Tipping Taxi Drivers

BrandonBlock · 02-08-2007 10:27PM #1

If your taxi is say €19.10 and you hand the driver a €20, do you expect change or just let him keep it? What are your general views on tipping the taxi drivers of this nation.

Spook_ie · 02-08-2007 10:35PM

Well all I can say is that my very 1st taxi fare was a group of 4 people heading for Dublin Airport after missing the bus. As they were late I bent a few traffic regulations and got them there with about 10 minutes to flight closing. The fare was €19.80 yer man in the front paid with a €20 note and with a genuine look on his face said "keep the change"!. Tell you what I learnt very quickly not to go too far out of my way to be helpful again.....

BrandonBlock · 02-08-2007 10:43PM

hahaha that's brilliant.

mikemac · 02-08-2007 10:49PM

I do as I often annoy them with questions on landmarks and local history, like where does an townland begin and end. It's a pity the history forum here is so dead as I love this stuff

Some of them are mines of information (like Degsy on boards

)and full of info so that's worth a tip.

Venom · 02-08-2007 10:57PM

Spook_ie wrote:

Well all I can say is that my very 1st taxi fare was a group of 4 people heading for Dublin Airport after missing the bus. As they were late I bent a few traffic regulations and got them there with about 10 minutes to flight closing. The fare was €19.80 yer man in the front paid with a €20 note and with a genuine look on his face said "keep the change"!. Tell you what I learnt very quickly not to go too far out of my way to be helpful again.....

Im sure the medal for doing your job is in the post :rolleyes:

BrandonBlock · 02-08-2007 11:00PM

Oooooooooo bitchy!!!

thefinalstage · 02-08-2007 11:12PM

Venom wrote:

Im sure the medal for doing your job is in the post :rolleyes:

Its not his job to break the law and get his passengers there as quick as possible due to their situation.

Personally I think a tenner would have been in order.

Venom · 02-08-2007 11:15PM

BrandonBlock wrote:

Oooooooooo bitchy!!!

Just sick of certain parts of societies work force (waiters, bar staff, taxi drivers) expecting tips for just doing their job.

CreepingDeath · 02-08-2007 11:24PM

Spook_ie wrote:

As they were late I bent a few traffic regulations....

Maybe they docked you for each traffic regulation you broke... proper order.

Anyways, I'm sure you declare every cent of your tips to the taxman :rolleyes:

Spook_ie · 02-08-2007 11:31PM

Venom wrote:

Just sick of certain parts of societies work force (waiters, bar staff, taxi drivers) expecting tips for just doing their job.

And for exceeding the job? As I said I dont go overly out of my way to be helpfull anymore, even by trying to make up lost time for traffic jams etc. You miss your plane don't blame me.

Mind you just from the other point of view if a fare is €19.20 do you EXPECT the driver to round it down? I've had a few that expect it. My view now is if it says €xx.20c then you pay €xx.20c.

dc69 · 02-08-2007 11:39PM

tipp a taxi driver are you joking.thieves,get a taxi home after a few beers or(pretend you have had a few) and 10/10 will overcharge you and bring you longer routes and will probably do the same even if your not drunk, theres no way they should be allowed charge so much and i know someones gona say about insurance and tax,rubbish,every one has to pay it

(and you probably wont find worse drivers in the whole world as irish taxi drivers,absolutely hate them)

Spook_ie · 02-08-2007 11:41PM

dc69 wrote:

tipp a taxi driver are you joking.thieves,get a taxi home after a few beers or(pretend you have had a few) and 10/10 will overcharge you and bring you longer routes and will probably do the same even if your not drunk, theres no way they should be allowed charge so much and i know someones gona say about insurance and tax,rubbish,every one has to pay it

(and you probably wont find worse drivers in the whole world as irish taxi drivers,absolutely hate them)

So drive yerself home or get the nitelink yer skanger

Venom · 02-08-2007 11:43PM

Spook_ie wrote:

And for exceeding the job? As I said I dont go overly out of my way to be helpfull anymore, even by trying to make up lost time for traffic jams etc. You miss your plane don't blame me.

How about just doing your job properly as its I dunno YOUR JOB. I know lots of nurses, office workers, social welfare workers, builders and factory workers who exceeded their jobs requirements but I don't recall ever hearing them ask for tips!

Spook_ie wrote:

Mind you just from the other point of view if a fare is €19.20 do you EXPECT the driver to round it down? I've had a few that expect it. My view now is if it says €xx.20c then you pay €xx.20c.

If the fare is €19.20 charge €19.20.

Basq · 02-08-2007 11:45PM

I always tip.. it's just the type of person i am.

If it's decent service in a taxi, i'll round up the fare a euro or two.

In a restaurant (normally just me and the girlfriend), i'd typically round up to the nearest tenner (unless it's very close to the nearest tenner, and i'd slap on a euro or two).

Even if ordering in a Chinese, i'll normally give the driver an extra euro or so (or as i've made abundantly clear, round it up to the nearest tenner if it's not far off).

If i got really bad service, i think i'd still leave something. Even this brutal rude waitress we had while in Madrid, she was an utter asshat. But i still tipped - mind you, it was very little.

BrandonBlock · 02-08-2007 11:46PM

I have a confession. I created this thread as a joke because of all the other tipping threads on AH, and expected it to be locked! What have I started..

Spook_ie · 02-08-2007 11:48PM

Venom wrote:

How about just doing your job properly as its I dunno YOUR JOB. I know lots of nurses, office workers, social welfare workers, builders and factory workers who exceeded their jobs requirements but I don't recall ever hearing them ask for tips!

If the fare is €19.20 charge €19.20.

Have not I just said thats all you would get from me now, my job pick you up at A drive you to B get paid and if your late your late, as they say Tough Cheese

The_Conductor · 02-08-2007 11:49PM

I disagree.
I get taxis regularly, both for work and also privately.
More often than not I'll be asked whether I have any preference for the route to take, and whether I'm in a hurry or just want to take my time. I'm zoomed from Lucan village to the airport via the M50 in 20 minutes flat- I've also done the same trup in 45 minutes via Clonee on the back road (the scenic route when I wasn't in a hurry).
Most taxi drivers are courteous, polite and a mine of useful information and observations. The odd one is a little psychotic- but hell, most people, myself included, have our days.
You're paying for a service- its metered (unless you're outside the Dublin region- as per my Clonee detour) and its a hell of a lot cheaper to get a taxi to and from the door at home than leaving a car in the airport- not to mention more convenient than queuing for 20 minutes in cyclonic rain outside arrivals for that shagging bus to longterm- and then meandering your way through the queues as to try to remember where you left the car.

Give them a break- they're providing a service. If you don't like their service- there are alternatives, such as a designated driver or the night-link on nights out- or other modes of public transport elsewhere.

Personally I think taxidrivers get a hell of a lot of abuse because they make convenient scapegoats. They pay tax the same as the next person on the street, and a lot of them are a lot harder working- give them a break!

K-9 · 02-08-2007 11:50PM

In fairness they have to female for me to tip them! Get it, tip!

Spook_ie · 02-08-2007 11:51PM

smccarrick wrote:

I disagree.
I get taxis regularly, both for work and also privately.
More often than not I'll be asked whether I have any preference for the route to take, and whether I'm in a hurry or just want to take my time. I'm zoomed from Lucan village to the airport via the M50 in 20 minutes flat- I've also done the same trup in 45 minutes via Clonee on the back road (the scenic route when I wasn't in a hurry).
Most taxi drivers are courteous, polite and a mine of useful information and observations. The odd one is a little psychotic- but hell, most people, myself included, have our days.
You're paying for a service- its metered (unless you're outside the Dublin region- as per my Clonee detour) and its a hell of a lot cheaper to get a taxi to and from the door at home than leaving a car in the airport- not to mention more convenient than queuing for 20 minutes in cyclonic rain outside arrivals for that shagging bus to longterm- and then meandering your way through the queues as to try to remember where you left the car.

Give them a break- they're providing a service. If you don't like their service- there are alternatives, such as a designated driver or the night-link on nights out- or other modes of public transport elsewhere.

Personally I think taxidrivers get a hell of a lot of abuse because they make convenient scapegoats. They pay tax the same as the next person on the street, and a lot of them are a lot harder working- give them a break!

I like this man, have a free taxi trip on me next time

thegloriousend · 02-08-2007 11:54PM

I'd love to tip everyone, but as mentioned already taxi drivers often take longer routes and take advantage of today's poor drunken youth:rolleyes: . I see no justifiable reason to tip, far too expensive as it is

Mossy Monk · 02-08-2007 11:54PM

I never tip (but that's not exclusive to taxi drivers).

02-08-2007 11:59PM

I'm not sitting next to a taxi man moaning about the world for the sake of my 67c change - he can keep it

Nehpets · 03-08-2007 12:02AM

I said I don't tip in another thread but taxis are different.

Normally taxi drivers lower the cost from like 16.10 to just 16 which I think is pretty cool so I'd always give them the change from the twenty if it's 2 euro or less.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 03-08-2007 01:02AM

I find that in almost all case's the taxi driver rounds down the fair to the nearest €uro or the 50cent so yes, I tip.

Some I tip more than other's, ie clean car, friendly chatting fella.

For a dirty car, asshole driver I'd normally just round up the tip to the neart 50cent.

Mizu_Ger · 03-08-2007 08:18AM

Spook_ie wrote:

I like this man, have a free taxi trip on me next time

Will you be expecting a tip at the end of the free trip?

Seriously though, I usually do tip Taxis (never tip in restaurants) and as another poster said they have been known to round the price down from time to time. Everytime I have got a Taxi home from town (Dublin) they ask which one of all the possble routes I want to take (even had an argument with one guy about the fastest route, he followed my directions and was surprised it was so quick. I have never been taken the "scenic route" around anywhere in Dublin as I'd spot what they were up to fairly quick.

_Kaiser_ · 03-08-2007 08:54AM

I used to get a lot of taxis to work (to the point where the lads on the local rank knew where I was going before I even opened my mouth

), and would always tip about €2 or so.

In my experience most drivers will round down to the nearest Euro and do their best to accomodate you if you're in a hurry so they've earned a few quid extra imo.

gurramok · 03-08-2007 08:57AM

They earn a mint not to need tips hence no need to give a tip.
Coupled with this and they choose the longest route possible, thats my and others experience with the majority of them who have serviced us.

I'd rather tip minimum wage bar staff than a taxi driver.

phasers · 03-08-2007 09:03AM

gurramok wrote:

They earn a mint not to need tips hence no need to give a tip.
Coupled with this and they choose the longest route possible, thats my and others experience with the majority of them who have serviced us.

I'd rather tip minimum wage bar staff than a taxi driver.

earn a mint? I wish :rolleyes:
do you actually know many taxi drivers?

arybvtcw0eolkf · 03-08-2007 09:10AM

gurramok wrote:

They earn a mint not to need tips hence no need to give a tip.
Coupled with this and they choose the longest route possible, thats my and others experience with the majority of them who have serviced us.

I'd rather tip minimum wage bar staff than a taxi driver.

They earn a mint?.

Seriously, how much do you think a taxi driver makes if he/she worked a 45hr week?.

_blank_ · 03-08-2007 09:30AM

It's people like that taxi man upthread that give all taxi drivers a bad name.

Expecting a tip for breaking the law and putting people's lives in danger. WTF?

arybvtcw0eolkf · 03-08-2007 09:35AM

seansouth wrote:

It's people like that taxi man upthread that give all taxi drivers a bad name.

Expecting a tip for breaking the law and putting people's lives in danger. WTF?

He did say it was his first fare, and I think he might have been spoofing alittle

Tipping Taxi Drivers

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