Beyond the fact that tipping is archaic and economically inefficient, there is often a principal-agent problem (i.e. bartenders overpouring/comping drinks in exchange for higher tips). It would be nice to see a local restaurant experiment with paying their employees a decent wage (pricing their product accordingly) and remove the tip line on the check. At the very least it would be nice to see a few experiment with a European model. Aside from addressing the above, it would also improve front/back of the house relations and establish a more professional relationship between the customer and the server.