Laws and customs in Dallas (Howe: how much, salary, tax)

[ghaladh]

The more I stay in Dallas, the more I love this city and its inhabitants. To honor the welcome that people here are giving to me, I'd like to know more about local laws and customs.

1) I heard that you are not allowed to walk in the street with a bottle of alcoholic beverage in your hand, or drinking it outside the proper areas (pubs, restaurants, bars...). The bottle must be covered in someway, perhaps with a paper or plastic bag. This applies also to the bigger boxes that contain multiple bottles or tins. All of that is true?

2) Valet parking. Sometimes I noticed that you have to pay for it, other times is offered by the place you are visiting. In which case is necessary to give a tip to the valet? How much?

3) Waiters. Is there no limit to the amount you leave to the waiter as a tip? I mean, if I dine in a posh restaurant with my wife and I spend 120$, should I give to the waiter 24$ as tip? (20% of the price)

4) Am I allowed to lie down in a public park with my torso naked? You know, just to get a nice tan.

[Cowboys_Fan2010]

Originally Posted by ghaladh

The more I stay in Dallas, the more I love this city and its inhabitants. To honor the welcome that people here are giving to me, I'd like to know more about local laws and customs.

1) I heard that you are not allowed to walk in the street with a bottle of alcoholic beverage in your hand, or drinking it outside the proper areas (pubs, restaurants, bars...). The bottle must be covered in someway, perhaps with a paper or plastic bag. This applies also to the bigger boxes that contain multiple bottles or tins. All of that is true?

2) Valet parking. Sometimes I noticed that you have to pay for it, other times is offered by the place you are visiting. In which case is necessary to give a tip to the valet? How much?

3) Waiters. Is there no limit to the amount you leave to the waiter as a tip? I mean, if I dine in a posh restaurant with my wife and I spend 120$, should I give to the waiter 24$ as tip? (20% of the price)

4) Am I allowed to lie down in a public park with my torso naked? You know, just to get a nice tan.

1. Most cities in the US have open bottle laws so its not specific to Dallas only.

2. Valet person should always be tipped, $2 should be adequate. Those guys live on tips. Some of them are working for less then mimimum wages and then their tipes are reportable and taxable.

3. A general rule of thumb is 15% tip on your total bill. If you get exceptional service you could bump it up or for poor service, reduce it.

4. I really don't see a problem with that. Have you not noticed shirtless men running/jogging?

[Squirl]

Originally Posted by ghaladh

The more I stay in Dallas, the more I love this city and its inhabitants. To honor the welcome that people here are giving to me, I'd like to know more about local laws and customs.

1) I heard that you are not allowed to walk in the street with a bottle of alcoholic beverage in your hand, or drinking it outside the proper areas (pubs, restaurants, bars...). The bottle must be covered in someway, perhaps with a paper or plastic bag. This applies also to the bigger boxes that contain multiple bottles or tins. All of that is true?

2) Valet parking. Sometimes I noticed that you have to pay for it, other times is offered by the place you are visiting. In which case is necessary to give a tip to the valet? How much?

3) Waiters. Is there no limit to the amount you leave to the waiter as a tip? I mean, if I dine in a posh restaurant with my wife and I spend 120$, should I give to the waiter 24$ as tip? (20% of the price)

4) Am I allowed to lie down in a public park with my torso naked? You know, just to get a nice tan.

1. Please don't drink anything but soft drinks out of a bottle publicly .... and not like a homeless person out of a bottle in a bag. Put your beverage in a paper cup if you must. Let's keep it nice here in DFW!

2. If there's a valet fee, I tip $2-3 dollars. If no fee, I usually tip $5 -- sometimes less if I just feel cheap.

3. Dining tip. If I am a regular, we tip 25% (because regulars usually get a complimentary drink, appetizer or dessert...custom) if not a regular, double the tax amount on the bill and use that as tip -- comes out to about 16.5%

4. You can take your shirt off if you are sunning and you are a male..... female....please don't.

[Dr. Jake Oil]

Originally Posted by Squirl

4. You can take your shirt off if you are sunning and you are a male..... female....please don't.

Unless you are hot.

[stan4]

Originally Posted by Squirl

4. You can take your shirt off if you are sunning and you are a male..... female....please don't.

Yeah. No one minds having to look at hairy man boobs, but for god's sake, let's not look at a woman's torso!

[TurtleCreek80]

The biggest difference between the US & Europe (where I believe you're from, right?) is that in Europe the waiters are paid decently to begin with - minimum wage or a living wage. In the US, the minimum wage is $7.25/hour- HOWEVER, there is a "loophole" for service industry professionals, like waiters. They are ONLY paid $2.10/hour and make the rest of their money off tips. So please, please if you get good service- always tip 15-20% in a restaurant.

Please note that "quick service" restaurants like Subway where you order in a line & don't have a waiter/waitress coming to your table do not warrant tipping. Neither does fast food like McDonald's. All those workers ARE paid mimimum wage or more.

Some valets are also paid around $2.10/ hour, too, so please always remember to tip!

[nsumner]

Originally Posted by Squirl

4. You can take your shirt off if you are sunning and you are a male..... female....please don't.

ROTFLMAO... You just couldn't leave it alone huh?

Love it,

Naima

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by Squirl

4. You can take your shirt off if you are sunning and you are a male..... female....please don't.

That depends. There are some guys I wish would jog, workout, do yard work, etc in MORE CLOTHES! Like a BIG loose turtleneck and sweats that don't show arse crack.

Originally Posted by stan4

Yeah. No one minds having to look at hairy man boobs, but for god's sake, let's not look at a woman's torso!

LOL!!!!!

[Cowboys_Fan2010]

Originally Posted by TurtleCreek80

The biggest difference between the US & Europe (where I believe you're from, right?) is that in Europe the waiters are paid decently to begin with - minimum wage or a living wage. In the US, the minimum wage is $7.25/hour- HOWEVER, there is a "loophole" for service industry professionals, like waiters. They are ONLY paid $2.10/hour and make the rest of their money off tips. So please, please if you get good service- always tip 15-20% in a restaurant.

Please note that "quick service" restaurants like Subway where you order in a line & don't have a waiter/waitress coming to your table do not warrant tipping. Neither does fast food like McDonald's. All those workers ARE paid mimimum wage or more.

Some valets are also paid around $2.10/ hour, too, so please always remember to tip!

Well, the other big difference is in Europe service charges (sometimes as high as 25%) are inlcuded in your bill and that covers tips along with other things.

You are right about less than minimum wage for service and food and beverage industry but that doesn't mean thier paycheck will ever be $2.10/hr. If after getting tips they don't get to $7.25/hr (Federal minium wage) the establishment must make up the difference. The bottom line is, please tip them generously and you would be amazed how they recoginize you next time you visit the place.

[VonHuffenHausen]

Originally Posted by Cowboys_Fan2010

Well, the other big difference is in Europe service charges (sometimes as high as 25%) are inlcuded in your bill and that covers tips along with other things.

You are right about less than minimum wage for service and food and beverage industry but that doesn't mean thier paycheck will ever be $2.10/hr. If after getting tips they don't get to $7.25/hr (Federal minium wage) the establishment must make up the difference. The bottom line is, please tip them generously and you would be amazed how they recoginize you next time you visit the place.

I am sick of the tipping debate. It is not my job to pay people their salary if they don't do the work.

If you are good at your job, you get 15-20 percent. I usually give 15 for good service, 20 percent for great, 10 percent for below average to poor. bad service even less (which I have only done a few times because it stunk).

There is no expected tip. It is based on your performance of services for your client.

It is also not based on how another customer treated you. I would like a higher salary, but do I expect you to give me money because my employer or another client didn't pay enough? No, that is ridiculous.

I worked as a server when I was younger. Other than the occasional stiff or kitchen mess-up, I always did pretty well unless it was slow. Why? Because I was professional and took my job seriously. I was a good server and it showed with my pay. I had co-workers who chatted or messed up orders, simply appeared to take a drink and food order and were never seen again. They made less than me. Some of them griped and just expect 20 percent like it is required and that attitude shows to customers. what makes you think it is owed to you without doing the work?

I always tip according to service, which most of the time is pretty good.