Tip Chasers and Other Tales From Readers' Wallets

We asked readers to send us their tipping stories, and in they poured -- both funny and instructive. Here are some of the best.

After arriving exhausted in Jakarta, Indonesia, and having to change hotel rooms -- no small feat for the bellman -- I had no local dollars to tip and no small U.S. bills. I think I gave him a $10 or $20. The hotel manager called advising that I had tipped the bellman's weekly salary and advised me that he would be holding it for the man's wife to pick up with his weekly check, as she always did.

Kathy Buscher, Reston

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While visiting Rome in 1984, we ordered a pizza at an outdoor cafe. We were traveling with another couple and taking turns paying the tip. Our friend Jimmy handed the waiter the money but converted the exchange rate incorrectly and gave the waiter the equivalent of a $20 tip on a $17 bill.

We realized the error within minutes, but the manager said the waiter had left early for the night. I wonder why?

Nancy Donohue, Burke

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At the bank from time to time, I swap a $20 bill for 10 lovely $2 bills for tips. As the dollar declines in charm and value, the $2 grows and seems to delight recipients, even if it confuses them at first.

E. James Lieberman, Potomac

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While on a business trip in Beijing, I and two associates decided to venture off the beaten path and try a restaurant not frequented by tourists. We ate like kings -- plentiful food and excellent service. The total tab was about $13.