Since I retired five or six years ago, one of the things I like to do is go out to eat, particularly at a local Waffle House.

I’ve thought about what I’m going to say for a long time, and the time is now. Plain and simple — if you can’t afford to tip the waitress, you shouldn’t be in the restaurant.

I understand the occasional bad service issue, but this is quite another matter.

Today, as I sat in one of my usual spots, I overheard someone mention, “So the bill is $21, so the tip would be $3.”

I guess [their] thinking [was] that they had calculated 15 percent. OK, maybe their math was a little off. But what actually happened was that a party of four or five stiffed the waitress entirely.

I happen to know the waitress and the service is always exceptional. She is the main reason I keep coming back to this place.

I think you out there know who you are: The ones that sit for an hour, get service, then stiff the waitress. All I have to say is shame on you.

Don’t even enter the restaurant if you don’t plan on tipping properly. ’Nough said!

John Currie

Peachtree City, Ga.