Do I accept this abnormal tip?
 

So I am at the bar working the busiest shift of the night and this old lady, like crippled old is sitting at the bar for at least 2 hours ordering orange juice being very picky and rude, paying in pennies and nickels. The other bartenders are rude to her but I don't take anything personally and continue to be pleasant to her and serve her. Finally, she tells me she has no more money will be back later, I say okay and she goes and leaves no tip.

The next day she comes in and proceeds to write me a $5 check with "for: service" written on the line. I have a laugh about it with my buddies and proceed with my shift.

Half way through the shift the old lady is long gone and we see paramedics rushing in, at first we have no idea what's going on but later find out it was the same lady who wrote me the $5 check who collapsed on the floor. The paramedics were there for at least an hour so I assume it was pretty serious.

Now I feel bad for her. On one hand I was nice to her and she wanted to reward my service with $5 which is well above the average tip you'd expect from an old geezer most likely on a fixed income so it'd be respectful of me to accept the tip. But now I don't know if she's in the hospital or dead, I have no clue, so should I just rip the check and throw it away?

Re: Do I accecpt this abnormal tip?
 

i prolly wouldnt cash a check like that from anyone due to laziness, but it's not gonna make a difference either way, so who cares

Re: Do I accecpt this abnormal tip?
 

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so it'd be respectful of me to accept the tip.

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She'd love for you to have the money.

Re: Do I accecpt this abnormal tip?
 

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so it'd be respectful of me to accept the tip.

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She'd love for you to have the money.

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The way I see it is, if she wrote a check I'm pretty sure she doesn't have online banking considering she's ancient so she probably balances her checkbook and she will see I didn't cash her check. The money itself is insignificant but what would you think of somebody who didn't accept a tip?

Re: Do I accecpt this abnormal tip?
 

Howzabout, cashing the check and using it to send some flowers to her hospital room. (of course this requires a bit of research and time, but it's the small kindnesses in life that can be most rewarding)

Re: Do I accecpt this abnormal tip?
 

thats what she siad

Re: Do I accecpt this abnormal tip?
 

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Howzabout, cashing the check and using it to send some flowers to her hospital room. (of course this requires a bit of research and time, but it's the small kindnesses in life that can be most rewarding)

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What flowers are you going to get for $5?

Re: Do I accecpt this abnormal tip?
 

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Howzabout, cashing the check and using it to send some flowers to her hospital room. (of course this requires a bit of research and time, but it's the small kindnesses in life that can be most rewarding)

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What flowers are you going to get for $5?

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Negative $24.99 tip FTW.

Re: Do I accecpt this abnormal tip?
 

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The next day she comes in and proceeds to write me a $5 check with "for: service" written on the line. I have a laugh about it with my buddies and proceed with my shift.

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I'm not sure why you find this so funny.



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Half way through the shift the old lady is long gone and we see paramedics rushing in, at first we have no idea what's going on but later find out it was the same lady who wrote me the $5 check who collapsed on the floor. The paramedics were there for at least an hour so I assume it was pretty serious.

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If the lady was already "long gone" from the bar, why would the paramedics later come rushing in for her?



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Now I feel bad for her. On one hand I was nice to her and she wanted to reward my service with $5 which is well above the average tip you'd expect from an old geezer most likely on a fixed income so it'd be respectful of me to accept the tip.

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Although she may well be on a fixed income, the fact that she did did not have much cash on her the prior day does not mean that she is poor.



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But now I don't know if she's in the hospital or dead, I have no clue, so should I just rip the check and throw it away?

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I really don't see what her health status after the fact has to do with you feeling bad about accepting a tip that she made a special effort to give you.

Re: Do I accecpt this abnormal tip?
 

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Although she may well be on a fixed income, the fact that she did did not have much cash on her the prior day does not mean that she is poor.

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Maybe not, but the 4-5 other HUGE clues given by the OP may, just may point us in that direction.