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this is To the Point. Is tipping at restaurants becoming a thing of the past?

Hello again, I'm Aronnell and this is a rebroadcast of To the Point from Public Radio

International. A daily look at the issues Americans care about most. Tipping is as American

as apple pie fundamental to the $600 billion restaurant industry with tens of millions of employees.

Customers may believe it's fair play for waiters and waitresses when service is good or bad,

but the kitchen staff rarely gets a piece of the action.

And critics call it a way to pass labor costs directly onto consumers and a vehicle for racial and gender discrimination.

Now a movement to abolish tipping is underway. Will people who eat out accept menus with higher

prices? Today's talking point, one of the foremost philosophers on which charities are worth it and which

aren't. First, here's the news.

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stream BBC World Service, NPR and KCRW programs,

continuous coverage on our mobile app or online at kCRW.com. Support for To the Point comes from the members of KCRW.com.

Support for To The Point comes from the members of KCRW and from the Public Radio International Program Fund.

Hello again.

Warren Olney, back with To The Point.

The practice of tipping after dining out began in medieval Europe, but it's become an

...