Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

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?

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

i had the exact smae thing happen to me last week. i gave in and gave the guy an extra 2 bucks. the 2 bucks didnt mean anything to me, but i kinda feel like a pussy for letting him talk me into a bigger tip.

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

not had this.

i get kinda annoyed about the 'how much would you like back?' thing, but i guess its standard? i'd prefer if they just gave me my change and then i would tip accordingly.

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

btw if a cab is like $30 how much is it standard to leave?

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I got some talk las week at 3:30 am about driving m out tot eh house we are renting. Because its 10 minutes from the strip he asked me if I knew how to take care of cabbies for going all the way out there.

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

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btw if a cab is like $30 how much is it standard to leave?

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$35-40.

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btw if a cab is like $30 how much is it standard to leave?

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$35-40.

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wow.

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

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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btw if a cab is like $30 how much is it standard to leave?

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$35-40.

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wow, that sux, i would give him two 20s.

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btw if a cab is like $30 how much is it standard to leave?

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$35-40.

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wow.

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Pretty sure this means a $5-10 tip, not a $35-40 tip.

I thought the same thing [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

pretty sure he understood that

10 seems like a lotttt

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you give driver $10 and ask for $2 back on 6.60-6.80 fare??

that is beyond cheap! give him the whole $10 you tight ass!

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maybe they are weird about it because they are trying to make a leaving...and people like you don't know how to tip!

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you give driver $10 and ask for $2 back on 6.60-6.80 fare??

that is beyond cheap! give him the whole $10 you tight ass!

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QFT, basically.

I think the rule is to round up to the next highest reasonable cash amount. Overtipping is standard. This person got you to your destination alive, and didn't rob you.

Thus, a $10.75 cab ride and a $12.50 cab ride both "cost" $15. There is a no man's land between $8 and $10, because you can't give the guy a Hamilton for a $9.50 ride.

Also, if the cabbie breaks out the diggery-doo he gets a bigger tip.

http://bp2.blogger.com/_87r1Q_uqq6E/...00/diggery.jpg

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

ugh i absolutely hate the "trying to make a living" argument.

who isn't?

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ugh i absolutely hate the "trying to make a living" argument.



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agreed. there are so many things that can be said in response that are (a) totally dickish (like "well then get a better job") but (b) not any more moronic than the "trying to make a living" line.

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

Wow, I would guess that there's a big difference between those of us that only take cabs a handful of times a year when we're somewhere on vacation and those of us (like me) who live in a major city and don't have a car and might take upwards of a hundred cab rides a year. Tipping a cabbie $10 for a $6.80 fare is insanity IMO and would cost me a few hundred bucks a year.

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pretty sure he understood that

10 seems like a lotttt

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if he lets me smoke and/or is conversational and/or plays decent music on the stereo, I'll spring for a good tip. Two NYC cabbies have let me smoke joints in their ride; they got very good tips.

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

fare was like $10.20 at the most ... I hand the guy $12. He's like "c'mon man you only gave me $11" I say "no way I gave you 12" I grab the money and re-count since he's still holding it up by his head. I count it up and its 12 (2x5 + 2x1) .. take back a dollar bill. "now its 11" and leave.

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pretty sure he understood that

10 seems like a lotttt

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Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

My bad. I assumed the NVG Ballers would typically tip $10 [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

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pretty sure he understood that

10 seems like a lotttt

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20% on $30 is $6...in Vegas, the way money gets thrown around, it hardly seems that brutal to throw down the extra $4 for an even $40 bill.

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

greater than 30% tip for a cab is kinda crazy imo

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wow these are huge tips you guys are talking about...I always thought standard tip was 15% for a cab ride?

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and i hate to even debate tipping you know, tip what you want that's cool.. but i just hate the idea of tipping for something like a cab. what the [censored], you know? just charge me X dollars and take me where i want to go. maybe if there's a girl in the back to give me a bj i will tip, that seems above and beyond reasonable service

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SOoooooooooooooooooooooo irritating the way they say "how much u want back?". I mean wtf?

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greater than 30% tip for a cab is kinda crazy imo

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I just don't see myself lying on my deathbed regretting the extra 5-10% I tipped Vegas cabbies.

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Also, if the cabbie breaks out the diggery-doo he gets a bigger tip.

http://bp2.blogger.com/_87r1Q_uqq6E/...00/diggery.jpg

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Driver is saying "Why bother going to Spearmint Rhino? Look, I can take care of you much better than those hoochies for a mere ten bux!"

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

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SOoooooooooooooooooooooo irritating the way they say "how much u want back?". I mean wtf?

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Um what the hell else is he supposed to ask? You either hand the dude a bill and say "make it look like this" or "give me x-amount back" or the dude has to ask. You were aware before you entered the taxi that tipping was part of the deal, so it seems perfectly standard for him to ask how much you want back.

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Um what the hell else is he supposed to ask?

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He's not supposed to ask anything. He's supposed to give you your change and wait and see what, if anything, you hand him back as a tip.

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greater than 30% tip for a cab is kinda crazy imo

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I just don't see myself lying on my deathbed regretting the extra 5-10% I tipped Vegas cabbies.

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How much do you tip in restaurants?

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

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and i hate to even debate tipping you know, tip what you want that's cool.. but i just hate the idea of tipping for something like a cab. what the [censored], you know? just charge me X dollars and take me where i want to go. maybe if there's a girl in the back to give me a bj i will tip, that seems above and beyond reasonable service

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Whatever, that's how that industry is structured. It's not like a scam or a hidden agenda. These guys are usually leasing the car from the owner of the company, and obviously they depend on more money than the meter brings in to cover their nut. If you're not satisfied with the economic structure of taxi-driver gratuities, then stop tipping entirely and watch the cost of the meter go up 20%, or whatever, eventually.

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greater than 30% tip for a cab is kinda crazy imo

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I just don't see myself lying on my deathbed regretting the extra 5-10% I tipped Vegas cabbies.

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How much do you tip in restaurants?

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20-30%

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Um what the hell else is he supposed to ask?

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He's not supposed to ask anything. He's supposed to give you your change and wait and see what, if anything, you hand him back as a tip.

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Incorrect. He is supposed to expect a tip. That's the tacit agreement you participated in when you got in the taxi, even if you don't like it like that.

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I think the rule is to round up to the next highest reasonable cash amount.

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this is completely useless

Re: Why are Las Vegas cabbies so weird about tips?
 

i side with shaniac. the rest of you must be great to hang out with - looking over the check to add up what on it was yours etc...

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i side with shaniac. the rest of you must be great to hang out with - looking over the check to add up what on it was yours etc...

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Something tells me this guy never had to worry about money and has no clue what life is like for people who do.

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greater than 30% tip for a cab is kinda crazy imo

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I just don't see myself lying on my deathbed regretting the extra 5-10% I tipped Vegas cabbies.

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why not just walk through the streets tossing change around

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Um what the hell else is he supposed to ask?

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He's not supposed to ask anything. He's supposed to give you your change and wait and see what, if anything, you hand him back as a tip.

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Incorrect. He is supposed to expect a tip. That's the tacit agreement you participated in when you got in the taxi, even if you don't like it like that.

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So are waiters, but when did you go into a restaurant and pay in cash, only to have the waiter ask how much you want back?

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i side with shaniac. the rest of you must be great to hang out with - looking over the check to add up what on it was yours etc...

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Something tells me this guy never had to worry about money and has no clue what life is like for people who do.

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Um...don't know anything about LAPoker's work history, but I worked my ass off my whole life for crap money, both in jobs that were tip-based and other grunt jobs, and I still feel that with money, what goes around comes around.