This is legally true, but when I waited tables if I ever claimed that my tips didn't get my salary up to minimum wage, I knew I'd be fired. This condition was just shy of explicit. It was the same if someone ran out on their meal. Fortunately most of the time all of my customers paid their meal and tips pushed me over minimum wage, but I remember one slow night that had a diner and dash. I think I paid to work that night.

Life at the lower rungs of the economic ladder is a total blast.