In the recently-launched Zagat SF/Bay Area 2011 Restaurant Guide, San Francisco ranked the worst when it comes to tipping. (Side note: Is $2 too much for a $10 cab ride? Please advise.) Bay Area diners polled in Zagat note that they tip an of average of 18.6%. Which is to say, you're cheap, San Francisco. (Ideally one should tip at least 20% for decent service, yes?) In today's Between Means on Inside Scoop, Michael Bauer dares to suggest that Healthy SF's three or four percent -- the small fee added to you bill to make health care services accessible and affordable for uninsured residents -- is to blame.

Bauer theorizes:

My theory is that many people, in San Francisco at least, deduct part of the three or four percent that restaurants tack onto the bill for Healthy San Francisco. I’ve had more people tell me they either lower their tip by that amount or at least don’t include that percentage in tabulating the tip amount.

SFist's very own Jay Barmann, however, has another view on terrible tipping. Over at Grub Street, he says:

We'd argue this could also just be a case of survey bias among Zagat's local survey-takers, who took way too long to discover Manresa and who just won't quit with the accolades for Gary Danko. Maybe it's just those people who are bad tippers.

Thoughts?