Tip, ‘round up’ culture starting to go overboard

Would you like to donate to this? Would you like to donate to that?
If you’ve gone shopping, ordered food, or done much of anything lately, surely you’ve noticed the growing and growing onslaught of businesses wanting you to spend extra money on what should be routine errands by asking you to donate to virtually every cause under the sun. We think it’s getting out of control.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with donating. We donate a percentage of your subscription costs to local nonprofits. But, we donate that from money you’re already paying. We don’t ask for another dime from you. At grocery stores, the practice of trying to get more money out of you has gotten relentless.
It has even spread to fast food. Have you been to Taco Bell lately? If you use the drive through, the person taking your order asks you if you would “like to round up to the nearest dollar to support children.” Support children how? Doing what? Seems quite vague.
They should try being honest. “Would you like to give us money so we can make a charitable donation to pay down our corporate tax liaiblity without using our own money?” Honesty is the best policy.
Obviously, these stores do these campaigns because they work. People don’t really think twice about loose change or spending an extra buck to help what they think is that sickly dog on their screen or sick children. All worthy causes, but can we go back to just simple transactions? It’s getting as bad at the gas pump, where you have to answer 15 questions and enter 12 codes while you freeze to death just trying to pump your gas.
The culture has spread to the restaurant industry as well. Paying your bill is now greeted by the turn of the screen toward you, where you’re greeted by the ask to pay the employees’ wages for the employer before you’ve even tasted your food. Go ahead and tip, and then find out whether or not you really should have. Tips used to be reserved for waitresses, etc., but now they are even wanted at places where all they did is make your food like they are, you know, supposed to. It makes it even worse that the cashier hovers over you, undoubtedly ready to judge you if you don’t enter just the right tip amount.
We get why companies do it, and that Americans are a generous sort. It’s getting a little out of hand. We just want our tacos when we hit the drive through.