This was so funny I had to share. My first stop in NYC was to Bleeker St. to go meet up with a friend, he was taking his sweet time so I thought I should go get my nail polish changed since it was chipping. There was a nail shop around the corner. I also noticed they gave shoulder massages, and I thought I could use one to feel relaxed at the start of my vacation.

Anywho, I go in sit down, lady is about to do my nails and she asks me to pay first so I don’t mess up my nails. I get my change back and I tip her. She looks at me dead in my face and says “You HAVE to tip me %15, that’s all I get paid, I only make money off my tips”. EXCUSE ME ?!  Say WHAT NOW?

I immediately thought to myself, oh maybe this is one of those regulations I know nothing of. Before making a fool of myself I message my girl who tells me – HELL NO ! Take your money and leave, you don’t have to tip her 15% nothing.

Clearly I wasn’t gonna leave it was awkward and she had just started, so I ask her “Is this the law that I have to tip you 15%? You haven’t even completed the service yet.” She then pretends like she doesn’t here a word of what I say, so does everyone in the nail shop. So I say louder  “ I have no problem tipping you, but I think its rather rude to tell me that I HAVE to tip you 15% as though it was some imposed law. I probably would have tipped you more if I was pleased with the service once it was complete, without you having to tell me what I had to tip you.” Again she says nothing, so now I have the calculated %15 tip on the table. She looks at me tells me to take it back if I don’t feel comfortable, AKWARD. It wasn’t about the money, I just felt that she was being rude.

So I left it there trying to decide in my head what I should do as I still had to sit through my services, with the air thick as ever between us. As much as I like to state my points, I am not one for confrontation, so I left her 15% tip for her… Goodness. Lesson of the day from the start, NYC is full of hustlers, hustle, speak up or get hustled. You choose lol