I never said don’t question it, I said it shouldn’t be that way! But it is that way right now, and we are responsible for how our actions affect others, even in an unfair system.

I agree with everything you’re saying, but you going to the restaurant and not tipping hurts the server, not the owner. They spend time and effort for basically nothing in return, and even if you disagree with the system in place you are still using it to get cheaper food (because resteraunt costs are subsidized by tips to staff) at the expense of someone who in most cases can’t afford it.

It you want to hurt the owner in the short term, don’t go.

Eventually of course this means less serving jobs, again hurting the server.

So the best option is getting rid of tipped minimum wage. Easier said than done, but it’s the only real way to fix this.

Well, tolerate the side eye and be willing to screw over someone trying to pay their bills. Whether tipping should be the standard practice (it shouldn’t) is a separate issue. The general expected practice is that you will tip, and tips are effectively a server’s whole wage. It’s not an easy or pleasant job. Going to a sit down restaurant with the intention not to tip, to make someone work for you basically for free, just makes you an asshole. Until we get rid of tipped minimum wage.