Ok, so picture this. You go to Baja with your friends and family, have a nice fancy dinner in any of the great places to eat, have a couple of craft beers, maybe some dessert. Then the time to pay the check comes. You just don't pay the food and leave. But, how much money should you tip so you don't come off as cheap? Let me break it down for you.

"How much should I tip in Baja?"

Don't be this guy

First things first, tipping is not obligatory. Any "mandatory gratuity" is illegal in Mexico, but not doing it is frowned upon, so let's avoid that. Besides, with the exchange rate as it is you can spare a couple of dollars when paying your bill.

Restaurants

Until last year, the rate for tipping in restaurants was around 10% of your total consumption, however, most patrons have raised it to 15% of your total. Remember, a lot of restaurants pay minimum wage, while others "pay" the waiters only with what they get on tips, so help them out if they gave you good service.

Bars

Most bartenders don't have a salary and make their living on tips, hence the magical "tip jar", but again, with 15% to 20% of your total you will be fine. Be careful, some places can try to add up to 20% on tips to your bill without consent, be sure that doesn't happen. Remember, mandatory tipping or "gratuity" is illegall.

Valet Parking

Let's be clear, some places have a fixed rate on valet parking, so tipping is not required. However, if that's not the case you can spare a dollar or two for the guy that takes care of your car. That being said, sometimes you can come across people in the street where you can park that can look out for your car while you're gone, called vienevienes in Mexico. This isn't exactly regulated, so if you want to give them money, it really is up to you. Most of them will suggest you pay $3 or $4 USD but again, not mandatory. I'd recommend you go to a parking lot and avoid being harassed by these guys.

Hotel housekeeping/maid

So you went down to Valle de Guadalupe and got yourself a room in a nice hotel uh? Going away to enjoy the Baja California wine experience is very fun, but when it's over and you go back home, guess who's gotta clean everything up? That's right, the maid. Most places have a little envelope so you can leave the tip for your maid in your bed when you leave and you don't need to have that awkward moment when you don't know exactly how much to give her. While there's no exact rate on this specific service, usually leaving a dollar or two should be fine, but in this case, it's really up to you entirely.

Gas Station

Let me tell you a secret: you see those guys pumping gas into your car when you go to Baja? They don't get any salary at all, as they work for tips, and on top of that, they have to pay a certain amount of money to the owners of the gas station to be able to work there. Sounds like a pretty bad deal, yet Mexico (along with Oregon and New Jersey in the U.S.) is probably one of the few countries where gas jockeys are common, so you don't have to get out of your car to pump gas. Again, tipping is optional, so you can give them as much as you want.

So, I think that pretty much covers it. Remember, tipping is never an obligation, but it's nice when you do it and also, don't you feel like a much better person by helping someone out for giving you great service? Remember that no one can force you to leave a tip and if they do so it's illegal. Make sure to report it. That's all for now folks, enjoy your trip.

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Didn't like the article? You can tell Jorge Guevara directly on his Twitter account @Jorgepilgrim. Jorge is born in raised in Tijuana, a beer and food fanatic and also a professional movie critic.