Since when did tour guides and busdrivers start demanding tips? We bought a $95 bus tour of SF that was scheduled for 3 hours but lasted 5 hours thanks to traffic and the driver. The driver had the nerve to ask us for a 20% tip or as he would put it “Tip us like you would a restaurant waiter”…I don’t think so. Waiters are deliberately paid below minimum wage and rely on our tips for a living wage. Tour guides are paid a regular wage. And even if tour guide companies are suddenly stiffing their employees, I don’t think it’s fair that they have shifted the burden of paying their employees onto their customers. Tipping is getting out of hand. I refuse to tip the tour guides. Do any of you feel the same way. When we were in Europe and Asia, none of the tour guides shamelessly asked for tips. This is an American thing. And this just started in the last decade. I’ve been traveling for a long time and tour guides and bus drivers never asked for tips in the past.
5 Responses to “Why Should We Tip A Tour Guide?”
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Don’t tip the bastard…trust americans to turn something which is completely voluntary into something obligatory…
It is normal to tip tour guides if you thought that they did a good job, it is considered polite and makes you not look like a jerk. Tour guides aren’t paid that much either… in Europe you are expected to tip them even if they don’t ask for it i sure hope that you tipped them, otherwise you look even ruder than the guy who asked for a tip.
I never in my life heard of tipping the tour guide. It sounds like he thought he would just try it and if someone falls for it he gets 20 bucks. I would call the company and ask if this is their protocol for their company I’m sure that they will say no & he will be in trouble.
No one should EVER ask for a tip, how rude and tacky. I think it sucks that everyone is asking for a tip nowadays. I work hard for my money and don’t give it away easily. Unless you’re a delivery driver, a waitress or a bellhop-I’m not tipping you, period.
so doesnt end in the bad side of town!