Quote Originally Posted by spoonitnow View Post
If something costs x, and I pay x, I shouldn't feel fine for that? Makes no sense.
It doesn't actually cost X. This is a self serving view of the situation. Tragedy of the commons clearly shows that if no one tips then X will increase.

This is irrelevant to tipping. I'm not talking about tipping the person who rings up my bill. If they don't like that the people they are serving determine the majority of their income, then they should get another job. It's not my problem if they can't do that. No one has a moral obligation to tip.
Saying it is irrelevant doesn't make it so. This "if they don't like it, they can get another job" line of thinking is awful and you should see why. The person waiting on your table is not the problem, the system is. It's the same with teachers who have to spend their own money and time to teach the curriculum that they are obligated to teach without getting further compensation. The same "if they don't like it, they should get another job" logic is applied all the time here, and it fails just the same.

Edit: If they want a tip, they're going to have to do more than the bare minimum. Tips are for good service, not for service.
No, tips are for service for the majority of instances where a tip is given. Originally it was as you say it is, but that just is not the case anymore. I think tipping a plumber is different. They get a full livable wage, and you tip them because they cleaned up after themselves and didn't track mud all over your carpet with their work boots. This fact is reflected in the reality that in many states tipped positions such as valets and servers can be paid well under minimum wage. Their service is not fully included in the cost of the food, part of their wage and therefore the service they provide is directly paid for by the tips the receive.

Again, extreme scrutiny should be applied when you arrive at a moral conclusion which is self serving.