Cab fare / tipping - was I in the wrong?

Hi

Just got back from 3 nights in Vegas and 2 in SF. Will post TRs and photos of the Signature at MGM Grand soon.

Just curious about something that happened. I'd better preface this by saying I'm NOT quibbling over a dollar, merely that I want to check I wasn't breaching tipping ettiquete.

Situation thus - finished a poker tournie at Aladdins at 4.30am on Sunday. Didn't fancy walking on my own that time of the night so got a cab from Aladdins over to the Signature.

Meter showed $4.95. I handed over $10 and said to him, make it $6.
Straight away he said "do you know how much I pay the taxi company?"
To which I replied "no, I'm not a taxi driver."
He then mumbled something under his breath, I asked him what he'd said, he replied, sighing, "doesn't matter".
I said "what's your point here?", he then repeated his question about how much he had to pay the cab company.
I pointed out that, no, I didn't know, but was his point? He then said "I have to pay them $4 of that fare", so I said, OK , you're saying I'm stiffing you on the tip?
He then mumbled some more and said bluntly "it doesn't matter". I sat there and pointed out that if he wanted a better tip he might want to be a little more polite about it, before exiting the cab and giving him a one finger salute.

Normally with fares of around $5 I just tip a dollar, unless the driver is especially chatty, etc.
I don't feel I'm tight with my tips, and I enjoy tipping. I don't feel that the driver handled the situation well and with hindsight I wish I'd taken the $1 tip back.

So, question being - on a $5 cab fare, is $1 unacceptable?

Cheers

I always thought that 10% was the guide for tipping a taxi, this is what I have always done, so your $1 makes it 20% which to me sounds generous.

Maybe Ive been stiffing taxi drivers too!

In most US guide books it suggests 15-20% as a tip. So your amount is about right.

-Steve

[ChuckC]

You did nothing irregular. Vegas is notorious for transients, Andy. You had the misfortune of running into one of them. 'Nuff said.

Our resident Vegas expert, Jetwet1, may wish to add some color commentary here. Dave?

Chuck-

[Decker]

Dave is en route to SFO at the moment.

I would have taken the $ back. Miserable so-and-so. His problem, not yours.

Reminds me of a similar situation in Keywest.

Her indoors was feeling a bit thirsty so we popped into a bar, sat down at a table... Table Service was very poor so she gave me $10 and I went to the bar and ordered 2 drinks.
Drinks served, I gave the barman the $10 note, he then said it was $9.75 for the 2 drinks, so I made my way back to the table to get another couple of dollars off the good lady for a tip.
Halfway there and the barman shouts "you forgot your change sir".

Well if he thought that would embarrass me then he was mistaken. I cooly walked back, took the quarter and thanked his honesty.

Needless to say that they lost two good customers.

we was in Vegas in October we also had a taxi driver moaning about how much he was paying per week for his cab and i also got stiffed for an extra $ on my fare. said to my other half about his adding extra on the fare and got a dig in the ribs for it, tight sod she called me i said it was more the matter of principle i decide the tip not him looks like its creeping in more and more

Andy

[mcmbenjamin]

The guy was a jerk. The drinker should get in a different line of work if he does not like the tips (or be nicer).

I would have asked for my $1.05 back or paid with a credit card to further anger him. Then called the cab company.

Remember it is a TIP and is not required. If you get total crap service show them. I used to get crap service at a pretty nice steakhouse here in Centreville, VA when in high school. I tipped a penny. But normally I tip 20+% for average service, mainly because I know a bunch of the servers.

Down with poor service!!!

[Scrooge]

Originally posted by sailor99
I would have taken the $ back. Miserable so-and-so. His problem, not yours.

Agreed, tipping is for good service, it is not a birth right, as a rule I tip around 15%, if the service is good I tip more, the service is bad I tip less, down to nothing.

An example of this is the cab I took at SFO, I had to load the bags, shut the boot then the cabby said 2 words the whole trip..result, $50 cab fare = $3 tip, if he had got the bags then it would of been $10.

We got some pretty bad service when eating in Republic, the "Wagamama" type restaurant in Union Square in Manhattan. The food wasnt great, but the wine was undrinkable, and when we complained, the waiter didnt care, said if we ordered the same wine again it would probably be as bad, so we switched to another wine - and were then charged more for it! (If somewhere serves me unpalatable wine then I dont expect to pay more to get something drinkable - it's not my fault that your wine is corked!)
When the bill came, it was $58.25, and we were so annoyed at the waiters attitude that we just left $60 and went to leave. He immediately stood in our way and got quite arsey with us, asking if we knew that in this country it was common place to leave a tip. We explained that yes, we knew that, and we also knew it was common place to leave a small tip for poor service. We then told him exactly what we thought had been wrong - and left with his eyes burning into our backs.
Not what you expect.
And - incidentally - Virgin promote Republic in their inflight video telling you where the good places are to head to in New York. I would NOT recommend Republic - the food was extremely below average, especially if you like Wagamama or Satsuma [in London]. And the service... well - he was cute. That was about all he had going for him. (Dare I suggest there are other professions he may find pay better per hour, and make better use of his attributes?!)