world's most expensive cities

[The AD]

I'd like to drive one of those into Kruger National Park and cremate baboons.

The little bastards deserve it with their red asses and all.

[iceman]

Mrs. Roo- You'll probably only need to tip Bellmen (is that term the same in England?), taxi drivers, waiters and bartenders and perhaps valet parkers.

Valet parkers - a couple of bucks.

Bellmen - $1-$2 per bag. If I just had one big bag but the guy was pleasant and informative I'd probably give him a five-spot. Or at least three or four bucks.

Taxi drivers and the rest 20% is pretty standard for decent service these days. More for exceptional, 15% for acceptable, 10% for pretty crappy, stiff 'em for really bad.

Percentages for low-cost items are usually higher. If you just have a cup of coffee for two dollars, you'd probably tip a dollar. A three-dollar cab ride would probably get a two-dollar tip from me.

Food coming out slowly from the kitchen should not count against the waiter but food reaching the table cold or dried out from sitting under a heat lamp forever should.

[The AD]

A three-dollar cab ride would probably get a two-dollar tip from me.

A $3 cab ride means you should have gotten off your lazy ass and walked

[AKA]

Tipping is for mugs

Seriously, though. I went a bit overboard with the tipping in Canada through sheer guilt!

Actually, could someone give me a run down of US tipping etiquette so I don't mess up next month. Who do I tip and how much? I think it's a paper money thing. As our lowest note is £5 (10 bucks-ish) I think it pains an Englishmen to tip with paper money.

for a meal: 20% for good service, 15% for ok service, 10% for lousy service.

at a bar: a couple of bucks every other round seems good.
taxi: a few $$$

maid: I usually sleep on peoples couches so I don't really know.

if you're gambling you damn well better tip the dealer 1$ every 2-3 hands if you're winning (brits are the worst at this one)

In my time waiting tables and dealing cards in Tahoe I can tell you that nothing makes us want to shoot some limeys more than when ya'll are super pleasant and good conversation and the only tip we get is "cheers mate" as you saunter out the door. Your company isn't why we came to work.

[iceman]

A $3 cab ride means you should have gotten off your lazy ass and walked

heh, can't argue with the truth.

[AKA]

Taxi drivers and the rest 20% is pretty standard for decent service these days. More for exceptional, 15% for acceptable, 10% for pretty crappy, stiff 'em for really bad.

.

I know Taxi drivers who would love you and also laugh at you a little. 20% is alot from what I understand.

everything on the meter is there's after taxes.

[iceman]

I know Taxi drivers who would love you and also laugh at you a little. 20% is alot from what I understand.

Yeah I think most people just give 'em a couple bucks but if the guy is pleasant and does a good job I don't mind paying for it.

[AKA]

Yeah I think most people just give 'em a couple bucks but if the guy is pleasant and does a good job I don't mind paying for it.

I like it, I like it alot.

[Stu Gotz]

heh, can't argue with the truth.

"How far you going?"
"Down to the end of the fence."
"Hop in."

[AKA]

"How far you going?"
"Down to the end of the fence."
"Hop in."

I had someone ask where they could get a cab to go to "the other casinos" the other night. I explained to them that the 4 major clubs were all on the same block, he still wanted the taxi.

he wasn't a lightweight, though.

[iceman]

I like it, I like it alot.

I lived on tips for ten years, I'm a little heavy-handed now but I know what it's like.

[powder11]

Tipping is for mugs

Seriously, though. I went a bit overboard with the tipping in Canada through sheer guilt!

Actually, could someone give me a run down of US tipping etiquette so I don't mess up next month. Who do I tip and how much? I think it's a paper money thing. As our lowest note is £5 (10 bucks-ish) I think it pains an Englishmen to tip with paper money.

Englishmen dont like parting with money period

Canada isn't as much since service industry people make a decent hourly wage compared to the US, so Id say no more than 15% in Canada for anything.

The US standard is 20% for good service because most service industry people only make a few bucks an hour from the employer and rely on tips to eat. Tipping the baggage handler curbside can actually save you lots of time waiting in line to check your luggage inside the terminal. Its a good idea to keep a wad of dollar bills handy for tipping when your in and out of cabs/hotels/airports so that you don't get stuck over tipping or stiffing if all you have are big bills.

[Tippster]

I lived on tips for ten years, I'm a little heavy-handed now but I know what it's like.

Ain't that the truth. I still have a paycheck stub that said -$65.00. I made too much money according to the 8% of sales rule for my $2.01 an hour.

Yes, I had to pay my employer to work there that pay period according to the IRS...

And AKA - cabbies only make all of the meter if they own the taxi. Many do not. We have this archaic system here in DC where they go by zones." Depending on where you're going vis-a-vis where you started it could be one zone or three fro the same distance. Congress forces this system to stay in place so they can go from Cap. Hill to the State dept. and still be in the same zone... that's nearly 3 miles for $5. Try that in Manhattan.

[jbach]

Tipping is for mugs

Seriously, though. I went a bit overboard with the tipping in Canada through sheer guilt!

Actually, could someone give me a run down of US tipping etiquette so I don't mess up next month. Who do I tip and how much? I think it's a paper money thing. As our lowest note is £5 (10 bucks-ish) I think it pains an Englishmen to tip with paper money.

Keep in mind that some resorts (I know Snowbird does) add a 15% tip to your bill if you eat there, so depending on the service, you could give a little more but don't have to.

[Benny Profane]

I lived on tips for ten years, I'm a little heavy-handed now but I know what it's like.

Yeah, me too, as a NYC cabbie. Just remember those bad tips when the slush puddles form next winter or it gets real cold on a Saturday night and the dude is heading back to the garage with a full pocket smiling at your freezing ass.

[cj001f]

If it were municipalities it'd change a lot of things... also wondering what they define as the city. If they broke Manhatten out it would definitely change a lot of things.

Not that much - compared to the coasts Boulder isn't as expensive.

[Hayduke]

10% for lousy service.

I can't get my head around that. Paying someone extra when they've pissed me off just doesn't seem right.

[yogachik]

I just want to correct that thinking, above, that says a "couple of bucks every other round of drinks". No way jose. It's a dollar or two per drink, everytime.

Especially if you want the bartender to give you a decent drink the next round.

[Tippster]

I just want to correct that thinking, above, that says a "couple of bucks every other round of drinks". No way jose. It's a dollar or two per drink, everytime.

Especially if you want the bartender to give you a decent drink the next round.

The smart drinker starts a tab. Every time.

[AKA]

I just want to correct that thinking, above, that says a "couple of bucks every other round of drinks". No way jose. It's a dollar or two per drink, everytime.

Especially if you want the bartender to give you a decent drink the next round.

Im sorry but that is nuts to me, I have waited tables in quite a few spots and we worked our asses off for 150-200 a night while the bartenders (who I had to tip out) would routinely make 2-3x what I would. Screw bartenders, just a little bit but screw'em nonetheless.



Oh and Tipp Im going on info from tahoe, sanfran, and philly cabbies who explained it to me that they rented the cab for the week for a set price, everything on the meter was their's. The rent was about $500 a week which sounds steep to me till you find out that they are clearing over $1500 many weeks. (alot of money to a chump like me)

[Danno]

I just want to correct that thinking, above, that says a "couple of bucks every other round of drinks". No way jose. It's a dollar or two per drink, everytime.

Especially if you want the bartender to give you a decent drink the next round.

All of the barkeeps round here would fucking love me if I tipped that much! I'm sorry, but if a drink costs $4-5, there's no way I'm giving the guy a $2 tip for every drink, and I don't know any bartenders that would expect that. Maybe drinks round your way cost double digits, in which case a $1-2 tip per drink seems more reasonable, but that's crazy. And what if it's a beer? You really think $2 is an appropriate tip for opening a bottle, or pouring into a glass?

But yes, as someone stated, always open a tab.

[Tippster]

By "clearing" you mean after paying the $500 and taxes? That was my point, actually. Here they have the same deal - if they make ~$1500 a week they pay $500 to the cab owner AFTER they have to pay taxes (~40%, or $600) leaving them with $400 for a week's work - not much.

[AKA]

By "clearing" you mean after paying the $500 and taxes? That was my point, actually. Here they have the same deal - if they make ~$1500 a week they pay $500 to the cab owner AFTER they have to pay taxes (~40%, or $600) leaving them with $400 for a week's work - not much.

not what I mean, guys here routinely take home 2k in the summer. Take Home.

Thats summer, its obviously not that good all year but i know they do very well.

[IslandSnow]

What tipp said.

If you think there is any chance that your going to have more than 1 drink, always, always start a tab. That way you can just tip whatever you think is right when your ready to go.

[Brocktoon]

The smart drinker starts a tab. Every time.

The most recent issue of SmartMoney has a piece that comes to the opposite conclusion. Apparently, the average "error" rate on tabs is awfully high. A lot of drinks that are ostensibly "on the house" end up on one tab or another. Apart from free money feeling it creates (I've never paid cash for a $250 bar tab - I've done it with credit more times than I care to or can remember).

So, depending on what you mean by smart, the folks at DowJones would have us believe that the tab is a move that's penny wise, pound foolish.