Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?

[GhostofDC]

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I think the reason that I tip generously on cab rides is that I have a friend who used to drive a taxi, and at least in his case I learned that cab drivers are compensated far less than you think.

I can't remember exactly how it worked but he had to pay a high hourly rental fee to the cab company. Some of you guys seem to think that if you get a $30 ride and tip $5, the cabby is pocketing $35.

But I think if you amoritize his rental fee or whatever over the duration of your cab ride, he basically makes little more than whatever you tip.

Not sure though. Hopefully the LV cab driver can give us the details.

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Driving a taxi in Las Vegas is different than any other city in the world. In most citys the driver can own the cab , lease the cab or rent the cab. In Las Vegas the taxis are all owned by the companies. We net 25 % of the fare. We get to keep our tips but the IRS taxes us 23 % . In other words if a driver puts 200.00 dollars in fares on his/her meter during their shift, the IRS taxes us on the 46.00 they assume we made in tips. Also a trip charge comes off the top of the fare. It varies from 1.00 - 1.50 depending on the company. We also buy our own gas. My fuel runs me about 55.00 per day.
I do not beg for tips and I try not to insult people when they are Cheap ( unless they openly boast about it on a message board ) It is a waste of my time and breath to insult someone who tips me a buck because Cheap People will never change. Cheap people will always look for an excuse not to tip and always find one. All I can hope for is the New Vegas will price the Cheapo's off the strip.

Growing up in this city I was saddened to see the historic hotels being imploded one by one. But the New Tourist have changed me. I can not wait until July when the Frontier closes. Hopefully the Sahara, Rivera , Circus and Tropicana will fall in the near future. As these hotels come down rates will increase due to a room shortage and a few more Cheap People will not visit Las Vegas.

[Homer]

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I think the reason that I tip generously on cab rides is that I have a friend who used to drive a taxi, and at least in his case I learned that cab drivers are compensated far less than you think.

I can't remember exactly how it worked but he had to pay a high hourly rental fee to the cab company. Some of you guys seem to think that if you get a $30 ride and tip $5, the cabby is pocketing $35.

But I think if you amoritize his rental fee or whatever over the duration of your cab ride, he basically makes little more than whatever you tip.

Not sure though. Hopefully the LV cab driver can give us the details.

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Driving a taxi in Las Vegas is different than any other city in the world. In most citys the driver can own the cab , lease the cab or rent the cab. In Las Vegas the taxis are all owned by the companies. We net 25 % of the fare. We get to keep our tips but the IRS taxes us 23 % . In other words if a driver puts 200.00 dollars in fares on his/her meter during their shift, the IRS taxes us on the 46.00 they assume we made in tips. Also a trip charge comes off the top of the fare. It varies from 1.00 - 1.50 depending on the company. We also buy our own gas. My fuel runs me about 55.00 per day.
I do not beg for tips and I try not to insult people when they are Cheap ( unless they openly boast about it on a message board ) It is a waste of my time and breath to insult someone who tips me a buck because Cheap People will never change. Cheap people will always look for an excuse not to tip and always find one. All I can hope for is the New Vegas will price the Cheapo's off the strip.

Growing up in this city I was saddened to see the historic hotels being imploded one by one. But the New Tourist have changed me. I can not wait until July when the Frontier closes. Hopefully the Sahara, Rivera , Circus and Tropicana will fall in the near future. As these hotels come down rates will increase due to a room shortage and a few more Cheap People will not visit Las Vegas.

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How much did you make last year?

What do believe is a fair tip on a fare of:

$6.50?

$11?

$18?

$25?

tyia

[Schneids]

Maybe your reader should be "broken" sometimes.

[iamVillaiNmo]

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Genius. Now instead of asking pizza guys and other people that look and dress like I do- I will just ask the cabbies.

LoL, I get asked at least 3 times a visit while I am at a table. I wonder why...

[Emperor]

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vegas tipping is retarded

I tip $1-$2 total on cab rides...NEVER more

I tip 10% on meals...15% on really good food/service

I tip $1 per pot I win in poker...NO MORE...not even if it's $5K.

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I aspire to be a RE mogul such as yourself.

However for us normal folk, they used to have quarters at the poker table for tips, for some reason they got rid of them a couple years back. So now I have to carry a pocketfull of quarters when I go anywhere in Vegas.

Drink Girl - quarter (did you know these girls make 6 figures+ ?)

Cab driver - quarter (unless he is awesome, then 50 cents)

Dealer Toke - quarter/blind steal, 50cents/pot if he isn't sucking

Meals - $1/person

Lap dance - tipping for lap dance? When did that start?

[ggbman]

Like most tipping threads, this one seems to now encompass most situations where tips are "expected". As far as taxi rides go, i think a 15ish% tip is pretty standard. I personally tend to be sort of frivalous with this sort of thing because tipping an extra dollar or two to make it 20-30% won't have me thinking about it later that night but it might make the cabbie's day a bit brighter. The same thing applies for me if i am eating at a diner-type resteraunt.. if the service is good and you have a solid meal for 2 people for like 20 bucks why not leave 5-6 instead of 3 if you can afford it? The waitress is making less than minimum wage... (This is why people who don't resides in the states have different perspectives on tipping often, as costs for the service itself be it a cab ride or eating eating out are often incorporated into the price more than they are in the states)

I think it's also worth noting, however, that asking for a larger tip is highly inappropriate IMO, and i would literally NEVER give someone more money for bitching about it, i would almost always just not tip of give them less unless i was in a great mood for some reason. Conversley someone who just does a solid job gets a great tip from me. When i was in Costa Rica for spring break, park of our vacation package included transportation to various locations, and the drivers always made it clear that we could stop for food anywhere, go shopping, go take pictures, whatever we wanted to do. I probably tipped them more than they were paid by their employers. As far as higher end service goes ala expensive resterauts and such, it is more appropriate to have much stricter standards for tipping. I used to work in a pretty fancy resteraunt, and if a waiter in this kind of establishment wants a higher % tip then there should be much more scrutiny on their performance than say, a cab ride or pizza delivery. No one deserves 20% of a $50-75 entree for setting it in front of you unless you have been very well attended to etc...

As far as cab fares go,i would guess that 15% is about right and dont relent if a driver is disrespectful enough to bitch about a tip.

[drewjustdrew]

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All,

Everyone tips the cocktail waitresses $5 per drink, though, right?

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You sir, are on crack. $1, no exceptions.

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theres nothing like a good ole fashioned level.

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It must be a good one, cuz I'm still not sure. Having read other El D lifestyle posts, I'm inclined to believe he thinks $5 is appropriate. I wasn't referring to the "everyone tips" part, cuz,duh.

[drewjustdrew]

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Shane,

what is correct tiping ettiqute for a buffet where the waitress say seats you and brings drinks but the food is self service?

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I don't eat at buffets very often, but I don't see why I wouldn't tip about 20% of the value of the meal if the server was helpful, useful and/or friendly. However, I could see an argument made for there being more room for discretion in terms of tipping buffet servers.

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Just went to the bellagio buffet. When we got up to leave, no one left a tip. I was going to drop $10-$15 on the table for the mediocre to poor beverage server(s). My friend tells me the tip was included (18%) since we were a group > 8. Instead of the $15 they would have received, they got about $120. I'm kicking myself for not thinking about it and breaking us up into multiple groups.

[ifckladyluck]

took a cab to some bar in the east village once. After I paid the cabbie and got out he rolls down his window and asks me: "hey, wheres my tip?" (i gave him a 10 for like an 8.90 fare). I look at him and respond with? "you want a tip? go f--- yourself.

true story.

[Abbaddabba]

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Driving a taxi in Las Vegas is different than any other city in the world. In most citys the driver can own the cab , lease the cab or rent the cab. In Las Vegas the taxis are all owned by the companies. We net 25 % of the fare. We get to keep our tips but the IRS taxes us 23 % . In other words if a driver puts 200.00 dollars in fares on his/her meter during their shift, the IRS taxes us on the 46.00 they assume we made in tips. Also a trip charge comes off the top of the fare. It varies from 1.00 - 1.50 depending on the company. We also buy our own gas. My fuel runs me about 55.00 per day.
I do not beg for tips and I try not to insult people when they are Cheap ( unless they openly boast about it on a message board ) It is a waste of my time and breath to insult someone who tips me a buck because Cheap People will never change. Cheap people will always look for an excuse not to tip and always find one. All I can hope for is the New Vegas will price the Cheapo's off the strip.


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Or you could just find another job.

Unless you're horribly disfigured, someone who speaks english and has control over their fingers should be able to get a job as a dealer...