Airport server mistakes checkbook for tip, what he found inside was heartbreaking

For Guillermo Ortiz, working as a server at Planet Hollywood in Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) had become second nature. He had spent years in the service industry, ensuring that customers had a pleasant dining experience before catching their flights. But on March 21, what started as a routine shift took an unexpected and disheartening turn.

According to a report from KTLA, toward the end of his shift, Ortiz was serving a couple who, at first, seemed no different from any other travelers passing through the bustling airport restaurant. He greeted them with his usual warmth, took their order, and provided the kind of attentive service he had perfected over the years. But something about their demeanor felt off.

“The way they were looking at me—you can tell when something isn’t right,” Ortiz later recalled.

When the couple finished their meal and left, Ortiz went to collect the checkbook, momentarily hoping for a tip. Instead, he found something else entirely—a handwritten note that left him shaken.

A Message Meant to Wound
Inside the checkbook, instead of gratuity, lay a message scrawled on the receipt:

“No tip for illegal. Go back to Mexico.”

Ortiz was stunned. Not only was the message cruel, but it was also based on a false assumption. Ortiz isn’t even Mexican—he’s Puerto Rican. Still, the note stung.

“Twenty minutes after they left, I opened the checkbook and found the message, and it made me feel bad,” he said.

To make matters worse, the couple had actively removed the standard 18.5% gratuity from the bill, ensuring that Ortiz walked away with nothing but their hateful words.

More Than Just Words
The incident left Ortiz wondering what prompted such hostility. Was it his accent? His appearance? A misplaced assumption?

“Probably because they saw me, they knew I’m Hispanic, they thought I’m Mexican or illegal—I don’t know what they were thinking,” he said.

In his eyes, the current political climate in the U.S. has emboldened people to act in ways they might not have before.

“This is happening because of what’s going on with President Trump right now,” Ortiz speculated. “I think that’s the reason people are acting like this.”

Unfortunately, because the couple paid in cash and had already left by the time he discovered the note, there was no way to identify them.

Standing Tall Despite the Hate
Despite the hurtful encounter, Ortiz refuses to let one hateful message define him.

“I’m proud of what I do,” he said. “I’m a server. That’s the way I support my kids, that’s the way I support my family.”

But the bitter moment came at an especially difficult time. Planet Hollywood’s LAX location was set to permanently close just days later, leaving Ortiz without a job. The note felt like an added insult on what was already shaping up to be a tough week.

Even so, Ortiz remains steadfast in his belief that dignity and hard work will always outweigh cruelty. While the couple who left that message may have thought their words would diminish him, Ortiz knows his worth isn’t defined by the opinions of strangers. Instead, he’ll carry on, not just as a server, but as a father, a husband, and a man who refuses to be brought down by ignorance.