Shaaban Ali is an honest taxi driver in the UAE. The Pakistani driver found Dh36,000 ($10,000), a passport and some other documents left by a Saudi passenger in his cab. He worked to track down the owner and soon found his office number. He then contacted the man and waited more than an hour for the man to arrive to pick up the money. The Saudi then gave him a $3 tip for returning the papers, his passport, and the cash.
It is not clear if he intends to send the $3 back to his family living in Kohat, Pakistan or just buy a cup of coffee.
Source: Al Arabiya
just imagine the tip he would have received if stopped by the police and had the saudi’s passport in his possession.
Deborah S, Waiting tables, particularly w/ such an international clientele, is a real world ivy league education. And, probably more valuable if she combines it w/ a college education. She’ll be way ahead of the folks that think one only learns from books. Finally, tipping can be learned if one has a good heart.
My daughter was a waitress at the International Terminal here at DFW and quickly learned that other countries don’t tip very well. Of course they pay their wait staff a living wage. Here in Texas wait staff are paid $2.13 an hour and only get minimum wage if their tip out doesn’t equal $7.50 an hour. In other words staff costs are born by the diner and not the owner. And yes my daughter is a great tipper and has made me a better tipper too.
The tip is not the issue. The value of replacing the money and the passport should be of concerned. How much to replace a passport? Wow. The money speaks for itself.
Blouise, I’m new here. Please tell me about the jazz club days.
Bruce, Be careful. There are folks here who actually think Biden is great. Thank God we’re not con men, we could take all their money.
Magg, It would bust Obama if he contributed as much as Romney does. and Biden is the cheapest of them all
Must be related to Romney!
nick,
I do $5 a night so I’d have to be there for quite a spell to tip $100. I know Mr. Cosby from my jazz club days when he was working the circuit. Yes, you are correct … genuinely nice man and generous to a fault.
Malisha..great joke. But, you forgot to give the standard, “Be sure to tip your waitresses on the way out.”
Correct, Blouise. Housekeepers are told to not take cash unles it’s clearly marked. A few places provide envelopes but usually I just write, “For Housekeeper, Thank You” I worked as a house dick @ the Drake Hotel back in the early 80’s. That’s where my love and respect for housekeepers originated. Bill Cosby would leave a C note for housekeepers when he stayed there. I chatted w/ him once, just a charming, nice man.
RE: Tipping postman.
A certain postman had part of town as his “beat” and every Christmas he got tips from nearly everyone there, but the house number 6319 never tipped, and OK, that happens. So one December 23, he’s delivering mail and a lady opens the front door and says, “Are you the mailman?” He says he is and she invites him in for a cup of coffee and a donut. He’s happy to get a break and a warm interlude, and comes in etc. She then leaves the room for a minute and comes back in a black negligee.
“Would you like to come into the bedroom with me?”
“Sure”
and so forth, and she seduces him.
Then she says, “Would you like more coffee?”
“Sure” and thanks and all.
Then, when he’s almost done with the coffee, he takes out a dollar bill and hands it to him.
“What’s this?” he asks.
“My husband said to give this to you.”
?????
HUH?
“Your husband?” he asks, alarmed, “I don’t understand.”
“Oh,” she responds, “I told my husband that all our neighbors say they tip the mailman at Christmas and should I do that too, and he said, ‘PHUCK HIM, GIVE HIM A DOLLAR.'”
SkinnyDog, he’s not an employee, he’s a silent partner.
The Saudi guy works for Bain Capital.
nick,
and … don’t leave the tip on the table. Put it in the folder or on the tray with the bill, card/cash. And leave the housekeeping tip in an envelope clearly marked for housekeeping.
Blouise, Like yourself, I always tip in cash. Even if I pay a restaurant tab on a card, I’ll pay cash for the tip. They appreciate it. Folks should realize that the IRS is very tough on restaurants. They want to make sure those evil waitresses are declaring all their tips so restaurants are audited frequently. Corporations pay no f@cking taxes, but let’s get every penny from a waitress! And, I’m not surprised in the least you’re generous, Blouise. Being generous makes one feel so good. I often wonder if cheapskates don’t get the joy from being generous?
Anne Vance, Assuming a fact not in evidence, that being you’re question is not sarcastic, no you don’t tip professionals. I’ve sent food to a surgeon who were great to my father and wife. It was just a basket of good food for his whole staff. You don’t tip teachers but a Christmas gift..err Holiday gift, is a nice gesture. I’m old enough to remember teachers getting cartons of cigarettes for Christmas! I tip our garbage guy, newspaper delivery woman, and postal carrier. Now, this is not all altruistic. I tip our regular carrier in Wisconsin @ Christmas and I tip our carrier in San Diego where we spend Jan-April because she helps make sure our mail is forwarded promptly. Regarding public transportation, I would tip our regular bus driver in KC @ Christmas. I took the subway in Chicago so there’s no one to tip. The housekeepers in hotels are my mission. I’m very proud my kids tip them everytime, now that they’re older and on their own.
I’m one of those women who don’t tip enough because I never realized that everyone expects a tip. Should I tip my doctor? My pharmacist? I take a lot of public transportation trips. do I tip the drivers? How about the mail person and the garbage truck driver?
@Anne – Yes to the last two, though letter carriers are prohibited from large gifts, but crafts and baked goods are okay, sometimes gift certs too, but say, $20 limit. Get them a nice pair of gloves for the winter. Garbage truck drivers? Yes, and you’ll see a bit more attentiveness to those “iffy” collection situations. (Talking about collections in a single-family residence subdivision.) We’re still old-style here, a driver and 1-2 loaders, though it all goes to the curb. When I was growing up in the DC suburbs, they came into the back yard to get it. BTW – Was my dream job to ride, holding on the back of a truck, when I was about 6. Coolness.
@Nick – Was going to mention the worst of the worst demographic, female teachers. When living in Fresno, I’d go with a bunch to a particular bar on the last day of school (contracted with Risk Management, knew a lot of them). Several years in a row, 30 or so teachers, mostly females in the group, several hours of drinking, and about $50-60 in tips.
I tip everybody in cash … the kid who loads my groceries into my truck, the guy who loads the driveway sealant into my truck, the server, the bartender, the housekeeping personal, the mailman at New years, the paperboy (used to when papers were delivered), cab drivers, train porters, hair stylists, baristas … hell, I’m a walking, talking ATM machine.
bettykath, I’m not surprised you’re a good tipper and kudos for tipping housekeepers. I just remembered another group of women who are good tippers..hairdressers. I tended bar to help make ends meet when I started my business in 1983. On Thursday evenings a bunch of hairdressers would come to this bar after closing shop, they were fun and tipped generously. At the other end of the spectrum, teachers. We would get teachers from several different schools and two different school districts. The only ones who would tip would generally be the blue collar, shop, drafting teachers. The gym teachers and coaches would usually tip. For the most part the rest, male or female..nothing. And, you don’t need to tip a bartender much for them to be happy. If you had a $10 tab and left me a buck that was fine. Midwesterners are the worst tippers, East Coasters the best. West Coast tip well also. I don’t know about the south or mountain time zone.
I am not trying to start a fight. My family was in the restaurant business. I’m am not saying all women are bad tippers, I’m saying they generally don’t tip as well as men. And Malisha, if you are going to try to convince me that women tip as well as men, having been a waitress yourself, then let’s stop the discussion right now. This is not a value judgement, it’s just a statement of fact. I’m not saying men are better than women because I do not believe that..I’m merely saying they’re better tippers. I’ve waited tables, bartended and so have my siblings and cousins. I have a sister and cousin who are uber feminists, they will say the same thing. Sit down w/ bartenders, waiters and waitresses anywhere and they’ll say the same thing.
Some helpful tips..as it were. Give signals to wait staff that you’re a good tipper, particularly if you’re a woman. if they’re good @ their job, you’ll get a little better service. Bartenders are easy, give them a tip w/ your first drink and if they’re good you’ll get better service and a better pour. And here’s my request, ALWAYS tip your housekeeper in a hotel. Just $5 means so much to them. I usually leave $10. Be kind and generous to the people who serve you.
I believe the relevant finders fee is 10%. What a cheap and ungrateful SOB