Readers Write
Why are some Indian restaurants overcharging us?
This is something that came to our attention over the past few months and we wondered how many diners were aware of it. Some local Indian restaurants add 15 to 18 percent gratuity to your final bill, even if you are a party of two! On top of this, they have the audacity to include a line for TIP in the bill. A person dining with children may not pay attention to the already included tip, and therefore add another tip. We eat out regularly and have not noticed this in non-Indian restaurants. What’s going on here? We did not know about it until last week, when I finally had the time to look at my bills. I was shocked! Later I went through older bills and found the same thing other places.
I know that a 15 percent gratuity is mandatory for a party of 5 or more, but this is ridiculous. I questioned one restaurant owner, and he said, “This is our standard policy as most people don’t tip well.”
Gayatri Shah
Dunwoody, Ga.
U.S. Consulates in India deny visitor visas to young Indians
The U.S. Consulates in India, particularly the Chennai Consulate, do not give visitor visas to young men. The consular officers have got a feeling that these fellows will not come back to India. The parents of these youngsters prepare all the documents required and pay the visa application fees; but finally, when their sons and daughters go for the interview, the consular officers do not even look at the documents, simply handing over a paper refusing the visa.
I really fail to understand why consular officers do not verify the documents. If there is a rule not to grant visitor visas to youngsters, then they should not accept the visa application fees or grant an interview date after verifying the date of birth. Many of the young boys and girls, whose parents are on a H1B or a J1 visa, have got a dream to see the U.S. Because of the power vested in the hands of consular officers, they simply refuse to issue visitor visas. It is now time for the American government to intervene and instruct their consular officers to study the documentation before refusing the visas.
Kumaran Ravindernath
Fairfax, S.C.
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