Catch youse dufes later!

Missed my FREE breakfast at Denny's this morning, so I'm headed out for an early FREE lunch at Olive Garden ... don't want to eat too late or I may not be hungry for my FREE dinner at Golden Corral this evening.

(I love Veteran's Day!) :D

Thanks for the heads-up Jimbo!

I
:like
the Olive Garden's Soup and Salad!!!!

Gonna comb me hairs and head to town. :bj

I'm stuffed full'o soup & salad now (ok, and maybe a half dozen bread-sticks too) and it's REALLY feeling like nap time! Mr. Crow9, I looked around the joint but didn't see you. Did you ever show up? ;)

Its been so long since I laid eyes on my dd214 that I'm not sure I could find it. what do you typically use as proof you're a veteran?

BKB

I have a file with copies of my DD214, but I carry a VA ID card in my wallet at all times. It's basically a military photo ID and they all accept that.

You'd be surprised at all the things offered on Veteran's Day. This weekend there were a ton of things going on that were free or discounted to vets. The Zoo, quite a few festivals, the Aquarium ... that sort of thing. Last year we were in California and vets got free entrance (along with 2-3 family members) to Magic Mountain. I took Lynn, her mom and her niece and we spent the day there. You can also get free haircuts, free oil changes ... heck, I dig around on the net every year to see what's offered. Some offers are just on Veteran's day, others are all weekend and some even last through the month.

The Lowes around here offers a 10% veterans discount every day. Problem is....ya gotta have an ID. Well, not being retired mil, I don't have one of those ID's. Here in GA, IF you were in the service during a "shooting war" they put "vet" on your DL...but not for cold war vets. SO, I folded up a copy of my old DD214 and keep it in my wallet. When we make a "big purchase" at the Lowes, I whip it out and ask for the 10%er.

Bill, Home Depot does the same thing.

I'm a member of a website that sends out monthly newsletters with all sorts of "vet" related info. It's a very informative site ... PLUS, before every Veteran's Day, they send out a list of freebies and discounts. Ya' may want to take a peek and sign up. They don't send junk mail ... just good, useful info. It's not all inclusive, but gives you a good base to work of off.

Also, P-hole, in the case of "lost" DD214's ... they have a link on how to get a replacement. Or like Co9 mentioned, what states have indicators on driver's licenses or license plates as well as how to get an ID card, etc.

http://themilitarywallet.com/

I went online today and requested mine. Pretty sure the ex abscpnded with it.

BKB

As far as the freebie meals are concerned ... I don't think I've ever had anyone check my ID. They simply asked if I'm a vet or I just tell them I'm a vet. Same at Olive Garden today ... when the hostess seated us, she asked if I was a veteran and I answered, "yes" (no ID shown). I got a free meal and Lynn's was discounted 10%.

Was talking to the general manager of our Applebee's last night. He said they gave 400 sirloin dinners away to veterans yesterday. He then added that while he thinks it's a great idea, his waitresses/waiters hate it, because most getting a free meal don't remember to TIP!

Having raised four kids who've all worked in service jobs at some point in their lives, I know how important tips are for people in those jobs. But I also know a free lunch in honor of someone isn't a free lunch if you expect a tip. Just the way I see it. You either give a free lunch freely or its something else. Maybe applebees ought to give their wait staff a nominal gratuity and the wait staff given the chance to feel good about giving something of their own back to veterans by forfeiting the rest of a normal tip just for that day. Advertise that and applebees wins on a couple of different fronts IMO.

BKB

Personally if I went somewhere for a free lunch, but it was served to me, refills, etc etc. id tip. Different if you go to a Buffett and the only time you see the server is when the bill comes.

Not tipping/ cheap tipping annoys the shit out of me. Had some friends once that would regularly try to stiff the server altogether, because of something that was usually out of their control.
Had some other friends who tried to justify a low tip by talking about how expensive the meal was.
Any person that serves me at a restaurant can expect 20% tip. If they don't get 20% then they fucked up something real bad

If someone can't afford to tip well then don't go to the restaurant to begin with.

My oldest brother about shit his pants last year at the beach when I picked up the tab for the 6 of us and left a 60$ tip.
He'd have left 10$


I can see your point as well though. It wasn't just Applebee's. Same goes for every restaurant that gave away free meals to veterans yesterday I'm sure.

If they made it a point to either say that tip is , or is not included. That'd probably help.

I'm with you on the tipping thing. My ex wife was bad about going after me and removing part of the tip I'd left and sticking it in her purse. THAT pissed me off to no end. I don't go 20% unless it's exemplary service but my usual is around 15% or so. I even tip the girls at the Sonic, the few times we go there.
I'm just saying Applebees kind of should have taken care of that, and to me the wait staff ought to be kicking in something too, although the restaurant should give them some nominal tip. like 10% or something.

Just as an example, I was at a going away lunch for a good friend the other day and I ended up picking up her and her husband's lunch just because nobody else volunteered. Nobody should to their going away lunch and have to pick up their own tab. How would it have looked if I told them they needed to pick up the tip? what's the difference between that and these veterans being expected to tip at THIER free lunch?

See what I mean?

BKB

BKB

Good point. I see that. But I'd tip. I'd feel like a dick if I didn't. Maybe id feel differently if I was a veteran invited in for a free meal though.

I've seen my sister-in-law grab a few bucks from the tip a time or two. Talk about cheap and greedy.

I always tip ... but I'm VERY rarely in the 20% crowd ... minimum 15% or maybe a few cents more to round up to the nearest dollar. What many people don't understand is, the tip "should" be for the total amount BEFORE any discounts. For example, if a meal is $20 and you have coupon for 50% off ... you tip on the $20, NOT the $10 that the bill will be. That's a common mistake many people make when it comes to tipping where a discount is involved. Yesterday I left a tip (15%+) for what the total on the meal WOULD have been before the freebie and Lynn's 10% discount.

I do see your point P-hole .. I've never thought about it that way ... but, I'll prolly continue to tip. Personally, I've NEVER liked the custom of tipping anydamnway. Pay the frigging employees for the job they do and add it to the cost of the meal. Then there's no argument when it comes to the zero tippers or the 10% - 20% crowd. Tipping has Thailand all screwed up now. The staff has always been paid a certain wage and tipping was NOT a custom in that country. Tourists started going there in droves and the tipping started. Now they EXPECT a tip ... although their salary has never dropped. Damn tourists! ;)

Also, I've noticed down here in the land of the snowbirds, MANY Canuckians don't tip ... or if they do now, they did not a few years back. (haven't noticed lately) I've been to Canuckia many times and always tipped when there, but it got me to wondering, am I just one of those "stupid" tourists who tip when a tip is not customary? Johnboy ... what say you?

Yeah, the tip is pretty much standard here as well. I've always been of two minds when it comes to tipping. I don't mind giving the server something extra if the service has been good but it really gets my goat to be expected to tip no matter what the service has been like. Some servers go that extra mile to make your meal a little better but a lot don't and it annoys me that a tip is still expected. I leave a tip all the time but it's more based on the quality of service than the price of the meal.

Oh yeah, I also think on average that server people in the US of A work harder for their tip and deserve it more than the average Canadian does.