Show me your tips!

When you live in a neighborhood that's notoriously bougie, such as Park Slope, you are prone to great amounts of criticism from the media masses. Our 'hood is known most aggressively for entitled parents of brats and over-protective helicopter moms with strollers that cost as much as an used car. Regardless, every so often a piece of legit factual reporting comes out (gawd forbid!), such as the NY State Dept of Labor Report's special investigation which revealed that 23 of 25 restaurants and coffee shops along 5th and 7th Aves in Park Slope were found to be commiting "wage theft" and totally screwing their employees.

To quote:
"In total, 207 workers were underpaid more than $910,000. Some of the worst violations were for delivery employees working 60 to 70 hours per week and paid a salary of $210.00 to $275.00 per week. At one restaurant, workers were paid as little as $2.75 per hour."

I guess this shouldn't surprise me, although the two greatest transgressors were two of our local faves--Rachel's and Coco Roco--both owned and run by Hispanic men who were rabidly effing over their own peoples. For shame, guys.

Regardless of the craptastic ethos of these establishments, it's a good reminder to tip and tip heavily those guys on bikes who schlep you your scallion pancakes in the dark, rain, and crazily driven streets of the slope (saw two car accidents since Thursday!). As the holiday season's upon us, here's my list of hired help I always tip well, but tip particularly well during this time of year:

1. Delivery guys: Sure they didn't wait on you like in a restaurant, kissing your derriere and telling you it's okay if you kid smears yogurt all over god's creation, but they rode their bikes to YOUR HOUSE, usually in the dark, often in weather that prevented you from doing a pick up...They are target to teenage theft for their small amounts of cash, to whack drivers, and you know their hourly wage is not the minimum wage in most places. Their job sucks. Be nice.

2. Waxing ladies: You would think it would make sense to tip the Russian ladies to rip out your hair on your legs and other unmentionable places with hot wax, but upon questioning my lady I was surprised that many leave only a few bucks. Seriously? You want her to remember how cheap you were next time she has hot wax dripping over your eyeballs for an eyebrow wax or next to your girl parts for a bikini wax? Those Russians might not be the best at small conversation or smiling, they they can wax like nobody's business. Tip them. Or face the consequences of no eyebrows for your holiday party.

3. Daycare providers: The holidays are the time to show those women who work tirelessly changing your kid's poop and singing annoying kids music with them how much you care. Don't give them a cheap ass present from the drugstore or bake them cookies, give them cold, hard cash. Daycare providers and early childhood educators really do make crap for money. Unlike a teacher K-12, they have no union, no rights, and although they might have a master's in Early Childhood Ed., their salary in comparison to a teacher's sucks. And, with the amount of poop, pee, vomit, tantrums, and time outs they have to administer--they deserve a nice holiday cadeau of money.

Just food for thought as the holiday season officially begins this week.