Volunteering for Tips

I volunteer at a theatre, and my favorite task there is to work the bar. I love it! I'm sure I wouldn't love it if it were my job, and I don't love the weird men who try and flirt with me, but for the most part, I love pouring bad wine (I always fill the glass to the very top, because I think $5 for a glass of bad wine is a bit of a rip-off) and getting cookies and making change.

Lately, though, people have been trying to tip me! I wonder if they think working the bar at the Folger is my job. I wonder if they have been conditioned by Starbucks to tip. I always say "Oh, no thank you, I'm a volunteer," but lately, they've been more and more insistent. Last night, I started saying my "no thank you" bit, but I only got to "I'm a volun..." and the guy said "shhhhh!" and pressed a dollar into my hand.

I dropped it into the cash box with the rest of the money, as I do with all my tips. Consider it payment for the mint chocolate squares I ate last night.