Tip or not to tip?

So my mom and I had a really heated discussion on whether or not we should tip the other day. I feel like tipping is an extremely sensitive topic. There are people who tip just out of peer pressure or those who tipping because they firmly believe that the service provider truly deserves it. But honestly, how many times out of 10 can you really say that you've tipped because the other has deserved it? It's unfortunate that for many in the service industry, the establishment, most of the time, will emphasize that they WILL be receiving tip in compensation for their low wages. But is that really right? 

My family and I went to New York City last Victoria Day weekend for a nice long weekend of fun, feasting, and enjoying each other's company. We stayed in an apartment that was located near NYU and should've expected a large crowd on a Friday night. We went out for dinner relatively early and because of so many people, we decided to settle for a quaint Chinese restaurant within a 5 minute walking distance from our place. Ummm... the biggest mistake of our lives! We ordered food that was not quite what we expected. 

First, we ordered Kung Foo Chicken that consisted of 95% cashews and 5% chicken. Where did the cashews come from? They were NOT stated in the menu. And to make the story short, let's just say the other menu items were not outstanding. I had no idea that ignorance was the new trend in service... However, the end of our meal had to be the cherry on top. The bill came and I paid. I did not tip much because I was NOT pleased with most of the service and like the word represents, tips are gratuities... in other words, don't take them for granted. The serving staff started congregating and looking at our bill and counting the money that I presented right in front of me. To make matters worse, they were discussing the tip that I had given them right there and chose a representative that would come to me soon after. He came in an aggressive manner and decided that he would argue with me on how much I should have paid. 

He said, "I don't know how you do it in Canada, but in Manhattan it is common courtesy to tip at least 15%." I was in so much anger and shock when he said that, that I didn't even know how to react. I basically threw money in his face and left extremely upset. Let's just say that I have been to New York since then. So should tips really be enforced? I think not. It's should be ONLY given to those who truly deserve it. Anyways enough with my rant, I've been meaning to make quinoa patties for a really long time. 

 Surprisingly they were a lot easier to make and took far less time than meat patties. Because I didn't have any sour cream or cheddar cheese, I decided to top these with some honey mustard dressing and lemon. The light dressing was perfect with the dense but moist texture of the quinoa patties. These were definitely a two thumbs up! Anyways my goal for this semester is to try to maintain a healthy life style while studying hard. Maybe I'll go for a run tomorrow morning? Everybody 굳밤!~