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’Net Junkie Shawn "Speedy" Lopes |
Web site outs
bad celebrity tippersI can't pretend to know what it's like to be a waiter, cabdriver or bellhop, but believe me, I do sympathize with service industry professionals who rely on tips to help make ends meet. I have labored through a number of thankless menial jobs in my lifetime, and that's why I'm always mindful of the people who serve me. I make it a point to give a little extra for exceptional service whenever possible.
While I'd expect the majority of the population to agree with my point of view, I realize there are many who have no qualms about stiffing their help from time to time -- celebrities included.
Someone in cyberspace, however, understands the plight of the peon. Badtipper.com ("Where the customer is NOT always right") offers stories from disgruntled jobbers who have endured the indignity of receiving a measly tip or, in some cases, no tip at all from society's richest, well-known figures. Click on to badtipper.com's celebrity button and get the dirt on the world's rich and famous, from pop idols to movie stars.
"P. Did-He or P. Didn't-He?" asks the Web site, referring to rap mogul Sean "Puffy" Combs, a k a Puff Daddy or P-Diddy. "Find out if Sean Combs left 'diddy' or 'diddly.'" According to one irate Beverly Hills Planet Hollywood employee, the hip-hop high roller did leave a $40 tip for his meal, but it was for a complimentary dinner for a posse of 15, which included his equally well-to-do then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez. I won't even tell you what the waiter called her.
One Wilmington, N.C., bartender deemed Molly Ringwald "the worst celebrity tipper I ever waited on," claiming that she would tip a quarter for every round of drinks she received.
A pizza delivery guy, also from North Carolina, says that in 1986 Michael Jordan once ordered a pizza, paid by check (with his famous signature) for the exact amount of his pie, no tip.
But the news isn't all bad. Apparently, Charlie Sheen, Dan Aykroyd, rocker Dave Matthews and pro wrestler Randy "Macho Man" Savage are all great with gratuity. Also, Web crawlers are encouraged to send their personal accounts to the site's expanding stories section. Exotic dancers and masseuses, let's not hold any details back, OK?
See the Columnists section for some past articles.
’Net Junkie drops every Monday.
Contact Shawn "Speedy" Lopes at slopes@starbulletin.com.
Note: Web sites mentioned in this column were active at time of publication. The Honolulu Star-Bulletin neither endorses nor is responsible for their contents.
