Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?

[daryn]

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All,

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

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haha.. no. maybe if i had your money.

[doncolo]

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Speaking of the taxi-thing in other countries:

When we went to Peru the game is to strike the deal with the cabbie when they pull over. There are no meters or rate-structures or anything (not that i noticed anyway).
You tell them where you're going and then the bargaining begins.

For a 40-minute drive or something the cabbie wanted $6 but my GF's mom said no thanks. 3 or 4 cabbies took a pass on that one but finally she got one who would take us there for the $3 price she was looking for.

That was in Lima.

When we went into the mountains to the city of Cuzco it was the law there that all taxi-rides within the city are 2 soles which is about $0.60.
5-10 minute ride across town: $0.60. plus maybe another $0.30 tip.

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yes, rock on peru!!!!

[StrongArm]

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I've gotten the same thing and it definitely annoyed me to no end. It is however the case that the cabbies in LV are getting screwed over by their board and essentially honest cabbies are losing out on prime spots/fares/pay owing to the way the schedule is devised. It's made up, according to 'angry cabbies', based on who makes the most money - and supposedly these are cabbies who take tourists on the most expensive routes, roll the meters, etc. I don't know if this is uniquely common to LV, but it's certainly the only place I've ever been (lived outside of NYC and in New Orleans) where cabbies will be openly hostile to their passengers. This is a link to a blog of one such 'angry cabbie' - http://blog.vegastaxidriver.com/.

Anyway, it relates to the fact that I guess cabbies get squeezed on the fares, plus the large number of cabs, on top of the poor allocation of said cabs and general stupidity by managment. Drives me nuts, but understand their position.

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when the hell did cab drivers learn how to blog

[MicroBob]

I now have the theme from Taxi going through my head.

Here, I'll help you out:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Kzhwx8aOO0A

[StrongArm]

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I hate taking cabs, and I hate tiping cabbies. I remember one time many years ago I took a cab from the Bellagio to the Rio. The far was $5.10. I handed the cabbie six bucks.
He looked at me and said, "I never get this tip so small before. Nobody every tip me this small."

I looked at him and said, "I just did."

Another time the [censored] cabbie took me the long way around from the airport to the Gold Coast. I wasn't paying attention until I realized where I was. I was steamed. When we got there I refused to pay. All hell broke loose. I knew where this was going to end up, but I wanted to have my fun.

"You cheated me, you cheated me!" I was screaming. He screamed back. I said call your supervisor, call the police. I was really enjoying myself. Finally he said, just pay me fare, no tip. TIP! I yelled, TIP! I'll pay the fare minus what you cheated me! The cops came. I explained. I ended up paying the fare. But I got my moneys worth.

And finally, way back when, Ali was in town for a fight with I can't remember whom. Me and two other guys decided to go out to the Hilton to see him train. I was excited about it. We get in a cab. The cabbie starts going on about this and that and finally he said what do you want to go see that [censored] [censored] for?

One of my buddies said, yea screw it let's go gamble, the other buddy said, OK, and we eneded up not going.

I always regretted that.

Nowadays when I get in a cab, I say "Take me to the so and so and don't talk!"

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u actually called the cops ROFL

u make bad cabbies look good, if you dont notice hes taking the longer route right away you deserve to over pay.

I'd rather pay the guy, then punch him in the head and run. Rather then get cops and all that nonsense involved. Str8 up SLap his face real hard and bounce.

[southerndog]

Is it only American's that think they are entitled to earn a good living?

[Temp Hutter]

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Had this experience two times this weekend. The cab fare was like $6.60 or $6.80 and I handed the cabbie a $10 and asked for two dollars back; both times I got a little speech from the cabbie about how hard he worked for his money and wound up parting with an extra dollar. It wasn't like I was representing myself as a high-roller; there were no discussions about my wins/losses in the poker room or anything like that and I was dressed/acting just like some normal low-key schlub. What gives?

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In Vegas a couple of weeks ago and I had a $6 fare and asked for $2 back after giving him a $10. He literally begged me for an extra dollar and that it would mean so much to him to have just one more dollar. I ended up giving him the $10 because he was humiliating himself to me and I do not need the extra $2 as bad as he does apparently.

[Gordon Scott]

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Had this experience two times this weekend. The cab fare was like $6.60 or $6.80 and I handed the cabbie a $10 and asked for two dollars back; both times I got a little speech from the cabbie about how hard he worked for his money and wound up parting with an extra dollar. It wasn't like I was representing myself as a high-roller; there were no discussions about my wins/losses in the poker room or anything like that and I was dressed/acting just like some normal low-key schlub. What gives?

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Two things

1. Keep a wad of ones and fives in a different pocket for tips while traveling.

2. Never ever talk a tipping on 2 + 2.


GS

[Kneel B4 Zod]

Diablo:

My normal cocktail tip is $1 or $2, but when drunk or for really good service I go up to $5 sometimes. Like when you are getting your drink often and without asking, etc etc.

Nate: I had the same situation last year and it went 1 step further. like a $6 cab ride, gave him a $10, asked for $2 back. something like that. I also asked for a receipt b/c I was expensing it (I have a habit of keeping all business receipts). he then told me he would give me the $2 OR the receipt, but not both. At that point I demanded all my change back and the receipt, and the doors guys at the Rio had to come break up our argument, b/c it got pretty heated.

this guy was awful. for some reason these guys just feel like their taxi license is also a license to rip you off.

[Sponger.]

I tip taxi drivers exactly 7% of the fare. I use the calculator on my phone to make sure I give them the right amount (rounded up to increments of 25 cents of course)