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The rage over racism is now spilling into the America’s large chain restaurants where African-Americans say everything from their tipping to tableside etiquette is dissed by white waitstaff.

A survey of waiters in North Carolina revealed that nearly two-fifths admitted to treating customers differently depending on their race.

And as many as 90% said they had participated in or overheard racially charged conversations among their co-workers.

The article, which is published in the Journal of Black Studies, reported the results of a survey of 200 servers at 18 different restaurants in the state.

Many of the waiters questioned said they perceived African-Americans to be less polite than others, while some added that they thought black diners tipped less generously.

These beliefs led 38.5% of the waiters – a large majority of whom were white – to admit that they adjusted the quality of their service based on the race of their customers.

And 52.8% of those surveyed said they had seen their colleagues discriminate against African-Americans.

When asked who tipped best, whites topped blacks, according to the servers.

Also, Whites were described as better customers than blacks, who typically were called “picky,” “demanding,” and “rude.”

Considering their treatment, said the authors, poor tips are deserved. “If servers provide inferior service to blacks, it should not be surprising that blacks tip them less.”

via BMS