Internet Shares Most Awkward Tipping Experiences, and Some Stories Are Hard to Believe

A post shared on r/randomthings on Oct. 5, 2026, asks whether people like tipping and invites them to share their worst tipping stories. The post drew 81 comments at the time of publication.

One reply described a checkout screen with a preset tip amount. "I don’t mind tipping for actual service," the commenter wrote. They said a cashier handed over a tablet with 25% preselected "while I was still holding my sandwich." The commenter then chose the no-tip option.

Another commenter described when they choose to tip. "I like to [sic] when I feel that I am a welcome presence," the commenter wrote. "If someone is blatantly rude I can easily not bother."

The commenter said the situation does not occur frequently but has happened occasionally. "Sometimes people are mad about working or whatever else," the commenter explained. "There's an outlet for it but it isn't me."

Another commenter recalled a takeout order and a worker who expected a tip.

"I had a girl get mad that I didn’t tip her on a TAKE OUT order," the commenter wrote. They said the worker had done them a favor by handing over an item they wanted. The commenter responded by paying her in coins.

A reply from a lottery clerk described unusual tips from lottery winners. "Lottery sales tips are bizarre, first that anyone would give you one and second what the amounts are," the commenter wrote.

The commenter said some customers had tipped up to 10% on unusual winnings. One example involved a $5 ticket that paid $100. Another man put his change into Keno and hit a multiplier that paid $40,000. "Tipped $40," the commenter wrote.

The commenter recalled another customer who was a heavy drinker and spoke little English. The commenter learned to say "ganaste trescientos mil," a phrase they translated as $300,000, so the man could find his ticket. "He gave me $20," they recalled.

A commenter from outside the U.S. described the kinds of workers they tip. "I like tipping (I'm not in the US)," they wrote. "The main people I tip are the guys that pack my groceries, pump my gas, bring food to the car for take outs etc."

The commenter said those workers are typically poorly paid, so a small tip can make a difference. At restaurants, the commenter wrote, "people will round the bill up, leave 10% or just anything they wish."

"It doesn't feel forced," the commenter added. "There are no 'suggested' tips etc."

One Redditor recounted a dinner with a boyfriend from New Zealand.

"Don’t enjoy it, but I generally tip 20%," they wrote. The U.S. resident said the boyfriend "resented it." Her boyfriend bought dinner at one of the commenter’s favorite spots. The waitress said he had not left a tip. "So I did," the commenter recalled.

"He said I’d embarrassed HIM," the commenter wrote. "From then on I told him I’d always cover the tip, but we didn’t last long."

The Daily Dot was unable to independently verify the events described in this thread. The details above reflect the commenters' accounts as shared on r/randomthings. The commenters' identities and locations have not been confirmed.