either you poison your body with chemicals

One huge reason why I'm considering getting out. My immune system is very angry because of this.

nagging you every two minutes

I make no apologies for anyone on this: we lost our way. My best guess is that at some point, we had this down pat by bringing a "touch of class" to dining establishments through emulating servant culture of the early 1900's. This is well portrayed in costume drama as near-psychic level ability to anticipate the diner's (master's) needs in a well-choreographed experience. That only works if you can anticipate people through a long-term working relationship, or diners have very well-rehearsed table manners. I think it got corrupted over time as a lot of this fell out fashion, and what we're left with is diners that are wholly unpredictable and wait staff that have no idea what they're emulating.

Local Korean restaurants around town brought their dining culture with them, and it's loads better. Wait staff have their head on a swivel from the waiter's station, but only engage when flagged down. This is immeasurably more pleasant.

Give

Me

More

Drink

Refills

Or I'll watch your children starve.

Would you like another glass of ice cubes?

Part of a healthy USA education

why not, they forget mass shootings immediately after they happen.

Brazil has >3x the murder rate of the US. I get that dunking on the US is super fun but theres a gulf separating the two countries

As as EU citizen I have zero interest in moving to the UK.

But I would still much much rather live in the UK than the US.
That country is straight up fucked on a fundemental level.

Bit mean considering you are our guest. You may as well just throw in a jab at our teeth.

Isn't doing too well because of 14 years of Tories. Who have just been removed from power and replaced by what looks like, so far, quite a competent Labour government. Devolution of more powers is being looked at, and both left and right wing parties are talking about proportional representation. We'll see what happens, but I'm optimistic about our future.

America, on the other hand...

Don't worry, Brexit is a self-fixing problem.

Mostly old and poorly educated vote for Brexit -> UK leaves EU -> skilled EU citizens with no personal commitments to UK (family, spouse, wanting to not return to previous country anyway) will leave including doctors, nurses, and elderly care staff -> NHS struggles -> care homes struggle -> old people die off faster -> ratio of young to old voters rebalances -> in 20 years time vote to rejoin EU -> rejoins EU.

Good luck trying that shit in France. I think the fact that the actual word we use literally means "for drinks" (pourboire) hammers home the fact that this is extra money you are giving a "service" employee because you like them, and not because their employer is not paying them enough

It happened in the UK too.

All the bar staff I know will hit the "no tip" on your behalf before handing you the POS anyway.

No you don't have to accept it.

Optional in the US too. No friends nor employees will judge you for 0%?

angry noises over barbeque, cheesebread, good coffee, carnaval and violent crimes

Oh god, did tipping culture spread outside of the US?