$2.13 Is the Tipping Point -- America's Food Servers Are Grossly Underpaid

[marble falls]

28. I have always declared my income accurately. That means my social security check is a lot ....

more than the majority of waiters, who get less because they under-declared. I am talking about nights and lunches we tanked at. I live in a resort area we have fat seasons and we have dead seasons including Lent. I paid taxes on money I never got and I paid taxes on money I tipped to expeditors, busboys, cooks (my choice), bar, and hostesses. $15.00/hr sounds grand but that's day by day on five shifts of five to six hours that includes and hour or so of "side work" that means I make trays of salads, dressing, garnishes, sauces and portioning. I mop kitchen floors for a half hour before going home, too. On dead nights for $2.13 I scrub chairs, move furniture for cleaning washing mirrors and windows. And then get sent home early and told how much money to declare I did not make and get to pay taxes on on that phantom money.

I was also a single custodial dad of two kids.

My experience trumps your doubts. I also have doubts about waiters where you worked that out earned GMs.