After enjoying a quick lunch at Dale’s Family Diner just outside Harrisburg, PA, 62-year-old Dennis Balinski left his 24-year-old waitress Melanie Pearson a surprise $1000 tip in one of the most generous assertions of power and superior status the town has ever seen.
Balinski, an attorney from Philadelphia, stopped at the hole-in-the-wall restaurant to grab a quick lunch during a long road trip. Noticing that his waitress was an attractive young woman, Balinski took advantage of his position of power and her forced politeness to ask a series of probing, personal questions. That’s how he learned that Pearson was a single mom, working two full-time jobs just to keep her head above water.
“Since it’s the holidays and all, I wanted to do something that would help out this young mother while also assuring that she would never be able to forget me, no matter how hard she tried,” reported Balinski.
Pearson originally thought the large tip was a mistake. “I couldn’t believe another human could be so kind while also, you know, totally putting me in my place,” she said.
When she realized the tip was intentional, Pearson nearly broke down into tears. “I’m lucky to make $1,000 at the restaurant in a whole month. What I sweat and break my back for, he has the power to give out randomly, on a whim. It’s so touching and yet completely patronizing.”
“At my age, women like Melanie’s never pay me much attention,” claimed Balinski. “But now she’ll think of me and my generosity whenever she’s just trying to go about her daily life, like struggling to afford groceries or filling up the gas tank. I’ll be utterly inescapable.”
Balinski hopes his tip will remind Pearson both of humanity’s goodness, and also that no matter how hard she works, she’ll never be in a position to drop a grand on a mediocre turkey club and a Diet Pepsi.
“What she spends the money on doesn’t even matter,” said Balinski. “The point is that she’s now forever indebted to me, whether she likes it or not.”
Added Balinski: “Plus it’s a win-win because I earn 3% back at restaurants with my Amazon Prime Rewards Visa.”
Pearson plans to use the money to throw her an unforgettable, one-of-a-kind Christmas party for her son and his friends and that will really show up her loudmouth, know-it-all sister.
