating in bed and allowing their pets in bed.
(EMBARRASSING)... Woman Was Ranting to Friends During a Work Call When... a Coworker Pointed Out That Her Mic Was On
A 24-year-old woman from Long Island has gone viral on TikTok after embarrassing herself on a work call. She had been sending fun "fit checks" to her friends on Snapchat during the first week of her new sales job. On her second day, during a Zoom work training, she began ranting that she had specifically gotten dressed up for the call but no one had their cameras turned on. As she started her rant, saying: ”My work from home fit today, some f—— BS, 'cause I got ready and everyone has their cameras off. I got this frizzy gym hair from yesterday, this shirt is from…" That’s when a coworker piped up and said, "I can hear you, just so you're aware." Her new coworkers had heard her the entire time. The woman said the team had been on a break during the Zoom training, so she thought she could quickly send a jokey Snap to some friends. She said: ”Luckily my boss or anyone important wasn't on it, but it was still so embarrassing. After the video ended I muted myself, and literally tried to change my voice for the rest of the call. I did not speak unless I was spoken to."
Study: 20 Percent of Americans Believe Microchips are Inside COVID-19 Vaccines
20% of Americans believe in the conspiracy theory that microchips may have been planted inside COVID-19 vaccines. A poll found that 15% of Americans said this conspiracy theory was "probably true" while another 5% said it was "definitely true." The same poll concluded that 27% of people aged 30-44 support this theory, with 14% of Democratic voters and 32% of Republican voters sharing the same belief. False content has been published on social media regarding the microchip theory, with many conspiracy theorists saying that COVID-19 is just a coverup for world governments and corporations to track millions of people using vaccines.
Google ADMITS Employees Listen To Conversations Recorded By Google Assistant.... Even Without A User’s ‘Hey Google’ Trigger
Goggle apparently admitted to listening to conversations recorded by Google Assistant even without users saying "Hey Google". The tech giant admitted so, during a closed-door meeting with government officials in India. Sources say company officials admitted that its AI assistant will at times record audio on a smartphone or smart speaker even when it hasn't been summoned. Google has previously admitted that employees listen to short recordings to improve language comprehension in its products.