I disagree. I've never been to a strip club (another very foreign concept for me lol) but if I ever went to a establishment, I expect to pay the prices the store asks me to pay, or the waiter asking to pay. Do you also "tip" the police? It sounds as ridiculous as that for a foreigner.

> You wouldn't go into a Buddhist temple in Thailand and not leave some change at the door.

I have been to Buddhist temples in Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, etc. and not left change at the door, what are you talking about? That's definitely not normal. I HAVE paid for tickets to enter temples, and bought some of the trinkets they sell, but unless explicitly told so (like in the USA) I wouldn't expect to be making significant donations for the conservation and practice of the temple. I expect religious entities to be funded by either money from their religious constituents, from the gvmt, or sell things, and that's how it seems to work in most of the world without issue.

You cannot simply say that because you are ignorant of the customs in some place, or you would never go to such a place, that people should not have to learn and abide by the customs if they do go to them.

As with prosties, so with New York restaurants.

As far as leaving coins outside temples... perhaps it was a local contribution thing, but it seemed like the right thing to do.

I haven't, but if you asked me if I think service workers should be paid more like regular salaried workers or more like prostitutes, I'd pick the former over the latter.