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surabi
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Quote: Originally posted by airmech  |
As far as Cabo —- if you choose to live in a tourist city it will ALWAYS be more expensive whether you tip or not. No matter what country you live
in. Deal with it; you choose to live there. Don't down other people for tipping just because it was your culture in some other country that you grew
up in not to tip. It is the Mexican culture to tip; just like the US. Min wage is not even $7 A DAY here. In many of these small towns they only work
off of tips. Dive masters go out all day catering to customers (sometimes saving there lives) to come back after a long day not earning a dime because
they didn't get one tip. If you cant come down here and respect the culture go back where you came from.
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I haven't seen anyone on this thread advocate for not tipping at all. The question is how much is appropriate to tip. That is something that
foreigners travelling in other countries, no matter what the country is, should inform thmselves about. What may be an insultingly low tip in one
place may be considered generous in another. Those who are so arrogant as to think that it should have nothing to do with the local economies, average
wages, and normal customs but is only dependent on how much they are able and want to leave are exactly that- arrogant. And disrepectful of the
culture, rather than the opposite.
Of course any Mexican will be quite happy to receive a 30% tip, when the norm is 10%. Who wouldn't? Does that mean they will think of you as generous?
Not necessarily. They may very well consider you to be a fool. Or it may lead them to assume that everyone from your country is wealthy, expect to
receive those sorts of tips from all the rest of your countrymen, whether they can afford to tip like that or not, and be resentful when those high
tips are not forthcoming. Whereas before, they were happy and grateful to receive 10-15%.
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dravnx
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| Quote: Originally posted by Man_With_Gas | | Quote: Originally posted by dravnx | I tip well because I can. The difference between $1 and $5 is negligible to me and means a lot to the low wage worker I just tipped.
I learned an important lesson once about this.
I stopped at a small border town to buy some planters. I don't remember where it was but there were a lot of pottery shops along the road. We picked
out about 5 pots and I started negotiating with the owner. It must have been a slow day because he sold these 5 gallons pots for very cheap. I payed
him and started loading the camper and my truck with the pots. The owner loaded his 3 kids and wife into their beater car and drove off. We loaded the
pots and then took a break to eat our picnic lunch. Just as we were finishing up, the guy came back and everyone piled out of the car with groceries.
I thought to myself "self, you could have easily given more then you did and look what they did with the little you did give". That ended my "I can
drive a hard bargain" days. |
You want to feel good about yourself? Give to charities that are supporting disabled people, what about charity for returning soldiers who lost limbs
etc etc, orphans etc etc...
Don't stuff up the Mexican economy so you feel good about yourself. Give where it is TRULY needed for those who CAN'T earn due to their disabilities.
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What makes you think I don't give generously to various orgs?
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MrBillM
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An EASY Choice !
" ......... They may very well consider you to be a fool. Or it may lead them to assume that everyone from your country is wealthy, expect to receive
those sorts of tips from all the rest of your countrymen ......... "
In such situations, I would much rather be considered a well-intentioned fool than a P-nche Gringo.
And, IF doing so influences inflated gratuity expectations from Otra Norte Americanos, OK. I hope so. Over the decades of travel in
Mexico, I've encountered more than a few situations in which the bad behavior of other Gringos have caused me discomfort or
occasioned poor treatment.
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surabi
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| Quote: Originally posted by MrBillM | " .........
And, IF doing so influences inflated gratuity expectations from Otra Norte Americanos, OK. I hope so. Over the decades of travel in
Mexico, I've encountered more than a few situations in which the bad behavior of other Gringos have caused me discomfort or
occasioned poor treatment. |
I think we have all found ourselves in situations where the behavior of other gringos is an embarrassment for anyone to think we are associated with
simply by virtue of being from the same country. When I have witnessed this, I usually call them out for it, in the moment. Like those who speak
loudly and slowly in English to a Mexican shopgirl who obviously doesn't understand English, as if she is simply deaf or mentally handicapped. Or the
well-off woman I was sitting next to on the beach who sucked up the time of a vendor of beautiful Huichol tee shirts who was trying to chisel him down
to selling her two for half the price he was asking for one.
But I don't feel I have to make up for the behavior of those individuals by overtipping or being made to feel cheap because I give the standard tip
that is normal and customary to those who are familiar with the area and the culture.
There are many ways to show respect and appreciation for someone's efforts besides throwing money around. I didn't buy a tee shirt from that man
because I neither needed nr wanted one, but I can tell you that that I got a subtle smile and a nod of appreciation from him as he was packing up all
the shirts he had spread out for the haggling woman to peruse when I turned to her and said, "For Crissakes, this man trudges up and down the beach
all day in the hot sun trying to make enough money to feed his family and you've just wasted his time and insulted him by trying to get him to sell
you some for less than the cost it takes to produce them."
[Edited on 2-11-2020 by surabi]
[Edited on 2-11-2020 by surabi]
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MrBillM
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A Good Tip North or South
I was responding to the quoted line that any so-called "over-tipping" might make one seem the fool to the recipient.
Better that than an alternative negative view.
It's not a matter of OVER tipping in MY opinion. Which, of course, is the only one that counts in such matters.
As I noted in my earlier post, I have always remained consistent on either side of the border and had more than a few (sometimes strained) debate
moments with those (including family members) that I've dined with. I've said to more than one "if you can't afford a decent tip, you should eat at
home".
I simply don't agree with the "adjusting to the third-world economy" rationale. It seems like a "cheapskate" excuse to me.
Face it, those in the "service industry" regardless of location are NOT there as a preferred career choice.
Back in the late '60s living on the beach, my oldest sister (straight out of high school with no particular job skills) lived with me for a couple of
years and took waitress jobs because they were (due to tips) the BEST (paying) jobs available to a female in her situation. The daily abuse she put up
with to earn a living is something that I have been fortunate enough to avoid. I've often commented to a customer-service employee after witnessing
said abuse that "I wouldn't last one day in your job".
Given the choice, ALWAYS err on the plus side. Better the fool than the jerk.
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Lee
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Any discussion, in my opinion, about ''appropriate'' amounts to tip is an issue in political correctness. Since I'm apolitical, discussions look
amusing to me. Should I leave 10% or 15%? Wow. Let's all agree what's appropriate for the betterment of the MX culture. We don't want to
ruin things for the poor.
Don't care what people tip. If they're cheap, they're cheap. Doesn't mean a thing to me. And, I don't care what anyone thinks about how I tip.
I can afford to be generous, or cheap. Like Bill, I'm choosing generous.
Now, back to the discussion about political correctness.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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mtgoat666
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Skin flints that justify their poor tips by claiming that "over-tipping" ruins poor people,... ludicrous!
Let them eat cake!
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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John Harper
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| Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666 | Skin flints that justify their poor tips by claiming that "over-tipping" ruins poor people,... ludicrous!
Let them eat cake!
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God forbid those poor people earn enough to no longer be poor. What a catastrophe that would be for the world.
John
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mtgoat666
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I love California 
Great state!
California Über Alles
California Über Alles
Über Alles California
Über Alles California
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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mtgoat666
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California, and NYC -- 2 of my favorite places!
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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