Recently I was at Il Bachio in Delray Beach enjoying a drink with a friend. When it came time to leave, I paid with a $20 bill.

When the waiter brought my change, it was short. "Did you already take your tip out of here?" I asked.

With a very flippant air he answered, "No, I rounded it up."

That means instead of returning my exact change, which would have been $9.62, he returned nine dollars.

I was not happy, and the 62 cents became his tip.

The next day I called and spoke with the manager. He seemed to think it was no big deal. He said the waiter didn't have change and I could just take it out of his tip.

So am I supposed to have the exact change when I go to a restaurant?

A friend of mine went on vacation in Sanibel and said this happened to them the first day. The second day they spoke up.

For myself, I have decided that if someone rounds up bill up and keeps the change, that becomes their tip.

This practice is common at some establishments. It is, by the way, not lawful. It can add up over a year's time to a nice sum and is not taxed.

But most of all, I find it presumptive and rude.

What do you think?

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