Living in Australia I have become used to tipping good service and will happily tip well if a service is performed well, I would never dream of tipping poor service.

I have been to New York 8 or 9 times and have the same mentality there. Sadly this has seen me be chased after by a cab driver because I asked for change from my $11 on a $10.50 fare, if he had been a good driver, kept quiet or held a pleasant conversation with me and most importantly dropped me where I wanted to go whilst obeying all road rules I would most certainly have tipped.

Instead this driver was on his mobile phone the entire journey (illegal), whined that I wanted him to go around the block to drop me outside the place I was going to and not just on the nearest corner (it was raining!), blocked intersections (illegal) and complained when I asked him to go around the block (with meter still running by the way!) to drop me exactly where I wanted to go so I didn't have to walk half way down the block in the outing rain. When I handed over the $11 he said "what?! No tip?" to which I replied "A tip rewards decent, good or exceptional service, NOT terrible service. I would actually like my $0.50 change"

I understand local customs and read up on it before I travel anywhere new however I don't think that many New Yorkers understand the custom of tipping an have diluted it in to an expectation of extra money, even if delivering terrible or no service!