Pretty ridiculous
This is a petty, petty complaint, but it’s something that has haunted me for a while now. On behalf of myself and the bazillion other talented and hardworking actors in the world, please stop lumping Jessica Alba in with us.
I believe that a fair, alternate title would be “Well-Paid Eye Candy.”
I found it hilarious and absurd that in your Oct. 3 edition, while discussing her talks to be the in the upcoming “I Dream of Jeannie” movie, she said, ” … the script is just not in the shape I would want it to be in if I was going to do it.” Yet, she elected to do “Into the Blue” and “Honey.”
She is not the only pretty thing in Hollywood who continues to work based solely on looks, far from it. I just have this standard that when I watch a movie, I like to feel that the actors actually have souls.
–Kerri Van Auken, 32, Bucktown
Barista wants tip
I was shocked and disgusted when reading your RedEye article, “To Tip or Not To Tip.” (Sept. 27 cover story.) Obviously the tipping “researchers,” Leah Ingram and Steven Grand Pre, have never worked behind a counter or had a conversation with anyone behind a counter.
I work at a coffeehouse on North Avenue, and I’ve worked in several coffee shops over the years. There is way more work that goes into completing your order than just standing and handing someone a cup.
Making a good drink takes time and training, especially filling the over-complicated “half-caf skim extra foam sugar free vanilla mocha latte” orders. Keeping the place clean so you can have a nice environment to drink and eat in is a constant struggle. People do things at coffeehouses they would never do at home, like spill sugar and cream without wiping it up. We also make sandwiches, roast and brew coffee and make treats.
It’s always appropriate to tip a bartender at least a dollar and they are “just standing behind a counter.” It takes more effort and skill to foam milk than it does to twist a beer cap off or pour out a shot. But tipping is required in a bar situation because they expect you to tip. Well, guess what, I, as a barista, also expect you to tip.
–Beth Martinez, 23, Pilsen
Don’t be cheap
I just read your article “To Tip or Not to Tip,” and I was infuriated. Why? Because according your guidelines, a barista in a coffeehouse should not be tipped. That is just wrong! To me, if you are able to afford $1.50 for a cup of coffee, then throw the other 50 cents in the tip jar for the person who brewed that perfect cup of coffee or made your fancy latte. People who don’t tip are just cheap in my book.
–Paul Rykiel, 39, Lakeview
Pizza perspective
I appreciate the articles on tipping with one exception. The recommended tip for pizza delivery was 10 percent. If this were true I would be looking for another job. On average that would be $1-$2 per delivery with orders between $10-$20. Most drivers (if lucky) receive a base hourly rate and a per-delivery compensation ($.85) and tips. I have been delivering since 1996 as I worked my way through college. Yes, it can be a profitable profession. I realized I make more money delivering than using my degree in psychology, and the flexible hours are allowing me to go back for a master’s. I realize I deliver in a upscale area, but if the average tip would fall below $3.50 I would not be able to continue school. Unlike other tipped employees, we have the overhead of gas, insurance and car repairs to consider.
–Charlie Page, 27, Lisle
