I KNOW it's a cultural practice which varies from country to country, but it seems to me that people in Bahrain are exceptionally mean when it comes to tipping. Even more inexcusably, there doesn't seem to be any guilt about it. Service has little value here, perhaps because labour costs have traditionally been so low.

Restaurant staff tell stories of groups of five or more leaving as little as 50 fils to show their gratitude ! Can you imagine what goes through waiters and waitresses' heads when they receive these bounties of joy?

“Gee, thanks. I'll use it as a deposit for my new car.”

Something like that, I bet.

In most countries the minimum acceptable tip is 10 per cent, according to online travel resources, which most diners at first class restaurants are well off enough to afford. If you can't, then you shouldn't be eating there in the first place. Fifteen to 20pc is expected in many parts of the US, where tipping is so ingrained in the culture that it's not uncommon to see signs reminding customers to leave a little extra behind.

Many people don't tip when a service charge is attached to the bill, knowing full well that at most restaurants none of it goes to the people providing the actual service. These ‘plus, plus, plus, plusses' make menu items appear cheaper than they actually are.

What do I care how much government levy your esteemed establishment has to pay? Just tell me how much the damn thing will cost at the end of the day! And if you tell diners that the money goes to service staff and it doesn't, then you are cheating both. With policies like this, what's to encourage employees to wear a smile and give their best when serving their cheap customers? This doesn't just affect the reputation of the restaurant in question, but also Bahrain as a whole, which is positioning itself as a services-oriented economy and tourist destination.

My informal survey of high-end restaurant employees found that Americans are usually the best tippers, followed by Arabs, particularly Saudis. Europeans are the worst of all, apparently.

Tipping valets can be expensive if you visit hotels often. But if you're too miserly to leave any money, then don't use them. It's hardly ever more than a two-minute walk to and from your car anyway. The only place I use the service is CityCentre Hotel, because parking in the suq is a nightmare and there I make it a point to tip them (which they appear to appreciate).

Gas station attendants endure Bahrain's soaring temperatures so that you don't even have to get out of your car or dirty your hands. In other countries petrol pumps are self-service and you pay extra for help. Can you imagine those in Bahrain? You'd have lines of drivers who don't know what to do! I must admit that I don't tip the attendants every single time. But if you fill up your car and it comes to, say BD4.800, leave the change, unless you are in genuinely dire financial circumstances. What are you going to do with a measly 200 fils? Buy a shwarma?

My colleague Rebecca is among the few people I know who does tip them. But these poor guys are so unused to it that her generosity gave one of them the wrong impression. In his sweaty uniform and with grease smothered all over his face and hands, he asked for her phone number and told her that he loved her. Now that's what I call guts !Well, you can't blame the guy for trying, can you?

Or maybe you can.

tariqk1976@hotmail.com 

tkhonji@yahoo.com

(for large attatchments)