Comments on: Tipping Etiquette: How Much to Tip a Cab Driver?

By: Patrick white

Patrick white — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 20:02:50 +0000

And the cab drivers getting ” lost” No man, your getting ” hustled” because your a dick

By: Pat white

Pat white — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:45:17 +0000

I work for this small university area taxi company. We drive large vans, and offer a flat rate… 4 dollars per person, anywhere in town. I get paid well. I don’t work for tips, but I get tipped.
As long as I get paid my flat rate of four dollars I will be honest and nice. But if your a jerk or treat me as your servant, then don’t tip…. Well let’s just say every cab driver knows more than you think, and we just dropped you off at your house, so we know where to find you

By: klo

klo — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:48:43 +0000

Oh yeah! The whole reason I ended up reading these posts etc was because I had to call a cab last night to take a trip that was maybe 1.5 miles tops- I wanted to be sure that the driver didn’t lose out by driving to get me etc and I was pleased that they had a low minimum fare. The night before last I was out with a friend who had to go home earlier than expected I live in a small seasonal town that I am new to and felt safe at the bar alone. Someone ended up putting something into my drink, and I don’t remember anything (I was told I only had 2 drinks and my bank account confirms it). The bartender was worried for my safety and she called a cab for me. She explained what had happened to the cab driver and he made sure I got home safe (and helped me get my laptop and other valuables out of my car) for absolutely no charge. Without help from the bartender and the driver I have no idea what would have happened to me. Since I’m new to the town and my few friends were out of town I had no one to take me to my car last night (and still no idea how I made it home safely with my things the night before) I called the local cab company and tipped the drive 20+%- had I known he had driven me home the night before I would have given him a 200% tip because he didn’t care about cash the night before- he cared about my safety and to me is absolutely priceless. Tip well when it is deserved, and never assume that someone hasn’t gone out of their way for you!

By: klo

klo — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:10:49 +0000

Suppose you sell TVs, imagine if someone who purchased one from you had the ability to under pay you based on whether or not you jumped through hoops for them. “I can read about tvs on the internet- I don’t need that guy to tell me about it..blah blah” well that tv has a set price you get paid for, and there’s a chance you make commission off of a sale. The person needs a tv and you have one to sel- good for you. In the service industry- sure you can drive yourself/do your own dishes/set your own table…- but you’re deciding to use a service for a reason (you want to enjoy a meal without the extra work of setting the table and cleaning up or you don’t have a car to drive and the cab driver does). Order meals to go and do your own dishes or don’t take a cab if you’re not gonna tip- understand that the tip is part of the purchase and that you are lucky to have the luxury to “negotiate” the price of it without even negotiating- think of all of us out there that don’t think the tv (whatever) is worth the fixed price we are charged. I get so sick at the people who fuss about tipping saying that they shouldn’t pay someone who is just doing their job- you get to pay less for a meal because a server makes like 0 $s an hour- if they factored salary into the meal price so the server made standard minimum wage your bill would definitely be higher and I imagine that your quality of service would decrease (why bring out bells and whistles when it’s all the same in the end?) Tip the accepted minimum for any service- unless the treatment is exceptionally good or bad- then use your privilege of tipping as that customer service survey and send the love to a great experience and tip a poor one as little as you would like.

By: Tyler Stone

Tyler Stone — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 21:33:31 +0000

I just recently started driving a cab, and thoroughly love it. I lease my cab by the week, and pay for gas, everything above that is all mine (after taxes, of course).
I don’t know how you all are gonna act, when it comes time to pay, so I try to treat everyone with respect, and friendliness!! 15-20% is more than fair, and appreciated, less than that will probably be made up for by the next guy, so it’s not worth it for me to get all worked up over it! I don’t feel like I am “entitled” to a tip, but if I do a good job, and get you to your destination in a timely manner, and SAFELY,I don’t think it’s wrong to expect a tip.
Besides loving to drive, and getting to know this beautiful city that I live in, I thoroughly enjoy the people that I get to meet!, and prefer the “chatty” ones. At the end of the day, it’s the “friendliness” that I get in return, that makes it all worth it!!!

p.s. I’ve also got close to 15 yrs of experience, in the food service industry (all back of the house). A good server deserves at the very least 20%.

By: Earrl

Earrl — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 11:13:09 +0000

I am cab driver. In my jurisdiction I am not an employee of the cab company. I lease the cab from the cab company and make money from fares. My daily pay is the fares + tips – gas – rent. Although tips are not required, days when I do not get decent tips makes my day a lot longer.

By: Geo

Geo — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 17:56:28 +0000

So, I talked to my cabbies last night. In my case the cabbie said that he works for the company and doesn’t just lease the cab. They get half of what ever the fair is and split the cost of gas. So, if you want a better way to look at it, think of it as a service per hour ordeal. They told me that for $20 you can use (in town) a cab for an hour to run errands and be driven around… so that would be $10 an hour for the cab driver (minus the gas cost) which is few dollars better than min wage. If you have a 15 min drive across town that cost $12 (which is about what I pay) that is ~$6/15 min = $24 an hour equivalent for the driver.

Now, they did have to get to you, and will have to go somewhere else to pick up another client, so I guess that would eat into how much money they make per hour, if the cab drivers don’t get many calls in a night or they aren’t primary driver (only called in when other cabs are occupied)then you might help the guy out and finally point of thought: I don’t live in a congested city, so if it takes you an hour go get across town than $6/hr kind of sucks.

By: slava

slava — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 02:08:07 +0000

I don’t get it why we are obliged to tip anyone. I mean, first off, if there is a law of minimum wage why the government or any particular owner of a barber’s shop, a restaurant or a cap service owner should break that law. I mean, finally it’s us who has to fill the financial gap stolen by mister know-all. In China, Japan fuck probably the whole Asia there’s no tipping. Again, it has nothing to do with being greedy. Not everyone has a decent wage, it’s about fighting for our rights because somebody is stealing money from your pockets.

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 20:41:31 +0000

i’m a cabbie myself. 75% of fares don’t tip at all. even if the fair is 19.55, they will reluctantly give you a $20, but I don’t carry coins. 20% is more than enough.

By: melody

melody — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:42:18 +0000

Alert!!!!!!!!!. If you dont tip, it actually cost your server, cab driver, money. In most cases there is a tax, or huge upfront fees. The sales of service people are taxed. I’m a bartender, and I ” tip out” (portion out) based on sales. If a patron doesnt tip, I litterally pay to serve them. I had 40 people come to the bar yesterday and all orders food, no one tipped,….. Thoes2 hours. Cost me 40$

By: frank

frank — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:33:39 +0000

that’s exactly how I would prefer it Sith Lord. there would be no confusion, expectations, or disappointments whereever I might be.

bring food, don’t bring food, i get the food, i get the menu, go to the bar for drinks, waiter is on a ciggy break, so be it. it’ll be like my old home in spain. very relaxed with health coverage for everyone.

By: Sith Lord

Sith Lord — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:47:48 +0000

For those that do not believe in tipping and say that restaurants and cab companies should pay better, You’ll still be paying the same when the businesses raise their prices to the consumer to pay their help. If this works for you, the service people will not mind who is paying them. Just remember that the incentive to give good servic is no longer there.(Not from everyone. Many are professional).

By: Sith Lord

Sith Lord — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 15:31:03 +0000

For the person who commented “What are they doing special? I can drive, I can serve my own food “.If you don’t believe in tipping, drive and serve yourself! Most servers make under minimum wage(I do not know this for a fact but I bet that you make more than the minimum) and are taxed on their tips whether they get tipped or not. 15%-20% is standard. Don’t be cheap. Tip those that serve you.

By: Tina

Tina — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:55:11 +0000

I just took a cab ride last night in NYC and from now on I’m just going to take some one dollar bills with me when I go in to the city. The cab ride was 10 when ask for change for a twenty the cab driver gave me two fives and I felt like I was being forced to over tip because he didn’t hand me back any one’s.

By: Corey

Corey — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 09:27:25 +0000

I’ve waited tables for years and have recently started working as a cabbie. Most people are great, they are happy to exchange small talk and tip rather well. For all of you who watched Resevior Dogs and buy into the argument that tipping is foolish please reconsider. Cab drivers work long hours and the job is extremely dangerous. Few of you will have to transport folks who are blind drunk, acting badly to impress a date or will insist on backseat navigating then refuse to pay when they choose the long way. Tonight I was working arrivals at LAX and an obviously well off gent offered me $60 to go 34 miles. Threatened to “take my job” when I mapped it for him and it was $100 without adding gratuity. I provide the service and knowledge I gained from chauffeuring and generally make out just fine. If you choose not to tip that is your right, however asking for my card or personal number for future trips may get a laugh outta me.

By: ExtremePhobia

ExtremePhobia — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 15:11:48 +0000

I don’t see what the big fuss is about. The more I read this article, the more I like my tipping method. I don’t actually tip based on how much the fare is at all (the meter here is done by the mile). I do it by time.

I double my ride time (I assume he started at my house before picking me up at work to bring me home) and multiply it by an hourly wage. If they gave me adequate service, I assume minimum wage and for good service, I assume what my hourly pay is. SO:

For a cab ride home, which is usually 15 minutes (I use actual ride time so I account for traffic provided it’s not an unusual route home), I assume 30 minutes. So I do 0.5 hours x (whichever wage marker, minimum is $7.4 here so I’ll use that) = $3.7 rounded. This means that while taking me where I was going, he was making minimum wage, regardless of other factors.

HOWEVER! I don’t think tipping should be the norm. I make an effort to type well because I understand that how I think things should be is not how they should be and usually (in restaurants for instance) I aim for 18% as a baseline unless the server was particularly bad (usually have to be rude or ignore me for me to go under 18%). But tipping should be a reward, not normal.

As laws go here, a server is required to make minimum wage so that an employer must make up the difference between minimum wage and tips if tips aren’t enough but also must pay $2.65 an hour no matter what. In other words if tips account for $4 an hour, the employer must pay $3.4 an hour but if the server makes $7.4 or more per hour in tips, the employer must still pay at least $2.65 an hour.

I think they should be making $7.4 an hour from their employer. They ARE providing a rather vital function for the restaurant. The tip should be extra based on performance. Besides, why should I be paying the server extra because I got prime rib instead of a burger?

Further more… Particularly for all of you bitching about being considerate of the person who’s serving you. WHY SHOULD I BE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT YOU MAKE? If your previous fare didn’t tip you at all, should I then be making up for their poor tip? NO! You certainly wouldn’t expect that. But you expect me to be responsible for you not being paid properly by your employer? How is THAT my responsibility? And mind you, by so much as uttering what the costs of upkeep are for the service, you essentially ARE attaching the responsibility to me.

I will continue to tip because I don’t like how service people are treated. But keep in mind that I shouldn’t have to. How much you get paid is YOUR battle, not mine. YOU need to get organized and YOU need to demand better pay. I won’t tip for adequate service then but I’ll certainly tip for good service. And I think most people would fall into that category. So what have you got to lose by doing something about it? Think about it before you answer because you might not necessarily like the answer (and I’m referring to all of you that have the gall to post about not being tipped enough, not the 98% of people who are too busy trying to get by to post).

By: vince nathan

vince nathan — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:51:55 +0000

Why can’t cab companies and restaurants pay the right living wages to their workers so their workers don’t have to rely on tips to make both ends meet. If tips are expected for cab drivers, why don’t we give tips to bus drivers, ambulance drivers, ambulette drivers and the rest of the working class who does their job day in and day out without expecting any “service charge”. These cab drivers should vent their ire on their employers and not to the riding public who like the most of us are just minimum wage earners.

By: vince nathan

vince nathan — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 15:37:30 +0000

Why can’t employers provide minimum wage for all workers so that some workers don’t have to rely on tips to make both ends meet. Is it the fault of consumers if restaurants or cab companies fail to provide the right living wage for their employees? I am also a worker and I work more than 12 hours a day and I never expected tip from the people I serve everday. If tips are expected for cab drivers, why don’t we give tips also to bus drivers, ambulance drivers,and the rest of working class who does their job day in and day out without expecting in return?

By: Glenn

Glenn — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 11:22:50 +0000

Erica, if you’re only getting $150 in fares in 12 hours, you’re NOT working. No wonder you’re crying for tips.

By: michele

michele — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 01:13:58 +0000

We just got a cab for a very short distance ( due to some health problems) it cost us 13.00 and my husband gave the driver 20.00. We got into a fight later, as I don’t believe it would be fair to me to work hard to save a little and he give it away easily. I say, it is not my fault if a taxi driver gets paid little. I worked several years for a bank and received somewhere between 17 to 30 K a year, and a raised a child on that. No one came forward to hand me a tip of any kind. Why should i go around and tip everyone. Taxi companies should get penalized for paying less than minimum wage, or taxi drivers should try a different job.

By: Erica

Erica — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 06:09:49 +0000

I am a can driver and the way things work at my company is that at the end of our 12 hour shift, we add up all of our fares, subtract what we put in the gas tank and then 40% of that is ours. So say I made $150 on my sheet and $50 in gas. That leaves me with $40 in my pocket after a 12 hour shift. Thats a little more than $3 an hour. Just like waitresses, we primarily work for commission and tips. I don’t expect a tip but yes, it is greatly appreciated. Those of u that say that u can drive yourself and make ur own food, don’t eat out or get in a cab. We’re doing u a service because u don’t drive or don’t feel like cooking. We’re all trying to make it in this world, not just u.

By: M

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:03:19 +0000

I’d like to know the answer to this question too. Think it’s pretty crazy we’ve made 20% the standard for tipping, seems to me it’s out of control.

That being said, it’s important to be fair. From what I understand about cab drivers, what they earn isn’t the same across the board, it really depends on.

1: Where they work. Different rules and regulations.
2: Area they work. Some areas have constant fares easy to get a new customer after dropping one off.
3: Who they work for.

#3 Is probably the most important factor. I wasn’t aware but not all cab drivers work for their companies under the same agreement. It really depends on their situation. For example: If you’re starting out, the company provides everything to to cab driver, but will also charge the cab driver for all of these things. I mean the car, maintenance, ect…

Cabbies at least in my area can either choose to “lease” buy the car from their company or they can just use the company provided car. This is a business decision. Those that lease can eventually own their own cars and therefore keep more of the money they earn. They can go as far as maintaining their own car and save on that cost. Finally, cabbies can go independent and just use the companies logo. These guys make the most but also have to take on all the responsibilities of owning the cab…

This being the case, a passenger can’t really take all of these factors into consideration, they have to decide what’s a fair tip.

There should be some sort of reasonable standard.

Mike

By: dean

dean — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 22:53:40 +0000

Shabs, where are you working? I get 32% the meter, minus $16/day, minus gas. Maybe you’re a cheap customer rather than a driver?

By: Shabs

Shabs — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 16:26:04 +0000

I am a cab driver and no tipping is not required period, I make everything on the meter regardless of the expenses. If I want tips I should work for them. Also most cab drivers make well over 40k a year let’s stop bitching. Taking the long way is one of the stupid ways to make money, you assume that dropping them off sooner would not result in another quick fare nearby. But delaying the trip you are probably missing fares that are waiting.

By: bill

bill — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 14:38:28 +0000

While waiters and bartenders can make out well on 20 percent tips, keep in mind that they’re taking care of multiple patrons at once. Tip your cabbie way more because he’s taking care of YOUR ass and your ass only at the time. Likely he leases is cab for over $100 a day, pays for his own gas, etc. If you can’t afford a decent tip, you can’t afford the fare.

By: robin

robin — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:49:35 +0000

People, do you know how cheap is yellow cap in the city? why is it cheap? it comes from 70% of cabbies work over 84 hours a week. what’s their hourly rate? its below minimum wage. They take home, if they are lucky $100 per day. After all agravation and abusive customers. The cheaper the fair, the cheaper the cabbie in customers eye.. so the nicer cabbie get ripped off specially by young group of guys.. who cut corners for their fantasy rides.. to impress their girl friends

By: Ken

Ken — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 16:41:17 +0000

I agree, I have seen four guys get on cab and from midtown to downtown for fare of $8.50. Insult the cabbie and tip $.50. what happens here with these guys cab is cheaper than bus or train ride, get to the destination faster. On the otherside, cabbie pays $4 and over for gas on top of all other expense and mistreated by customer and public..isn’t it modern time slavery?

By: Lori

Lori — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 19:48:44 +0000

Wow, Fred. Actually, you are NOT already paying for the service. Unlike in Europe, service is NOT included in your restaurant bill. I was a waitress for many years, and we got paid $2.75/hour, well under minimum wage (and I was also taxed on that tiny income). Almost all waitress get paid well under minimum wage–legally. Tips are not just “gravy” but a very real and necessary payment for a very stressful job. And if you are not open to understanding, respecting, and honoring that, perhaps you should not eat out or use a cab.

By: Fred

Fred — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 12:13:46 +0000

Tipping for for service provided above and beyond just doing your job. I am paying for service or trip already, I dont need to pay on top of that. If you choose a job where you work for tips only, maybe you need to find a different line of business. it is not my job to pay you paycheck. in general I am a very big tipper for attentive service. but if the service stinks I will give you nothing.

By: John

John — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 21:44:01 +0000

I do tip most of the time and tip pretty well if service is good, but I get offended by people who think just doing their job correctly deserve a big tip, or even any tip at all. It is not our fault that cab drivers or waiters/waitresses get paid little or nothing, and I don’t think we should be “expected” to compensate.

In responding to those who argues they “get us to our locations safely”, I just want to roll my eyes and say, that’s what you are expected to do. Do people tip airline pilots? no. Do people tip bus drivers? no. Tipping is something extra that should be dependent on the rider, not something that is expected just because your boss don’t pay you well. Cab driver should appreciate tippers, but shouldn’t get all offended when people don’t tip or tip little.

I can’t remember how many times I’ve eaten at restaurants where I wait an eternity for my food and don’t get my drinks refilled and I’m still expected to pay that 15%~20%. Yes, if my hostess is attentive and service is fast, I will tip big, but I think it should go both ways. If my food is crappy and my service is lousy, I believe the restaurant should pay me back for my wasted time and bad stomach.

This is why I like Asian countries more, because they don’t believe in tips, be it cabs or restaurants or w/e. If they want tips, they added to the pre-negotiated price, if I think it’s too much, then I take my business else where. People in western countries expect tips for mediocre service or jobs that they averagely perform, that’s complete bullsh*t. Yes, I know cab drivers (or even waiters and pizza delivery people) get that short end of the deal, but tipping should depend on the service provided and the client who is paying, not something that you act like you deserve if all you do is drive me from location A to location B safely.

I believe in tipping. Because I know how little you would get paid if otherwise. But I don’t like the attitudes of most of these “service” individuals who act like just doing their job is a godsend for us and we should pay accordingly. If you go out of your way to pick up someone or if the client requests extra needs (long distance or they are drunk, for example), then tip is indeed in seesion. But if you just drive me like any other trip, why should I pay you a nice tip? for the conversation that I don’t need? for the door you never opened or luggage that you didn’t help me with? Something to think about!

By: Aaaaa

Aaaaa — Wed, 18 May 2011 00:42:34 +0000

If you want more money then just add those 15% to the rate ans stop playing your stupid games with tips. It looks so stupid to anyone who is not an American.

I never pay tips and I always enjoy looking at dumb faces of drivers/waiters when they are realizing that no tips will be given. It\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’s so funny.

By: Sage

Sage — Mon, 16 May 2011 06:50:03 +0000

I have to roll my eyes at the people who are complaining about having to tip on something they can do themselves… then do it. If you don’t want to tip a server, then get take out and you won’t have to. If you don’t want to tip a cabbie, take a freakin bus. And for those who think tips are undeserved “extra” cash, don’t worry, the governement more than compensates for tips by taking out just as much money of servers paychecks as you loose in yours. In the end it relatively evens out (depending on the quality of the business in the first place).

If the service (whatever kind it is) was found lacking, tip accordingly. But if the service was good and you screw the person, they will likely remember. And see how much you enjoy it when the server doesn’t make the effort to get your drink and food within a certain time, or doesn’t bother get that side of mustard you want. Speaking as any person in the customer service industry, we hate interacting with people who are so inconsiderate (Most people on this thread have been perfectly nice, so please don’t get offended. Having an opinion is fine, being an ass about it isn’t)

Too many comments seem like people being bitter and cheap. Nothing like looking at one of these threads to remember how self absorbed people are

By: Shea

Shea — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:02:21 +0000

A tip is a tip. Heres how it works:
15% for Good Service
20% for Excellent Service
Whatever you want for bad service.
Tips are for encouraging good service. Pay them wisely. If someone has treated you outstandingly reward them, if not, dont.

By: Joe

Joe — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 11:51:37 +0000

I am in cabs every week and am not opposed to tipping on services like this. I just believe the tip should be based on the service and if cab drivers want to get their tips up, they should start treating their fares better. Stop talking on the phone the entire trip – folks expect to arrive at their destinations safely and expect you to pay attention to the road. Stop lying to passengers about your inability to take credit cards or how much change you have to break a 5,10 or 20 dollar bill. Start treating people with respect and you will get it back in return. I have given as much as a 100% tip on short fares and 50% on longer ones but only if I am treated with the same respect I provide the driver. It is funny how a lousy cab driver can expect a great trip when they treat you as badly as they do.

By: frank

frank — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 07:11:42 +0000

whoooaaa. let’s be honest here. it’s not clear what cabbies or servers make in what restaurant or city and how much is the cost of living/taxes in this city. Tipping is tough and of course not always 15% across the board. This information should be supplied somehow and more readily available. personally, i would prefer the server and cab driver to be given a decent salary so we don’t have to compete with each other and i know what to expect before i sit down. the owners probably could fork over some of their salary if it’s possible. i also don’t expect a hard time to be given to the server or customer who can’t cover more than 10-15%. the customers’ salaries have a large range as well. And we can’t tell someone to just stay home…in that case the cabbie and server should get the low-income apartment and stay home with us. We all are fighting for a bit of leisure and a good time.

By: Pete

Pete — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:37:48 +0000

It’s easy to see that people have strong opinions on the subject of tipping. I drive in Detroit and I don’t expect tips but appreciate the few that I get. As others have stated, I start off about $90 in the hole each night. I also have at least one fare a week that jumps and runs. I made up my mind at the start that I’m not going to get killed over these, I just let them go.

Just like the rest of society, you have ignorant customers that think they can do or say anything, you also have customers that are pleasant and at least don’t treat you like scum.

And for Scott, sorry you have to be bothered by listening to “sob stories” (as I’m sure you have never complained about your job), but the answer is that there is no set amount. I think most cabbies would be happy at 15% but that’s just my opinion.

By: scott

scott — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 20:43:01 +0000

Would somebody answer the original question? What’s an acceptable tip for a Cab Ride? We all know the minimum is 15% in restaurants. So how much for a cab? Spare us all your sob stories, and tell us what to pay you!

By: Tom Goodwin

Tom Goodwin — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 20:59:48 +0000

I had a short cab ride from Boston Logan to the seaport the other evening. Yes its a short ride. The fare was $13 and the tolls were $7.50 or at leastb thats what the receipt said. I tipped 15% on the total, or $3.10 because that’s what I usually do. I had no bag to lift just a carry on in the seat. The cabbie whined to me that it was a short trip and he had to get into a cab line somewhere to get another fare. WTF? I tipped him on the fare alone about 24%. Expecting a tip on the tolls is a rip-off.

By: Traveler

Traveler — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 18:12:05 +0000

So, my last trip from LAX to JFK cost me 150.00 one way. This is about 2,300 miles. My cab from JFK into the city cost me $75.00 this is about 25 miles. When you put it into perspective mayne you can see where the travelers are when they tip 10%. The fares are not cheap, but it shouldn’t fall on the patrons to cover for the fact that the city is hosing you in taxes and fees.
Please, I implore you take a stand against the real crooks here. The city, taxi comission & the the liscense brokers that skim off the medalian rates.

By: MustangSally

MustangSally — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 15:28:50 +0000

I can’t resist commenting on this. Recently I had to fly out of Pearson in Toronto with two heavy suitcases, a guitar case and a carry on camera bag and my purse. As I looked around contemplating the best way to get all my stuff into the terminal a “Red Cap” approached and said in a very good natured manner that it looked like I could use a hand. Immediately I liked this guy. He loaded all my stuff onto his cart and commented escorted me to check in with the airline, then (and this is what I call above and beyond) loaded my two heavy suitcased on the scales one at a time, waited while my check-in was complete then continued to escort me to the fragile section to get my guitar checked in. That wasn’t the end of it, he took me as far as he could before I had to go through security then politely wished me a good flight. I didn’t give him the $5 tip; instead I gave him a $20 bill. He knew his job and performed it well and, in my opinion, deserved no less. Had he simply taken me to check in and left me there to load my heavy suitcases I would have given him the $5 tip which in itself isn’t bad for 10 minutes of his time but he had no way of knowing I was going to put the $5 back in my pocket and give him a $20 yet he still went the extra distance and I appreciated it. In my opinion, that’s what tipping is . . . reward for service rendered above and beyond what is expected. And when I say above and beyond it may only mean a pleasant demeanour and a little compassion. Both go a very long way in my book!

By: Jim M.

Jim M. — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 22:58:28 +0000

Thereâ€™s a big difference between tipping a server and tipping a cab driver. A cab driverâ€™s objectives are generally the same as the customerâ€™s, i.e. get to the destination as quickly and safely as possible. I canâ€™t understand how a cab driver could possibly go above and beyond the call of duty, and thus donâ€™t understand what I could possibly be tipping him for. Sure, he could meander all over town to run up the meter (he could only do this with an out-of-towner, and heâ€™s probably better served by looking for another rider), or refuse to pull my bags out of the cab if Iâ€™m travelling (as an able-bodied individual, Iâ€™m quite happy to do this myself). Then again, maybe Iâ€™m paying for the grand luxury of not being driven into a back alley, being stabbed to death, and having my wallet stolen ïŠ

And for all you cabbies complaining about drunk riders, face it: if it werenâ€™t for all the people who go out to drink every weekend, you wouldnâ€™t have a job.

By: Billy

Billy — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 23:02:01 +0000

I personally respect the cops. Neil is not an idiot but apparently you are, Tony. and cheap 2.
In the “civilized countries” (LIKE GERMANY) lives civilized people(UNLIKE TONY), the workers get paid respectable wages to cover the tip.
the US system gives you the choice to tip or not to push for a better service, if you don’t tip u don’t get a good service with courtesy and respect (THAT YOU DON’T DESERVE ANYWAY).

By: Tony

Tony — Sun, 28 Nov 2010 23:32:50 +0000

Neil, you are an idiot. A blue collared retired cop would defend cabbies. Your analysis of “what could happen” is a little dramatic. All of those muggers, rapists, and hooligans on the street should not be there if you and your colleagues did your job!! Instead of loitering at dunkin donuts or harrassing law-abiding citizens with stupid infractions just to feel important and powerful because you are a washed-out bully from high school, you should focus your attention on the real crime in NYC. To pay $20-40 for a 10-20 minute cab ride is CRIMINAL and preposterous. And a tip is required too?? I travel extensively around the world. Especially civilized countries like Germany, Switzerland, and Japan. Guess what? The waiters, barternders, and cabdrivers DONOT expect tips there..

By: Neil

Neil — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 01:02:58 +0000

I use NYC Cab’s, in respect to the (tip), most of the locals are farmiliar with the rates but tourists and people not from the area aren’t always aware of the tipping attitudes and come into town with many different attitudes about the amount and practice itself. 15 to 20 percent is acceptable in this area. I am a retired Cop, and know the pitfalls of traveling around the NY Metro Area with your head up your ass. Remember, no matter what your attitude is about tipping in general,unlike Restaurant and other forms of gratuitity, with the Cab, you are getting Door to Door service, you don’t have to walk up and down the windy Canyons dodging who knows what that might be lerking, drunks, muggers, pick-pockets and others given the opportunity, would assault you. Again you don’t have to walk or ride on a slow wandering Bus. Or with your own vehicle, navigate crowded streets dodging out of control drivers and delivery trucks. Are there poorly mannered Cabbies? sure, but the overwhelming majority are polite and just trying to earn a living. So really think about it, it’s really not such a bad deal, so don’t be afraid to throw the guy a little extra, they have a unique job.

By: cilla

cilla — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 03:04:26 +0000

I never take cabs at home so when I went to NYC to visit my sister, she said take a cab from the airport, it’s a flat rate $45. I thought flat rate meant no tip, tip included or something. When I got to the cab stand the ‘manager’ not the driver hailed the cab and loaded my stuff and gave the address. After an hour and a half ride where I struck up a little conversation but he didn’t wanna talk, no big deal, we got there, he popped the trunk and the doorman grabbed the luggage. I gave him $50. Right away my sis ran up and I jumped out and we hugged and the cab drove off. In retrospect I realize that as I jumped from the cab he held out the money and said ‘hey’ in an annoyed voice, then realized he must’ve felt that was not enough. Guess I’ll leave more next time. It was still a little over 10%….

By: Jacob

Jacob — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 00:27:26 +0000

I’m from NZ. I’m going to LA in December so i thought i should first check up before i go.

Can anyone advise me on things i should take note of or watch out for if i need to take a cab from place to place? Do i tip for every pre-arranged transport?

Now that i know about tipping. I will definitely give more than what the meter shows. Hopefully, cab driver wont be too calculative on what should be the exact 15% on top. However, i prefer whole number, say 15, i may give 20, or if less than 10, i may just give 10. I hate coins.

By: averypaige

averypaige — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 02:50:48 +0000

I stumbled upon this site looking to see how much I should tip my taxi driver. Tomorrow morning I am taking my son to the doctor and am also taking a taxi for the first time and I didn’t want to feel like an idiot getting into the car. The rates and such are posted on the site and I decided after reading about awful tippers and working INSANE hours and going home in the hole.. i’m probably going to tip something like 50 percent. Sorry you guys have to put up with crap, without you people like me would be walking our butts miles down the road carrying our babies in their carseats. I just thought I would say that I appreciate all that you do and I am going to tip generously tomorrow =)

By: Taxi Cab Man

Taxi Cab Man — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 00:21:29 +0000

@Karla i don’t drive in new york city, but here in my town the fare from downtown to the airport is approximately $31 on the meter. customers will give me anywhere from $33 to $40 for this fare, with the bulk falling in the $34-$38 range. i provide the same great service to everyone, but anyone giving me less than $35 on this trip will have earned some curses under my breath when they are out of hearing range.

there is no hard and fast rule on tipping a cab driver, but drivers have an overall general sense of what is acceptable and what is an insult. i give the above as an example.

By: Karla

Karla — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:45:57 +0000

I grew up in a small town without cabs and am trying to find the appropriate amount to tip when I visit NYC. I guess to some extent I would consider myself ignorant of the cab tipping knowledge, but I feel better prepared now. For those of you in the service industry, I appreciate what you do’ and if you do it kindly, I appreciate that even more.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:39:34 +0000

I couldn’t agree more. By the way, I’m an RN in an ICU. I don’t get tips for cleaning up vomit, blood, etc, and having patients complain while I’m doing it. What cab drivers put up with is nothing comred to my job. I paid more for a 20 minute cab ride yesterday than I make in 2 hours, and that was before I figured in the tip.