Tipping the Van driver....

[Tram]

What I want to know is who is that girl in scangadah's avatar?

 

[Le Douche]

Tram why don't you piss off some senior airline guys today? you seem to be good at it.

 

[KQRdr]

Here's from someone who used to drive a van for a major hotel back in collage.

12:30 am...I'm the only doorman/bellman on. I get a call from front desk that there is a crew at the airport (probably running late, tired and already upset)


As I'm about to get in a van for a 25 minute trip to the airport, my phone rings. It's the VIP's room. He wants me to get him a pack of smokes and a soda. He just gave me 10 bucks tip 30 minutes ago, when I parked his Benz. Now I know that I will make another 20 by taking a 10 minute round trip to local 7/11.

So...
I make $4/hour, I can make $20 in a next 10 minutes or drive to the airport and get $5 (or possibly less) from a rude crew. So I choose the VIP. By the time I get to the airport it's really late and only CA and the lead tip. The way I see it, I made out. Hey, how else am I supposed to make money on the night shift to pay for those flight lessons?


That was a long time ago. Now, on the receiving end of that, if the hotel is 10 minutes away and the van shows up 45 minutes after I called them, than I don't tip. Why, because the guy made a choice and already made his money elsewhere.

Edited for typo.

 

[-9Capt]

Off the topic but...

our contract says we can take a cab or limo if the hotel transportation has not arrived within 30 mins of the cabin door opening. The company will reimburse you within 10 days.

 

[KQRdr]

-9Capt,
I've tried that, Say BWI, you know, you wait upstairs by AT counter. The FA's finally talked me into a cab idea, so we go downstairs where the cabs are. Guess what, about 100 people in line. Now we pull our bags back upstairs and I call the hotel. Guess what, the van was just here and left with another crew because we weren't at the curb....Now we all feel like real winners as we wait for another 30 minutes





Never again.

 

[ifly4food]

Call me a cheap bastard, but I don't tip them. That's up to 8 bucks a trip... that's a meal or a lot of beer.

Maybe we should hit the passengers up for tips. Let's put a tip jar in the galley. Or better, just hold your hat upturned at the end of the flight when you say buh-bye.

 

[Ty Webb]

Maybe we should hit the passengers up for tips. Let's put a tip jar in the galley. .

You sound like a classy guy. . . . . not.

Actually, you sound like a cheap tool that I would hate to be paired with for the month. A new embarassment at every overnight. Maybe you should just get a factory job. You'll make more, be home every night, and be in your own element.

.

 

[ifly4food]

You sound like a classy guy. . . . . not.

Actually, you sound like a cheap tool that I would hate to be paired with for the month. A new embarassment at every overnight. Maybe you should just get a factory job. You'll make more, be home every night, and be in your own element.

.

You're in the penalty box for a week, Ty. My comments were tongue in cheek. You need to lighten up or find a new sandbox. Next time, you're out permanently.

If4f

 

[crashpad]

Call me a cheap bastard, but I don't tip them. That's up to 8 bucks a trip... that's a meal or a lot of beer.

Where's the penalty box? I'm on a sit-down strike until you let Ty out.
(actually, I'm usually sitting down on a strike about something at any given moment, but this is a truely great cause!)

 

[-9Capt]

You're in the penalty box for a week, Ty. My comments were tongue in cheek. You need to lighten up or find a new sandbox. Next time, you're out permanently.

If4f

Ty gets a week in the box for that? Are you kidding me?

Sounds like Mr. moderator has developed a power trip.

 

[Tram]

Tram why don't you piss off some senior airline guys today? you seem to be good at it.

Le Douche eh? Hmm.. Sounds fitting..

Did I piss you off? In case you haven't noticed, there are just as many senior airline guys in that thread that agree with me..

 

[TonyC]

You're in the penalty box for a week, Ty. My comments were tongue in cheek. You need to lighten up or find a new sandbox. Next time, you're out permanently.

If4f

That's ridiculously childish.

Are moderators too good to be criticized, or too fragile to be disagreed with?

Call me a cheap bastard, ...

... you sound like a cheap tool ...

Is he being punished because he didn't call you a cheap bastard?


Is "tool" worse than "bastard"? Shouldn't "bastard" be a banned word?



This volunteer thing ...


Givin' Tennessee a black eye ...


.


.

 

[smellthejeta]

I never understood this whole tipping concept. Seriously. Aside from waitstaff where it is common knowledge that they make very little money and depend on tips to make their living, why do we tip...

Cab drivers for a simple trip? They already made out like bandits. I once took a cab (courtesy of AirTran) from BWI to IAD. It was $90. The guy got on 495 and drove normal highway speeds. What did he do that deserved a tip? AirTran already paid him $90 to get me to IAD. Conversely, my R/T airfare from BWI-MKE was $111.

Maid staff for making my room? Okay, if I ever leave the room a total mess or something resembling it (I never have), I'll leave them something. But, if there's no trash laying around, the beds were just simply used, and the bathroom just needs a quick once-over, well, that's their job.

FBO Van? They're saving me the cost of a cab, so sure, I'll throw them a couple of bucks. It's hard to argue that they're "doing their job" when they're not required to provide you that service.

Hotel Van? If they publish is it as being availale, IMHO they are required to provide it regardless of a tip. You ACA guys probably remember the Double Tree Club at ORD that we used. I used to hate that van... 0200 and it was *always* a 45 minute wait for that stupid van. He always had "just left" or "leaves every :30." Edited to add: Oh yeah, I forgot to add that since I was travelling on company business, engaging in a means of travel required by the company, why travel expenses (tips) were supposed to come out of my pocket. My per diem required that I show receipts for what I claimed I expensed, and tips were limited to a percentage (I think 10%) of the total bill. Was I supposed to get a receipt for the $2 I might have tipped the driver if I didn't have to wait 45 minutes? Further, if the ride was "free" I'm not sure I could have got reimbursed, as there was no value on which to add the tips. Also, you guys try eating decently for a day on $30 and then tipping the van drivers.

Valet Parking? I don't use them, unless there is no option. When there is no choice, they always nail you pretty hard and *then* you still have to cough up a tip?

The shuttle vans in LAS? You get on the van with 10 people, you're the last off, the driver touches a light bag that you packed, and you still have to tip? Just like a cab, you already paid for the privelege of riding the shuttle. It sure wasn't a courtesy.

I always look at it from the persepctive as whether or not somebody is providing an additional service or going out of their way *for me*. If they're just doing their job, no tip. If they go out of their way to make my life easier or simpler or really save my bacon, they get a tip.

BTW, I work in a position where tips are greatly appreciated, always accepted, but never required or obligatory. I always perform my job such that I feel it is worthy of a tip. If I get a tip, great, if not, I still have an hourly wage that doesn't presume I get tips. However, if I always do a lousy job with a surly attitude, I can pretty much forget getting a tip. (Side note: If you're a regular who never tips, why should you get served before/better than a "known" tipper? He does tip for a reason.)

 

[Tram]

Nice post.. I couldn't have said it better myself..

 

[Vik]

yay! the mod-nazi's are back in action! yippieeeeee

You're in the penalty box for a week, Ty. My comments were tongue in cheek. You need to lighten up or find a new sandbox. Next time, you're out permanently.

If4f

 

[liv'n_on_credit]

What I want to know is who is that girl in scangadah's avatar?

Me too. Who is it scangadah?

 

[SWAnnabee]

I'd like to also say that Ty's comments don't seem to warrant a penalty. Simple criticizm. And maybe he was also just being sarcastic. I guess we'll have to wait a week to find out. (Will I get banned for saying all this?)

 

[Yank McCobb]

Ty gets a week in the box for that? Are you kidding me?

Sounds like Mr. moderator has developed a power trip.

This particular moderator has always had this power trip thing going. He gets terribly offended at even the slightest (imagined or otherwise) insult directed at him and goes off on his power trip and begins deleting, censoring, banning, etc.

Ty's commets were very, VERY mild compared to what goes on here on a minute-by-minute basis. Banning him for a week is ridiculous. Threating to ban him permanently for another similar offense is absolute proof that his person has no business in the position of moderator. None whatsoever. Period.

I fully expect to be banned just for stating the obvious. But the fact that it is directed at this particular individual evidently is grounds for dismissal.

 

[dash8driver]

ok.. cut him some slack. maybe he was out trying to pick up a girl by showing her how cool and powerful he was. maybe he was out trying to find out if the girls were as impressed with his mod powers as he is.

 

[scangadah]

Me too. Who is it scangadah?

I'll ask her when she gets out from under my desk.