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tipping etiquette at carts?
Posted: 4:04 pm, August 6th, 2009 in Miscellaneous
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45 Comments
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Isn't this why the French make fun of us (Well, one of many reasons)? We like to tip everyone who provides a service - so American!
I'm not against tipping if the food AND service is above average. That's hard to access at a cart until carts start shelling out waiters to take our order.
Props to you for giving love to a cart though. -
It's never wrong to tip---you just don't need to in a lot of cases....and streetcarts are one of them, although an extra something at Xmas for your morning coffee guy is acceptable (at least to me)....
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If I chose to eat at a "cart" then someone should tip ME.
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@CockChug: Here's a tip, go kill yourself.
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I do *not* tip during lunch. The money pours in during the lunch hours.
After hours though, I do tip. After a session at Jimmy's Corner, I stop at the biryani cart for kati rolls. I throw them a $10 for two rolls (that should cost $6). Considering I tip in excess at Jimmy's Corner (well at most bars where I get good service), I figure it's only fair. Granted, the guys probably work harder during lunch hour than after hours, and they're making the same minimum wage, I figure the after hours guys are at a bigger risk of being downsized due to demand, and the lunch hour guys have enough demand to justify their hours.
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off topic.. but i have a big problem with tipping cab drivers.. i mean.. i do it obviously (around $1 dollar per cab ride unless the cab rid >= $10)... but... i feel like i'm paying him for the service of driving the cab... waitress/waiter is obviously different. You pay for the food (although arguable, you're paying for parts of her/his salary), but mainly for the food, so a tip is appropriate (as is a delivery guy)... but things like... cabs... haircuts... i just find tipping to be... unnecessary.. maybe because I grew up in a country where you don't tip anywhere (not even waiter / waitresses)
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Why tip someone for a job I'm capable of doing myself? I can deliver food. I can drive a taxi. I can, and do, cut my own hair. I did however, tip my urologist, because I am unable to pulverize my own kidney stones.
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Dude, cabbies work on seriously razor thin margins. They make running a cart look lucrative. OT, avoid paying with those credit card things too, they eat into the profits as well (the fee on those things is pretty outrageous).
I'm willing to bet that the service industry in your home country is paid on average better compared to the cost of living in that country than in the states.
With haircuts, I tip so that they can afford to keep the shop open.
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Yeah, I tip my barbers too---since they only charge 14, I give them a 20. They are very nice to me...
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I give a little something during the Holidays, depending if I go there often...
...If I remember to that is.
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@adamprato
I'm afraid not, although that would make perfect sense. It's an economic clusterfuck over there in many ways i guess... getting paid something like 2$ an hour for a waiter w/ no tip... (this was 6-7 yrs ago tho). That is definitely not above the average for the cost of living.
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@adamprato don't worry, I actually do tip -- that was just a quote from Dwight Schrute of The Office.
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Anyone else tip carts? That's just something different.
Maybe you can count those times of the mysterious extra dollar at 53rd/6th as a tip.
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i've never actually tipped carts. Mainly because the cart I frequent aren't really friendly people. But if I had an experience where the guys working the cart were really nice, I could see myself tipping them. Although w/o a tipping jar, I would feel extremely weird about it.
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I always tip! Carts, door men, that freak in the men's bathroom at TGIFs in Forest Hills who hangs out with a tray of cologne, paper towels and mints. I tip not for services rendered but for services forth coming.
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@ FileEditView....... dont worry...i got the reference =)
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Tip for services forth coming? So if the pizza delivery guy delivers 30 mins too late, you already tipped him/her? Haha.
The tip needs to be earned. Or why bother typing for nothing? -
tipping for nothing*
It's not like we get our bonus at the beginning of the year. ;P
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Yeah I thought it sounded familiar. I couldn't find it when I searched though.
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I *hate* bathroom attendants. I don't need anyone attending to me in the bathroom (with very FEW and SPECIFIC exceptions).
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@sushiburger
The lack of tipping jar is exactly what made me feel so weird about tipping the guy in the first place.
I felt like maybe I was being presumptuous that he even wanted/expected it (although who doesnt want more money?) and also what was going on with me that I felt compelled to do so almost as if it was a trained response?
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It would be absurd to tip someone working a cart. Nominal overhead, minimal taxes paid and token service equals the big goose egg for a tip.
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Well, we now know who's a messy eater, who's cheap, who still has their wisdom teeth... quite a profile ya'll are creating here :-P
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I'm a messy eater. Kinda cheap too depending on the situation. I do tip at sit-downs, cabs, and barber.
Cart is just too weird. Maybe if the food was a lot cheaper and I felt it deserved to be matched by the prices of other carts. Like say an out-of-this-world excellent $4 plate(like they would even exist) would deserve a fiver.
I'm against over-tipping. No good can come from being too nice.
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I tip my regular cart guys at the end of year just before Xmas something decent 10-20 (depending how often I go to them during the year), like a holiday thank you for feeding me cheaply during the year.
Tip my barbers 5-6 bucks on 14-15 dollar haircuts everytime but give the a 20 buck tip to them around holiday time also.
But hey, everyone's in a different situation with a different outlook towards tipping so do what you got to do.
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I believe in karma----if you tip well and treat others well, good things will happen. I believe this is why I often find random bills on the street--5s, 10s, 20s, little wads of 1s..although it has been nearly a yr. since my last big score (a 20 on the way home from the gym)....
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@elektrokuter: Yeah, I agree.. that's a tough situation. If the cart charged like $5.50 (which I've seen them do), I can just say keep the change without feeling weird (and I know it's a lousy tip).. but without the jar... I would be slightly afraid that it would seem like I'm being condescending in some way... although.. as you said.. who doesn't want more money...
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@ mamacita I am NOT a messy eater, damn it! lol.
Does anyone tip the gas station attendant who fills your tank? (In NJ where full serve is mandatory or those of us who spring for full serve.)
I never even thought of doing so until I was friends with someone who worked at a gas station and bitched to me about not being tipped, which totally surprised me. Since I fill my own gas, it didn't cross my mind again until once, driving through some other state alone, I was friggin' lost and pulled into some random station at like 2 in the morning, and the teenager working gave me very, very specific directions, so I handed him a couple bucks and practically gushed "Thank you SO much!" He looked surprised but he didn't exactly thrust it back at me and say "Ew, I don't want your money." I didn't buy anything, I only received directions. It was worth the $2, too.
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@ Yvo
I've never tipped the gas guy, but almost always use credit cards there. I once gave the gas attendant a very cold soda on a hot day though. But I also leave cold waters out for the postman.I was once in a car where the driver tipped the toll collector. So weird.
I've never tipped at a cart, I just never thought about it. Mr. Shotglass is in the service industry so I'm big on tip karma. And I never want to be the customer a waiter complains to their family about when they get home.
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No tipping gas guys in NJ....I grew up there. Your friend is whack if he thinks he deserves or is entitled to tips.
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He worked at a gas station in Howard Beach actually... it's now a Chase branch, but I think it used to be completely full serve and one of the most expensive gas stations in the area. I think he also used to wash the windows and do that sort of thing like they "used to back in the day" at full serve stations. *shrug*
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Never, ever tip NJ gas guys. I'd much prefer doing the gas-pumping myself, and invariably it takes several minutes longer if you have to wait for the attendant to pump and process my credit card.
I'll tip carts at Christmastime, but really, seeing tip jars sprout like mushrooms at food establishments has caused me to react in the exact opposite fashion from what they're trying to accomplish.
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OK--- Here is Api's list of places where I tip, how much, and additional info if needed. Also, tipping suggests at least a MODEST amount of service
1. Barber--- Tip-- Dunno why, you just tip the barber
2. Restaurant where the server does things--- 20% if good service, 18-15% if fair, 10% if Scheiss with bill
3. Buffet style where server just brings water and bread--- 10-15%, 20% if I am a "Regular" (like our dim sum place) with bill
4. Cart-- $1.00 Cause I am usually a "repeat offender" and they'll remember and usually load you up. with bill
5. Taxi-- $2.00 per ride or slightly more on a "round" up with bill
6. Coat Check--- $1.00 per coat, before and one when picked up
7. Bartender-- $1.00 per drink
8. Valet/Parking garage attendant-- $2.00 when parking, $2.00 when picking it up after
9. Delivery guy. $2.00 if under $10.00 total and $1.00 additional for every $5.00 over that, capped at 5.00 total -
Oh---Some more
Luggage dudes-- $1.00 for small bag, 2.00 for heavy
Shoe Shine-- $2.00
Doorman at Christmas-- $30-$50
Maintence Dudes at Christmas--- $20-40
Gas Station guy IF HE WASHES WINDOWS--- $2.00 -
I'm with Apik, if you have a regular cart guy (repeat offender LOL!) tipping guarantees a little extra 'love' in your order. Maybe extra meat, sauces, or just being able to choose your own combo with no hassles, maybe having your order ready one they see you turn the corner. Plus, it's a tough job, out in the sweaty sun/hot grill/crabby customers/TOURISTS!!,that slow up the line and ask stupid questions/hassles with police... I wouldn't do it.
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Api, great list! I think we could be friends and hang out lol. Except for one thing... you tip your doorman more than you dip the maintenance guys? I don't have a doorman (boohoo) but I would suspect that the maintenance guys do more work, no?
(Of course, I also see both of my maintenance guys every single morning, they always say hi to me and they both always stop to pet my dog, and I can see they really work very hard.)
PS my sister and brother in law tip 20-25% at the buffet place they go to frequently where the servers only bring drinks and remove plates... BIL says "because we eat so much that it gets to be a pain and so much extra work for them" lol
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"2. Restaurant where the server does things--- 20% if good service, 18-15% if fair, 10% if Scheiss with bill"
[...]
"7. Bartender-- $1.00 per drink" -- you forgot the Man rule: 25%+ depending on how how the waitress/bartender is.
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I see my doorman more then I see the maintence guys.... hence, tip them more. I tip the 1 maintence guy I am on first name terms with more then I tip the "head nod" guys.
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If i'm a regular at a bar, I'll generally tip the guy $20 at the beginning of the night. That usually leads to more than $40 in free drinks... it's an upfront investment.
Hey guys, got a maybe weird question - do you guys tip street cart guys you buy your food at?
Today I went to a cart I never been to today, guy was very pleasant, had a nice conversation and I tipped him afterwards.
After, I felt weird about it, because he didn't have a tip jar out like some others do.
Maybe I was being presumptuous, I don't know I'm probably just being weird.
What do you guys think?