Greedy waitress chases down customer and calls cops because he didn't tip her: 'Who said he's obligated to tip?'

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Tipping culture in the US appears to have become so extreme that some staff now think that customers who do not leave a gratuity are breaking the law.

At least, that's what some restaurant workers seem to think, judging by a viral video this week that shows a dramatic confrontation between employees and a customer. 

The clip has reignited a broader debate over whether tipping in America has spiraled out of control, raising questions about 'tipflation,' social pressure, and the expectations placed on diners. 

It shows the tense aftermath after a man allegedly left a restaurant without tipping his wait staff. 

According to the post, the bartender and server chased after the customer, even blocking his car with their vehicles, demanding he 'tip properly.'

The clip shows the visibly shaken man stepping out of his beat-up Honda as the two workers confront him.

'What do I do?' he asks, while his children, including a baby, sit inside the car.

One of the staff filming the scene can be heard saying, 'My brother's a cop, you gotta go back there now, bro. Seriously.'

A standoff between a bartender and her customer (pictured) has sparked a heated debate over whether it's necessary to tip 

Footage of the incident was uploaded on TikTok with the caption: 'He was cornered and the cops were called'. 

It also noted that both the staff and the customer were Democrats, adding a political edge to the story.

Online, viewers were split. One argued that, while tips are not mandatory, the man shouldn't have eaten out if he wasn't going to pay gratuity.  

Another took the customer's side. ‘It’s definitely illegal to chase someone down lol, especially for not tipping,’ one commenter wrote. ‘If they want more money, get a different job.’

'There's a difference between not tipping and not paying the bill,' someone else commented. 

'Who said he's obligated to tip,' another said.

'You can't make someone give you a tip,' a TikTok user commented, adding, 'that's the problem today everyone thinks they deserve a tip.'

The video ends with the customer retreating to his car, though it's unclear if he ever returned to leave a gratuity. 

Tipping culture has become so extreme in America that it seems as though servers think not leaving a tip is illegal 

Many Americans report guilt tipping - when they leaves a tip just because they feel awkward and guilty not doing so 

A survey last year found that three-quarters of Americans believed tipping culture has gone too far.

The research also found that two in three Americans often 'guilt tip' — whereby they felt forced into adding gratuity by prompts at check-out machines.

The findings come amid a widespread backlash against 'tipflation' which has seen tipping culture spill out from bars and restaurants and into stores, takeout chains and even self-service machines. 

Meanwhile, foreign visitors appear to think that tipping culture in the US is outrageous.

'What the hell is tipping? I don't get it. Tipping here, tipping this, tip tip tip. I've spent two months here and [it's] tip, tip tip. Can I get a tip? Why do I have to pay you?' a man from the UK who moved to America said.