I stopped tipping taxi drivers.

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

For a journey that regularly cost £3.10 I would pay £5.00. Then one day I was charged £4.90 for the same journey and decided this guy didn’t deserve a tip. So being way over charged I actually saved 10p.

Ever since then I haven’t tipped, or only tipped if it saved having to find the exact amount (which isn’t often because the drivers often round down) Even if it’s different drivers. I think the £4.90 ride was the STBTCB. I decided it wasn’t worth tipping them considering how often I get taxis.
In case you need reminding this is (sort of) britain, where tipping isn’t that common (people get paid a non-tip based wage)

2

How come it cost more? Are the journies not metered? Was it nighttime?

3

So let me get this straight: You used to tip, and because you got overcharged once, you no longer tip? That doesn’t sound particularly cool to screw every other taxi driver because of the actions of one.

4

Hes not screwing anyone over, they all get paid there basic wage anyway. Tips are an added bonus. That are no longer given because he was the one screwed over in the first place.

5

There’s no wage or salary for UK taxi drivers - it’s all in the earnings from journeys. The question is, was Lobsang actually screwed, or had all the other journies been done by private-hires undercutting the official rate?

6

I don’t live in the UK, so I’m not sure of what the tipping customs are there. What I’m saying is, he used to tip every taxi driver. He changed his behavior (no more tipping) towards an entire class of people (taxi drivers) because one driver overcharged him. That’s punishing a lot of other people by taking money out of their pockets, money they would have otherwise received (tipping being a custom or no), because of the actions of one doofus cabbie. That smacks of overreaction to me.

7

I know it’s not logical to stop tipping all drivers. But I just decided I can’t really afford to do it. As I said in the OP that one taxi driver was the straw that broke the camel’s back.

8

Strangely, due to the high cost of fuel, I’ve been tipping cab drivers a little more lately.

In Toronto, most cabbies basically rent their cabs from the Big Man who owns the actual cars and taxi plates. So they have to pay to use the car as well as gas etc. After they’ve covered their costs (which are really high – I was shocked when the one drivers explained it all) then whatever is left is theirs to take home.

There was just a fare hike that was approved, so all fares went up by 25% (not sure why, but cabbies tell me this profits the Big Man, but not the individual cabbies). Now that fuel costs are at a ridiculous level, cabbies are huritng a bit because there can not be another fare hike to accomodate the unusual cost of gas. So higher gas prices mean cabbies take less home.

So I’ve added an extra buck to my tips as a goodwill gesture. Most cabbies here are decent hard-working folks who, despite the angriness of other Toronto drivers, manage to do their thing without road raging.

But I can see how it would affect Lobsang’s budget. If I took a cab to work every day for one week, and did not tip, I’d have enough for another cab ride.

9

Besides, I have a low opinion of taxi drivers in general.

Sure there are some good decent abiding ones, but the majority seem not to give a shit about road rules.

10

An opinion that was enforced by the fing tool of a taxi driver I encountered today.
I was watching Mad Sunday (Isle of Man TT fortnight tradition where the course is made one-way and anyone can go on it, at their own risk) and after the parade lap at the end it was time to leave. So what you got on the only road out was like 100 cars trying to go one way and 4 trying to go the other way on a single lane road. At the back of the 4 (all willing to move) was a taxi. It was plainly obvious that he was the one who needed to move, and he had plenty of room to do so, but he just sat there staring at the deadlock. After minutes of nothing happening I said to others in the car (I wasn’t the driver) that I will getout and tell the taxi driver to "fing move! there are like 20 times as many cars wanting to go that way and 4 the other way and you are the tosser who needs to move"

So I got out of the car. As soon as I got out the taxi driver kicked into action and turned his taxi round.
I’d like to think it was because he saw me, a 6’1 16 stone man with an angry face transfixed on him, get out of the car. But it was probably just a coincidence.

11

[pop psychologist] You seem to be displacing your feelings of inadequacy and rage onto taxi drivers. Stop it. [/pop psychologist]

I am proud to be a great tipper. I’ve made a few waiters’ nights with my generous tips, as well as a few taxi drivers. Their smile is worth every penny I pay. One bad experience will not diminish my generosity to those schlepping in crappy jobs. It’s my small part trying to make the world a better place.

Besides, since one day the meek will inherit the earth, I’ve got to make sure I’m in BIG with TPTB.

12

I now think my post made me sound cheap… Im not, honest! I have no problem tipping taxy drivers but like Lobsang, it really bothers me when you get one or two that charge a higher price for no reason.

Story:

I was going to work one Sunday, and had to get a taxi in as I was late, its literally a five-eight minute car journey. The usual fare on a sunday for a journey under 11 minutes at the time was €5.50 ($6.78). I was charged €8.10 ($9.98). I know why I was charge that amount, its because it was on the meter. But I also saw that the meter was turned on before I got into the car, and it wasnt like the guy was waiting for me for ages, like I said, I was in a hurry. I asked him why the fare was so dear, and he says its the price on the meter, I asked what about the fact that the meter was on before I got into the car. He looked at me like I had ten heads, then said again its the price on the meter, I said hang on, I rang the taxi company at 2pm, its now 2.10, how even if I was in the car for the whole 10 minutes, could the taxi be 8.10… He didnt get it…It went on for another little while, he still didnt get it, so gave up and paid him.

Now that may sound petty on my part, hell maybe I was even harassing him, but that was at a time when I could easily get 10-12 taxis a week. Isnt that enough to be getting from me?

And I know some of you might think, well why use that company? Simply because there were about 6 taxi companies in the town, 5 of them merged togethere so theres only 2 now. One of which is a really good/reliable, has quick pickup times, and generally decent prices/drivers. The other isnt/doesnt/hasnt.

And the company I used, btw, was the good one.

Nicest Taxi Drivers I ever met were the ones I met in London in October. Went there for a 4day weekend and we literally got taxi’s everywhere and they were the nicest bunch of people ever.

13

Sorry about my typing and typo’s. Its getting late…

14

I have a question that may be considered slightly off-topic, if so I apologize.

I’ve seen in several magazines, “etiquette” books, FYI blurbs…etc that you should tip waiters and taxi drivers 15% but pizza delivery drivers on 10%. Why the $%^& is that?!

I delivered pizza for 4 years. When someone wanted a pizza I would answer the phone, politely take their order, and then proceed to make their pizza with dough and ingredients that I prepared myself earlier that day. While it was in the oven I would clean-up, stock food, take other orders…etc. When it came out I would get in MY OWN CAR and deliver right to the person’s doorstep with a smile on my face. At the end of the night I would clean the store, mop the floors, count the money…etc.

All that and I was supposed to get 30% less than a taxi driver or a waitress? What do they do to deserve the better tips?

And I only made $6/hour at the time. I know that sounds like a lot compared to a waitress but a busy waitress might wait on 30 tables in one night. I made half that many deliveries on a busy night and put 100+ miles on my car.

I know you might “you’re in the wrong line of work”, which is why I got out, but it just annoys me that a lot of people think the pizza guy deserves sub-par tips or doesn’t deserve a tip at all.

15

Funnily enough I do still tip the pizza delivery guy.