Do you guilt tip cabbies?

isa · May 2005

Whenever I actually get a cabbie to take me from Manhattan to Brooklyn I tip ridiculously high because I feel so bad. They're always like "But I just came from Brooklyn!" And I'm like "Well, I'm sure you'll get a fare on the way back". And they usually say something fatalist. And then I have them let me out on the corner instead of in front of my apartment because it's easier to make the turn back onto Flatbush. And then I give them all my money and I go home and check the traffic on the bridges on 1010 wins. I don't know if this is because I come from a long line of NYC cabbies or what. I guess this is an issue only my therapist can solve.

dailyheights · May 2005

It seems to me that there used to be a lot of cabbies who complained about driving to Brooklyn. In the past.

carnivore · May 2005

Having a medallion comes with the obligation to serve all five boroughs, not just Manhattan. This has been a sore point for me since I was in Junior High. I remember in the 80s, some cabbies would actually try to refuse to come to Brooklyn. I learned to be very aggressive with them and refuse to get out of the cab until they took me home ("you may not take me to Brooklyn, but you're not getting another fare tonight until you do").
Now, I usually tip very well if they take me to Brooklyn without complaints (sometimes even 20% if they're nice and they drive well, especially if they know where they're going). If they complain or give me a hard time about it though, I actually reduce their tip.

If someone wants to choose which fares they want, they should drive a livery, not a yellow cab.

rhodamine · May 2005

dailyheights wrote: It seems to me that there used to be a lot of cabbies who complained about driving to Brooklyn. In the past.

ive never had one complain.

though i have had one take me to the obvious wrong destination, i assume in order to attempt to bilk me on the meter.

susan · May 2005

Absolutely, I guilt tip! I just did that last night, as a matter of fact! (don't take cabs all that often, tho) I never acknowledge their disgust when I tell them where I'm going, though. I just act super nice, tip big, and when I get out of the car I say "have a great day/night" or something like that. I guess I hope that they treat the next person they have to take to brooklyn much nicer.

typograffiti · May 2005

Subject: i am glad i'm not the only one!

boy, do i ever guilt tip. i get mad at myself just thinking about it.

once i guilt tipped a cab driver $20 because he drove me home from soho in a snow storm while he was sick with a heinous flu (he was nodding off at the wheel) i think it was more of a relief tip that i actually got home alive.

stacey · May 2005

Please don't feel guilty about tipping. Most of these yellow cab drivers are not the owners of the cab or the medallion. They usally pay a percentage of what they make to the cab owner or medallion owner (sometimes two separate people). At the end of the day, after the percentage to the owners, paying for gas, etc. they pretty much work just for the tip. A lot of these drivers are newly arrived immigrants and people supplementing another income and just want to make an honest buck. My dad used to drive a cab on the weekends to help bring in money and it was sad when he came home after 12-16 hours with maybe $40 in his pocket.

With that said - let your conscience by your guide!

anonymous · May 2005

Oh, I know, like I said my dad and grandpa were both cabbies. I was just making an attempt at humor by saying "guilt tip".

anonymous · May 2005

Subject: taxis

Did you know you can tell how experienced your cabbie is - and likely or not to need guidance - by the first two numbers on the license.

Yup.

These are all approximations:

05 - newbie - don't fall asleep. Will need to be coached in taking Eastern Pkwy to JFK.

04 - driving less than five years - rank and file of the TLC Corps

03 - probably has at least fifteen years behind the wheel - will have pre- gentrification stories and know old landmarks.

02 - very rare. Old guy. Certainly owns medallion. Can snake around anything. Probably drives one day a week. Chat him up as much as possible.

01 - perhaps none left. Retired. Owns medallion - leases. Probably seen too much.

carnivore · May 2005

Cool! Thanks for that info.
Unfortunately, I think there's a growing trend among many cabies to intentionally obscure the plexiglass in front of the license. It's often completely impossible to read the name or number, or even to see the face.

t-fal · May 2005

Carnivore wrote: Having a medallion comes with the obligation to serve all five boroughs, not just Manhattan.

Now, I usually tip very well if they take me to Brooklyn without complaints (sometimes even 20% if they're nice and they drive well, especially if they know where they're going). If they complain or give me a hard time about it though, I actually reduce their tip.

If someone wants to choose which fares they want, they should drive a livery, not a yellow cab.

my thoughts exactly! i actually tip very well by default, but that amount gets reduced with each pissy remark or refusal to follow the directions that i am giving. i let the super-jackasses figure out how to get the heck out of crown heights for themselves.

flute · June 2005

When I alone hail a cab and say I'm going to Brooklyn, the typical response is for the cab driver to shake their head and drive away, fast.

When I am with a guy, and HE hails the cab and says we are going to Brooklyn, there is never a complaint.

Read into that what you will.

dailyheights · June 2005

Try jumping into the cab and slamming the door before you give him the destination.

flute · June 2005

I did that once ... on a bitterly cold January day when I had a terrible flu and a formidable amount of books and things I needed to bring home with me.

The cab driver refused to move. He said there was traffic on the Brooklyn Bridge. I said take the Manhattan Bridge then. He said there was traffic there too. I told him he was obligated to take me to Brooklyn and that I would report him to the TLC if he didn't. He said go ahead. I said f*ck you, opened the door, slammed it shut and kicked it. And off he went.

Now it's only car services for me on trips from Manhattan to Brooklyn. With the added benefit no "guilt-tipping" required ... theoretically that is.

carnivore · June 2005

Flute-
Never tell them where you're going until you're in the cab. Don't bother with threats if they refuse to go, just refuse to get out. They will ultimately take you where you want to go. You just have to lay down the law for them. Ultimately, they have no recourse if you refuse to get out- they can't call a cop because they're breaking the law. If it comes to this, needless to say, you have no obligation to tip them. They are trying to evade their responsibility and cherry-pick only the most desireable fares- truly scummy behavior. You wouldn't find it acceptable if you went to a restaurant and the waiter refused to take your order because you were only ordering dessert.

captain m · June 2005

I always get in first and if they dont want to go to bk I ask them to head downtown and stop at a police station.

side note, Has anyone noticed that cops are everywhere in manhattan lately?

amyg · June 2005

i have definitely noticed a greater police presence/more police activity/helicopters/precautions taken lately, esp. down here in the financial district where i work.

stacey · June 2005

I work across the street from the Stock Exchange and we have police presence constantly. Im glad they are there but the guys with machine guns really freak me out.

anonymous · June 2005

They're establishing control now for when Bush doesn't want to leave office in 2008 (it's for our protection- there are "enemies" everywhere).

anonymous · June 2005

considering we are at war, and considering that 109 stockpiles of biological weaponry has gone missing in Iraq these past few months (according to UN satellite imagery), stockpiles that we probably should be watching since we're occupiers, and considering huge anti-US protests were held worldwide over the weekend, i suppose somebody thinks there may be cause for a little heightened security.

anyone notice there has not been a terror warning since Bush was re-elected? i guess they figure they don't need to keep us in a state of fear in order to manipulate the country any more, at least until 2006 elections.

pluse there was a nuclear arms control conference here in NYC last month. lots of very powerful men. including the one and only mr. john bolton...p.s. they resolved nothing by month's end. thank you mr. bolton....job well done. i am sure the UN is waiting with baited breath!

carnivore · June 2005

Anonymous wrote: considering we are at war...

The Constitution states that only Congress can declare war. The current administration's activities would more accurately be descibed as "military actions." Technically speaking, of course.

anonymous · June 2005

Carnivore wrote:

The Constitution states that only Congress can declare war. The current administration's activities would more accurately be descibed as "military actions." Technically speaking, of course.

you are right. i guess in order to be at war there has to be two armies fighting as well. i think someone should tell the media and have them stop shoving this "war" nonsense down our throat, and let us go on with our lives already. geez.
oh and maybe someone should let our men and women in iraq know we are not at war...especially the families of those who have died.

ps. congress may not have declared war but they sure are gunhoe about passing billion dollar war bills: http://www.wsws.org/articles/2003/sep2003/pent-s26.shtml

anonymous · June 2005

Subject: Re: Do you guilt tip cabbies?

Isa wrote: Whenever I actually get a cabbie to take me from Manhattan to Brooklyn I tip ridiculously high because I feel so bad. They're always like "But I just came from Brooklyn!" And I'm like "Well, I'm sure you'll get a fare on the way back". And they usually say something fatalist. And then I have them let me out on the corner instead of in front of my apartment because it's easier to make the turn back onto Flatbush. And then I give them all my money and I go home and check the traffic on the bridges on 1010 wins. I don't know if this is because I come from a long line of NYC cabbies or what. I guess this is an issue only my therapist can solve.

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Do you guilt tip cabbies?

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