... The taxi went on the Brooklyn Bridge, so no tolls. I paid $31 and was scolded by the driver for a lousy tip. (Well, geez, I had to wait in line 20 minutes, which defeats the whole purpose of taking a cab, IMHO) The driver rejected the tip.....
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NYC Cab Driver is one of the world's most dangerous professions, so drivers certainly deserve more than a $1 tip on a $30 fare.
I'm sorry you had to wait 20 minutes for a cab, but that certainly wasn't the cabby's fault, so why stiff him because of it? It will only make the driver less likely to go to JFK in the future, increasing waiting-times even more.
Otherwise, thanks for the interesting and informative report.