Editor, The Smithfield Times:

I wonder if people who dine out today realize your server only receives about $2.13 an hour and that tips are their paychecks. For that matter, do you really care about these hard-working people trying to eek out a living by serving you? 

They are not your slave and deserve respect. I cannot imagine how a restaurant would operate without these good women and men on their feet for hours trying to make a living serving people who are often rude to them for no reason and then slight them a decent tip after making them run their legs off to please.

For years, I have been told by servers how people look down on them for serving in restaurants.   As Pa Ingles once said on “Little House on the Prairie,” “Any job is a good job!” 

My family and I have never looked down on anyone for the job they do. We always tip 20% to our servers. We love to talk to them about college or their children and look them in the eye because they are human beings who often struggle to pay their bills, raise their children, put food on the table and stand on their feet all day trying to please others who are loud, have bad manners in public and won’t even look them in the eye while ordering food. And if they won’t tip, they need to stay home and cook it themselves.

Far too often, servers have told about how people come in to dine and their orders were a hundred dollars in food and they complain about everything to get free food, leaving a $5 tip at the end, or worse still, $2 or nothing at all. How would they like it if they were treated like that?

Americans have lost their morals and compassion, especially the younger people. At my age I often wonder if we will ever be considerate and kind to everyone we meet in our day-to-day goings and comings. It never costs a thing to care about others as we care about ourselves.  Teach this to your children. Children are watching you.

                                                                                                                                                    Linda Gould Steffey

Carrollton