Getting around NY
Jun 28, 2018, 7:56 am
#16
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,498
As an aside, in addition to tipping, keep in mind that in US restaurants sales tax isn't included in menu prices. So expect to pay almost 30% more than the prices you see on the menu (just shy of 9% for sales tax in NYC + another 20% on the pre-tax amount for a tip) in sit-down restaurants. At counter-service restaurants tipping is more optional. Again, tipping is really stupid.
Jun 28, 2018, 8:53 am
#17
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Programs: KLM, BA Silver, Etihad
Posts: 916
You can take the NYC Airporter bus which drops off at Grand Central. Fare is currently $19 o/w , $35 return per person. If it's 2 of you, the cost of a cab isn't that much more and would drop you off at the Dylan.
Jun 28, 2018, 8:53 am
#18
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Programs: KLM, BA Silver, Etihad
Posts: 916
With NYC taxis it's generally expected that you will add 15-20% (most folks will say 20%) to the base fare (before tolls) for a tip. With Uber/Lyft/Juno there's no real rule. When Uber launched they actually forbade tipping and established a bit of a no-tip culture. But Juno and Lyft tried to compete by being more "driver-friendly," and one way to do that was to offer a tip option in the app, so Uber eventually relented to the stupid American tipping culture (I'm American, but see absolutely zero value and a whole lot of downsides to tipping--service businesses should just charge what they expect to be paid and be done with it all). That said, I don't think the 20% tip is nearly as universal with e-hail services as it is with yellow taxis.
As an aside, in addition to tipping, keep in mind that in US restaurants sales tax isn't included in menu prices. So expect to pay almost 30% more than the prices you see on the menu (just shy of 9% for sales tax in NYC + another 20% on the pre-tax amount for a tip) in sit-down restaurants. At counter-service restaurants tipping is more optional. Again, tipping is really stupid.
As an aside, in addition to tipping, keep in mind that in US restaurants sales tax isn't included in menu prices. So expect to pay almost 30% more than the prices you see on the menu (just shy of 9% for sales tax in NYC + another 20% on the pre-tax amount for a tip) in sit-down restaurants. At counter-service restaurants tipping is more optional. Again, tipping is really stupid.
1) Offence
2) Paying too much
Jun 28, 2018, 10:44 am
#19
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: NYC
Posts: 8,498
The same effect occurs with American ethnic/racial groups that are stereotyped as being bad tippers--there have been studies showing that they get worse service in restaurants, for example. And it contributes to ethnic/racial/gender discrimination in the other direction, too, as there is a mountain of evidence that people tip white service people more generously than minority service workers, and women service workers are less likely to report or address sexual harassment for fear of losing tips.
Inertia is the only reason tipping still exists.
Jun 28, 2018, 12:00 pm
#20
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Programs: KLM, BA Silver, Etihad
Posts: 916
It can also result in worse service for visitors, as service workers often assume that visitors won't tip well and therefore aren't worth the effort.
The same effect occurs with American ethnic/racial groups that are stereotyped as being bad tippers--there have been studies showing that they get worse service in restaurants, for example. And it contributes to ethnic/racial/gender discrimination in the other direction, too, as there is a mountain of evidence that people tip white service people more generously than minority service workers, and women service workers are less likely to report or address sexual harassment for fear of losing tips.
Inertia is the only reason tipping still exists.
The same effect occurs with American ethnic/racial groups that are stereotyped as being bad tippers--there have been studies showing that they get worse service in restaurants, for example. And it contributes to ethnic/racial/gender discrimination in the other direction, too, as there is a mountain of evidence that people tip white service people more generously than minority service workers, and women service workers are less likely to report or address sexual harassment for fear of losing tips.
Inertia is the only reason tipping still exists.