Homeless are not panhandlers and
Panhandlers are not homeless.
It’s rare that an actual homeless person asks for money. I’ve read articles on studies and some panhandlers are making 20 to 30,000 a year.
Give your money to local services who actually know how to serve those truly in need. If you truly feel you need to directly pay on the street, find a homeless encampment and give to the true homeless who aren’t actually asking for money.
Hotels in HI waved these fees when they opened up in the fall of 2020 trying to lure guests back. Travel was indeed picking up slowly. I probably already told the story of our “private” jet travel to Oahu in the travel thread.
But came 2021… Those resort fees are baaaack!
Of course, there are no resort fees at Four Seasons properties (only for fancy cabana rentals).
Sure - but the amount of the increase is still egregious, especially for 2-star hotels.
But I guess plenty of people regularly pay what I consider to be insane prices to go to Disney and stay at Disney property hotels, so if there’s a demand and no one says “enough”, then it will continue to go on.
We just went to a comedy show this weekend where the comedian did a bit about tipping. Was joking that he didn’t understand why he was expected to tip at Subway when he basically had to instruct the employee how to make his sandwich.
During the beginning of covid we ordered delivery alot - both food and groceries. We tipped very well figuring that the people who were out working so that we could stay at home deserved the tips. But since then I have started to get a bit annoyed by the expectation to tip EVERYONE. At first I blamed the ipad/square readers and assumed it was the software that just had the tip screen built in. But I have been to enough places that have bypassed that screen that I know it must be possible. I am starting to be a bit more “picky” about who I tip and how much. Prices of everything are so high and we are basically retired, meaning we live off investments which have taken a hit recently. Last night we went out to eat a a food hall type place (multiple small restaurants in one building). We tipped our servers, etc. But then on our way out we stopped by one place to grab some frozen empanadas to take home for dinner a different night. Of course the tipping screen came up when we paid. The three suggested amounts were 25%, 20% and 15%. Seems like a lot for someone who reached into a freezer for 10 seconds and handed me a few small boxes.
We use credit cards almost exclusively. Heck, I have a phone case with a small credit card holder on the back which means most of the time I don’t carry my purse or any cash. But I am starting to wonder if I tip more because I don’t really think about it a lot and don’t get hit with the full amount until my bill comes weeks later. I’m trying to be a bit more thoughtful about my tips. I still try to tip well for those who I always would have tipped well but trying not to feel pressured in those cases where tipping just seems unnecessary or the amounts suggested seem excessive.
Regarding panhandlers- In my previous life before retirement I took care of many homeless people and panhandlers. I particularly was struck by how some panhandlers made fun of people who gave them money and bragged about their income. It went to alcohol money. So, yes, homeless shelters, food banks, and soup kitchens are in my opinion the way to go for donations. Those were readily available and they were within blocks of them.
When we were in Argentina I noticed that it was common for people when they go into a deli type place to buy an extra sandwich and give it to the people sitting on the sidewalk. It seemed to be accepted well there. I agree this would not necessarily work in a lot of situations.
Back in the stone age I worked for Dollar Rent a Car and learned a few stats about car rentals - many accidents happen in rentals because the driver isn’t familiar with the vehicle they’re now driving - the dimensions, the braking speed, how it handles on turns, even its pick up - also many car break-ins happen with rentals because thieves know what they look like (certain stickers and other identifiable marks) and are hoping to find luggage, etc. Lastly, if you use your own insurance for a rental and you need to file a claim, it will increase your premiums for up to 5 years.
These days I get car rental insurance as part of a general travel insurance policy (never from the car rental company) - my upcoming trip the 10 days is costing $210. That fully covers the car, and almost anything else that might go awry during the trip. It’s not terrible. I’ve had to use the car insurance portion 2x in the past 6 years and both times it was as easy as handing back the keys. Never heard another word about either -
I am ok with tips that get shared with the back house workers (especially not that wait staff makes a better minimum wage). BUT we are leery of adding tips a takeout places etc on credit card … one friend said his son at pizza takeout counter never saw any of the tips. More recently I read about an owner who claims he pools that money to keep wages higher. Yea, right. Hopefully the owners don’t pilfer from the cash cup tips.
Cash tipping has multiple issues (although credit card tipping isn’t perfect).
How do you feel about subsidizing the income of restaurant owners who are ALREADY engaging in tax fraud, wage theft, immigration law violations and often ignoring OSHA safety regulations?
There have been cases in my area of restaurant owners posting “Please tip your server in cash” because the servers are often undocumented, and so the only compensation they get is in tips (i.e. untraceable cash). Or the servers are working past midnight in a state which doesn’t allow minors to work past a certain hour, use a meat slicer (common in delis and diners) etc.
We tipped generously to all kinds of service people during the worst of the pandemic. But I agree, this summer I said it’s time to dial that back. Count me among those who wish we did not have a tipping culture but rather paid workers a decent wage. I’d prefer to know the price upfront which includes labor costs.
I was surprised when a hairstylist who runs her own salon handed me the credit card app with a page for adding a tip. I’ve always thought that the owner isn’t tipped. Years ago I went to a salon with “no tipping” signs. I was a loyal customer there! I did tip because it was the last cut before Christmas but I didn’t like feeling pressured.
I’m a true introvert; I don’t like confrontation or being put on the spot outside of work, so I’m someone who will just avoid establishments that pressure for tips for sevices not historically known for receiving tips. I’m guessing I’m not the only one; do you think the tactic will backfire on companies and unfortunately workers as the economy weakens?
It’s ridiculous that the nicer and more expensive the hotels are…the more the customer gets dinged for ‘extras’ like parking and wifi. Your typical Hampton or Holiday Inn Express charges nothing for those conveniences, but the already pricy places do.
Hampton Inn is my go to choice for those reasons. Plus breakfast!
Thanks for the advice but, no. A big part of the reason I do give money to people who are out in the cold, begging for money is that I know that most people judge them to be scammers, drug addicts, alcoholics or in other categories most “nice” people judge to be sub-human. Having spent several years working in social welfare programs when I was younger and spending years volunteering in food related service, I’m well aware of their limitations and how many people fall through our country’s barely existing “safety nets”.
So it’s great to give to food banks and soup kitchens and everyone should continue to do it. For me, if someone is out in the streets with a sign scrawled on cardboard, begging for food or rent money I’m going to look them straight in the eye and hand them a $5 bill. Maybe they are addicted to either alcohol or opiates but we’re told all the time that addiction is a disease when it affects our own family members but somehow that doesn’t seem to apply to the poor. I can afford to do it and if I’ve been scammed I’ll never know. I just sleep better after giving to most of the pan handlers I encounter, just as I’m sure the people who refuse to give probably sleep better, smug in the knowledge that they haven’t been scammed.
Different strokes.
Nope. If I’m smug in anything it’s knowing that the money I give to food banks/homeless shelters is being put to good use for people who need it.
There are a ton of genuine needs in this world and we, personally, can’t cover all of them, so it’s the same thing with shopping or whatever, we pick what we feel is the best use of our $$. No smugness at all involved, just often a wish that we had more to give to the same places TBH.
I’ve heard from too many people that they don’t get the tips when they’re put on a credit card - hence - our choice to try to tip in cash when we can, even if paying the bill on cc. FWIW, it’s the owners of the places that often keep the tips when they don’t go to the server (hearsay from several workers in different places). I prefer not to subsidize the owner that way.
I don’t give a hoot what nationality someone is. If they’re working for me and I want to tip them, I will. People are people. We all bleed the same.
You misunderstood my point. I also don’t give a hoot what nationality someone is- but facilitating the owner’s taking advantage of a vulnerable worker is the issue. If there were no cash tips, owners would be forced to pay their employees the mandated minimum wage because arrangements like “you keep your tips” (common in nail salons, restaurants, etc. where undocumented folks are working) would no longer function.
Of course we bleed the same. Wage theft, trafficking, etc. are problematic across the board-- but much more common in industries where there is cash tipping.
My neighbor recently met a friend for dinner and chose valet parking for safety reasons. She understood the cost to be $13.00. When she picked up her car, she learned that the cost was $13 (as expected) + 3 (convenience fee) + 4 (mandatory tip). Final cost: $20 to use a parking garage to meet a friend for dinner for a couple hours. She won’t do it again. She and her friend will eat at a different location.
Tax evasion is also more common when transactions are done in cash (currency / coin).
Yes, that $3 “convenience fee” is the type of thing that most riles me up. Isn’t convenience the whole point of paying for the parking garage?
Exactly. If they are gonna charge a mandatory convenience fee, that should be included in advertised rate.