Tipping taxi drivers - Should you or shouldnt you

McDook

I was in a taxi last night where the nightly driver moan was that people in Ireland dont tip taxi drivers enough.
Now I usually tip them but it got me thinking.

Why do I bother.
I hire them to get me from one place to the other.
They get paid for that and never really make my life any better.
They own their business. So me tipping them is the same as tipping the owner of the pub when I buy a pint. And I dont tip the income tax man when he takes my money either.

Basically they are getting extra money for nothing. Taxis are expensive enough as it is. And 100% of the fare goes to the owner. If he wants more money go pick up another fare and make the money.

What are other peoples views on tipping taxi drivers? Just taxi drivers.

If it is a short distance, such as from Dublin City Centre to my house, then I wouldn't tip. However if the trip was slightly longer, then I would consider it.

McDook

Deleted User wrote: »

If it is a short distance, such as from Dublin City Centre to my house, then I wouldn't tip. However if the trip was slightly longer, then I would consider it.

Why though. the longer the trip the more money he makes from you anyway. And the rate goes up if its over 15km or something.

godtabh

McDook wrote: »

I was in a taxi last night where the nightly driver moan was that people in Ireland dont tip taxi drivers enough.
Now I usually tip them but it got me thinking.

Why do I bother.
I hire them to get me from one place to the other.
They get paid for that and never really make my life any better.
They own their business. So me tipping them is the same as tipping the owner of the pub when I buy a pint. And I dont tip the income tax man when he takes my money either.

Basically they are getting extra money for nothing. Taxis are expensive enough as it is. And 100% of the fare goes to the owner. If he wants more money go pick up another fare and make the money.

What are other peoples views on tipping taxi drivers? Just taxi drivers.

Many drivers drive for a company.

HeidiHeidi

I tip absolutely on the basis of the service I get (which is what a tip should be for at the end of the day).

If they wreck my head with moaning about things, or being a cheerful yappie chappie at 5am when I'm barely awake, or come out with (thankfully fairly rare) racist guff :eek:, or the car is a wreck, or the car or driver stink - then they get what's on the meter, and yes, I will wait for my change, thank you.

If on the other hand I have a pleasant journey, long or short, which at a minimum hasn't spoiled my humour (whatever that may be at that time), then a tip would be in order.

omb0wyn5ehpij9

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I tip absolutely on the basis of the service I get (which is what a tip should be for at the end of the day).

If they wreck my head with moaning about things, or being a cheerful yappie chappie at 5am when I'm barely awake, or come out with (thankfully fairly rare) racist guff :eek:, or the car is a wreck, or the car or driver stink - then they get what's on the meter, and yes, I will wait for my change, thank you.

If on the other hand I have a pleasant journey, long or short, which at a minimum hasn't spoiled my humour (whatever that may be at that time), then a tip would be in order.

Agreed. It all depends on each journey!

Mint Aero

I've never tipped a cabbie before. I've never even thought of tipping a cabbie before. Ludicrous notion.

McDook

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

I tip absolutely on the basis of the service I get (which is what a tip should be for at the end of the day).

If they wreck my head with moaning about things, or being a cheerful yappie chappie at 5am when I'm barely awake, or come out with (thankfully fairly rare) racist guff :eek:, or the car is a wreck, or the car or driver stink - then they get what's on the meter, and yes, I will wait for my change, thank you.

If on the other hand I have a pleasant journey, long or short, which at a minimum hasn't spoiled my humour (whatever that may be at that time), then a tip would be in order.

So you tip them for not fcking up your day

Surely it should be expected that they dont and not deserving of extra payment

Aint Eazy Being Cheezy

I always give the driver a tip. Usually it's

"ya should've asked me for the money before we left.. I'm skint mate"

Reekwind

I'll occasionally round up or not bother with the change if it's been a pleasant journey and I've had a good night. Otherwise, never.

Unlike waiting staff, there's no basis for tipping taxi drivers. They're not in a tip-based role

mfergus

I usually don't. Every time I get a taxi it's usually the same couple of drivers and they charge me €10 which is fair (meter off).

About a month ago I had rang in an order in the Chinese so I could collect it on the way home, I ended up waiting another 5 minutes when I got there before it was ready. The taxi driver waited and still only tried to charge me the 10 euro at the end. He got a tip. Everyone shouldn't get a tip, if everyone got a tip, it would no longer be a tip. It would be the price.

As for op. If the ****er started whining about never getting a tip, I definitely wouldn't tip.

LynnGrace

No, I don't, never even considered it. I'm paying the fare, I don't see why I would pay any extra, regardless of journey length. I got a taxi one night last year where for a fare of about 15/ 16 euro, the driver claimed not to have change for a 20 euro note. I waited until he went and got the change, maybe he expected it as a tip. Not a chance.

HeidiHeidi

McDook wrote: »

So you tip them for not fcking up your day

Surely it should be expected that they dont and not deserving of extra payment

Yep, basically. And believe me, it doesn't cost me a whole lot overall!

Pat Mustard

Tips for table service only.

Sure you could be tipping the dentist otherwise.

Oranage2

I usually round it to the nearest euro, I think taxis are very expensive in Ireland so I can understand someone not tipping.

mfergus

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

Yep, basically. And believe me, it doesn't cost me a whole lot overall!

I didn't **** up your day. Can you send my tip via PayPal?

anncoates

Generally !Id just round it off to the nearest 5 or 10. Like if it's 7 or 8 quid, leave 10.

The main taxi journey would take is from town to my house and it's about 25 quid so I just usually give 30.

Lapin

Is this the first tipping thread of 2014 ?

The Backwards Man

Isn't it a massive coincidence that you always hear people that don't tip complaining and moaning about those who tip, whilst you never hear people that tip complaining about those who don't?

Sunnyisland

Usually I just round it of to the nearest note,all in perportion of course.

McDook

The Backwards Man wrote: »

Isn't it a massive coincidence that you always hear people that don't tip complaining and moaning about those who tip, whilst you never hear people that tip complaining about those who don't?

I do tip taxi drivers out of habit. Just wondering why they deserve a tip though?

snubbleste

No.

anncoates

McDook wrote: »

I do tip taxi drivers out of habit. Just wondering why they deserve a tip though?

For me tipping is more like an act of spontaneous social largesse: an social gesture that is often quite illogical;and random.

Kind of like buying rounds.

Unless the person is actually insane or rude, i'm not exactly there filling out a form grading them on service performance to calculate if they earned their 2 euro.

Hilly Bill

You cant win with taxi drivers. If the fare is say €9.95 and you give them €10 and wait for the change then they would moan about it and if you tell them not to bother with the change then they would moan about only having a 5 cent tip.

Penny Tration

I generally tip taxi drivers, as long as they're not rude.

When I go for a night out with my friends, they all live on the opposite side of the city to me, so I get a taxi home by myself. Two times, the driver has assumed I'm too drunk to know what I'm doing, takes me on a ridiculously long, arseways route and tries to charge me a tenner more than the normal route costs. In those cases, i argue with them rather than tip.

In the vast majority of cases though, the driver has asked nrwhich route I want to go, chatted to me, been friendly and polite and when I get out of the taxi, they wait til I have unlocked my door to leave. Very nice of them so i usually tip about five euro for a 20 euro fare.

Miss Behaviour

I normally play a game. If the driver manages to get me home without talking about 'da nigerians or da bleedin' gubberment' and doesn't hit on me, then I'll tip him.

Unfortunately I don't get to tip often.

snubbleste

green_screen wrote: »

...
In the vast majority of cases though, the driver has asked nrwhich route I want to go, chatted to me, been friendly and polite and when I get out of the taxi, they wait til I have unlocked my door to leave. Very nice of them so i usually tip about five euro for a 20 euro fare.

:eek:
25%
Why not just give them your wallet instead?

HeidiHeidi

snubbleste wrote: »

:eek:
25%
Why not just give them your wallet instead?

You beat me to it!

Penny Tration

snubbleste wrote: »

:eek:
25%
Why not just give them your wallet instead?

How much I choose to give as a tip has no impact on anybody else bar the taxi driver, so I'll keep doing my own thing.

Miss Behaviour

snubbleste wrote: »

:eek:
25%
Why not just give them your wallet instead?

HeidiHeidi wrote: »

You beat me to it!

Why does what someone else tip bother you?

snubbleste

green_screen wrote: »

How much I choose to give as a tip has no impact on anybody else bar the taxi driver, so I'll keep doing my own thing.

But then that taxi driver will always expect a tip from customers..and then every worker in the country will expect a tip simply for doing their job..and then...

Penny Tration

snubbleste wrote: »

But then that taxi driver will always expect a tip from customers..and then every worker in the country will expect a tip simply for doing their job..and then...

No taxi driver I have used came across to me as expecting a tip. If they made it obvious that they expected one, they wouldn't get one.

Femme_Fatale

green_screen wrote: »

No taxi driver I have used came across to me as expecting a tip.

Me neither. Takeaway delivery folks/waiting staff the odd time, but never taxi-drivers.

Penny Tration

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

Me neither. Takeaway delivery folks/waiting staff the odd time, but never taxi-drivers.

I've definitely gotten the vibe from take away delivery drivers and the odd waiting staff person, but if they expect it, I don't give it.

kjl

If I am expensing a taxi I will tip about a €5, otherwise I am just driving myself.

kylith

I'll start tipping taxi drivers when they start earning less than me. The majority earn 20k-30k a year, and probably don't declare any tips.

FizzleSticks

This post has been deleted.

Meangadh

Unless you've gotten a particularly excellent service, I don't understand in this country why people feel the need to tip hugely. We have a minimum wage for workers- I'll always leave a few euro tip after a meal but I'd never really tip anyone else.

poundapunnet

Unless the taxi driver has been a real bastard I'd usually round up to the nearest note or throw in a few €1 or €2 coins. To be honest any time I'm getting a taxi I'm usually drunk as all holy hell so they've probably been listening to me talk sh1te for the whole journey. Anyways, it's a few euros, it's really not a big deal.

Paramite Pie

If I'm in the city center and I hop into a taxi that already has 4.50 on the meter - then I sure as hell ain't tipping. Tipping is a gesture, not a right.

There's a regular taxi company I use here in Galway and somethings I get the same drivers. If I like them I tell them to keep the change or whatever (2 or 3 euro) but I'm not a high earner. I imagine my frequent use of the same company is worth more in the long run.

B.A._Baracus

Meh,
Why tip them. You are paying for a service. I dont mind rounding things off, like say a fare comes to €19.60, sure here is a 20 note and keep the change. Thats grand. But hold on let me dig around my pockets for a couple of extra euro on top? ... no way.

You are paying for a service.

suicide_circus

Had to take a taxi to work a few days back. The driver absolutely stank of bo. The whole taxi reeked of gone-off onions. I could taste the thick stench emanating from the man. I did not tip.

dealhunter1985

I really hope the tipping culture of the u.s and canada never makes it to Ireland! It seems like its easing its way in in parts.. For example table service in bars...
The amount of times I've gotten a taxi in Toronto to hear the taxi driver start talking about tips.. It just makes me tip even less

mikemac1

Hailo and pay by card so it's be very rare I ever handle cash in a taxi

The app lets you add a tip but Ive never used it. I do have great chat with taximen, love the banter

kerry4sam

McDook wrote: »

I was in a taxi last night where the nightly driver moan was that people in Ireland dont tip taxi drivers enough.
Now I usually tip them but it got me thinking.

Why do I bother.
I hire them to get me from one place to the other.
They get paid for that and never really make my life any better.
They own their business. So me tipping them is the same as tipping the owner of the pub when I buy a pint. And I dont tip the income tax man when he takes my money either.

Basically they are getting extra money for nothing. Taxis are expensive enough as it is. And 100% of the fare goes to the owner. If he wants more money go pick up another fare and make the money.

What are other peoples views on tipping taxi drivers? Just taxi drivers.

I sometimes do. Pending who they are and how far out of the way they go for me for no extra charge eg: stopping at ATM before actual end-destination at no extra cost (just min fare) - yes I tip those drivers.

The last taxi I got was on Friday 20th December after arriving back in town from train out of Dublin. I had just heard my loving Dad had suffered a massive heart-attack as I was en route home and passed away (now Resting in Peace). I was in bits crying! Bits! Could barely stand or walk. The taxi fare to my home from the train station was 6.50euros. I had 6euros in my wallet, but had to root out the .50cent for the driver out of my pocket (whilst crying). He would not let off the .50cent eventhough he knew how distraught I was and handed me a tissue en route home.
No, I can assure you, he did not get a tip anyways. .50 bloody cent, he would not let me off.

So re: tipping taxi drivers - it all depends.
kerry4sam

MonstaMash

Would you tip a bus/train driver?

Pilot taking you on your hollyers...I think not?!

NoCrackHaving

The one I never really got was tipping barbers, like the one I used has a price list on the wall, say a tenner for a dry cut, I agree to pay it and they cut it, end of. If they want an extra 1 or 2 euro just up the price.

str|ct9

I'll tip them if they don't talk about foreigners/immigrants

means I don't tip them that often

Agricola

Nope. My experience of taxis, be it in Ireland or abroad (well with the exception of Poland where fares cost nothing for someone from euroland) I never tip. I get in the car, I get driven to where I want to go, and 9 times out of 10 Im staggered by the fare price on the meter. For example, recently got a cab from Birmingham airport to a hotel around the back of the airport, about 2 miles journey. 14 euro. Tip? Fúck off!

Aidric

I'll round out the fare but absolutely no reason to leave a tip. They are expensive enough as is.

Bogan

If I know the fare beforehand and get a taxi to that place a few times a week then I don't tip at all. I stopped tipping regular fares a few years back because there was times when I was quite low on money myself and felt bad not tipping because I felt the driver would be expecting it. Otherwise I usually say keep the change if it's a one off place.