Restaurants are designed to be conduits of joy for patrons seeking good food and great times with those close to them, but increasingly, the laughter comes at the expense of the waitstaff. Stark reality reveals that an array of customers are now ratcheting up their mischief quotient with inconsiderate and sometimes contemptuous pranks aimed at their servers.

Even someone like me who has spent a lifetime serving tables can confirm with assurance that these incidents are far from anecdotal. Leaving a pile of dollar bills on the table and suggesting it is a potential tip, for instance, might seem like a harmless bit of fun at first. However, when the addendum is that each alleged service misstep will result in the removal of a dollar, it quickly becomes a deeply degrading prospect.

The toast is too cold, a dollar disappears. The soup arrived five minutes later than anticipated, another dollar evaporates. The expectation that servers should perform like circus seals for potential gratuity is not only an unwarranted display of dominance but also a stark signifier of the customer's true character. Such gimmicks quickly siphon the humor out of a job that should be about sharing in a guest's culinary joy, not jumping through metaphorical hoops for spare change.

Another common prank is leaving phony money as a gratuity. In one instance, the initial joy of what was thought to be a $20 tip swiftly became a disappointing discovery of a preachy message about Jesus. This cruel jest leads to a double whammy of not only lost tip income but also the rude disheartenment by a customer's presumed generosity.

Furthermore, coupons or leftover gift cards hardly suffice as legitimate tips. Particularly grating is the offering of a gift card to the very establishment where the server works. The likelihood of the server thirilled about a few dollars discount for food they are surrounded by every day is scant.

Marciking another low in prankster tricks is a popular teenage stunt where tips are left submerged in a glass of water at an inverted angle. Retrieving that tip then becomes a guaranteed water spill, causing a mess and more unnecessary work for the server. Online videos assist the prank-happy to execute this trick, further spreading this nuisance.

To conclude the roster of restaurant tricks, many customers find amusement in loosening salt or pepper shakers, causing unlucky diners to inadvertently flood their plates with condiments. This trick not only sours the dining experience for the victim but also burdens the server and kitchen staff with the task of rush preparing a replacement meal.

While harmless banter and even dad jokes may be appreciated by your server, these unwelcome pranks only invite aversion. The real winners in the hospitality game are those who treat their servers with respect and appreciation, not those who see them as figures of ridicule.