What I would object to is the 18% minimum tip. For two reasons, first I object to being told what the minimum tip/contribution/voluntary payment of anything is. Second, the reasoning is faulty. This says that because the cost of living has gone up since 1960 the percentage of the tip should go up. But the cost of the meal has also gone up since 1960, so the actual monetary amount being left as a tip has kept stride with the cost of living. The percentage does not have to be increased. For example, I would have paid $4.00 for a meal in 1960 and left a .60 tip. In 2007 I will have to pay $12.00 for the same meal and will leave a tip of $1.80 (probably will round it up to $2.00), an increase of 230%, and that is without raising the "minimum" tip.