Lesson:

If you go to a restaurant in a “tourist” area in South Florida (or possibly anywhere else) whether you’re a tourist or not, beware that an automatic 17% gratuity may be added to your check without your approval or knowledge till the bill comes, because “tourists sometimes stiff the waiters, and that’s what they work hard for.”  (This happened to us last evening, there were only 2 of us dining there, and it was not disclosed in advance — as I believe the law requires — that this would be added to the check automatically.)

Don’t hesitate to put your foot down if this happens.  All customers have a right to decide the tip they’d like to leave, especially if this automatically added gratuity is added without one’s consent or knowledge.