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This is just me but....
-Taxi. Roughly 20% of the fare but a minimum of $5.00. (I drove a taxi part-time while I was in college so I have a soft spot for these guys. Nowdays, many of them own the car, pay the gas and work long hours just to make enough to pay the rent and feed the family. In the 'old days', when I drove, the cab company owned the car and gassed it up; the driver got a percentage of the total fares before tips so the driver didn't have to front costs like many do today. Sorry for the rant. )

-Hotel shuttle. $3.00 to $5.00 depending upon the distance to the hotel and how helpful and friendly the driver is.

-Luggage check. Usually $1.00 per bag but a minimum of $3.00. If the baggage handler has been especially helpful and/or friendly I usually bump it up a buck or two.

One other thing---some of these rates may vary. For instance, luggage check in DT S.F. will probably expect more than luggage check in DT Petaluma.

As I said, that's just me....

We do tip here - the OP's friend was wrong. I think 20% for a taxi fare is right (but disagree with the five dollar minumum), sometimes but don't always tip hotel shuttles (only when they help with luggage), and always tip luggage check $1-2 per bag.

we did tip- but assumed that was expected.

Make sure you visit the sea lions at Fishermans' Wharf. They are something else I'm too old to give any recommendations on fun places for students though!

Have they come back? There was quite a bit of local news coverage about a month back speculating they may have gone off to Oregon or Monterey. I've been out traveling and might have missed coverage of the return. Any Bay Area FTers know if they're back?

oh dear- I hadn't read that.

Marine mammal mystery - I am not sure if they are back yet.

And now they seem to be returning

We were there in October. Glad to see they are returning.

Maybe the sea lions read FT, and didn't want to disappoint incoming visitors .....

For taxis, I'll tip a bit over 20% for short trips (on a $10 fare, $3 or so, not $5), and for hotel parking shuttle, I "insist" that they earn their $1 per bag tip (almost always $2, as I travel with roller and computer bag).

Taxi's: usually a little over 10% for a large fare, but round up to the most convenient number. If it's $5, I give $6. If it's $10, I'll give $12. Fare from the airport is usually $33-$34. I'll give them $40. But if the fare is $35, I'll still give them $40. If it is $36-$37, I'll give them $42.

Give what you think is reasonable and fare. No $5 minimum, no 20% minimum. I have never heard of that.

Since I am local, when the taxi tries to jack me with the fare by taking some ridiculously circuitous route (which they have done and I've called them on it), I give them zero tip. Many times, I just call car service because it's a flat rate; there are no games. When you arrive in a city, and you know the cab driver jacks you hard with the crazy long route, it just leaves a really bad taste in your mouth. You know the extra little bit of money is not that critical, but the whole principle of being 'taken for a ride' just doesn't sit well. I hate how cab drivers try to squeeze more money out of you like that. It's analogous to cutting in line, riding the bus without paying, cheating on the test. Just a morally bad thing to do, and it makes the start of your trip just awful.

Free shuttle service: General rule is $1 per bag.

Luggage hold: $1 per bag.

As a college student, you cannot be expected to be tipping like Rockefeller or Trump. Just tip what you think is fare and reasonable.

For fun cheap things: Golden gate bridge, golden gate park, chinatown, north beach, union square.

Your friends are either sorely misinformed, are jerks, or are trying to play a joke on you.

Tipping in California follows standards for the USA. If you're not sure what that means, consult this excellent thread over in the TravelBuzz! forum: Foreign Tipping Guide by Country & Region.

There are definitely things to do in SF for little or no money. I suggest taking a walking tour through Chinatown and North Beach. Stay on the lookout for interesting places to grab a meal or a few drinks. Fishermen's Wharf is popular with many people, though I find it too touristy. If the weather's nice, head over to the Golden Gate Bridge. Visit Fort Point beneath the southern foot of the bridge and then take a walk halfway across the span.

BTW, be prepared for un-summery weather in SF in August. If the fog's in, temperatures could be in the mid 60s (18-20 Celsius) during the day and cooler at night. Mark Twain, one of the USA's most respected writers and humorists, once quipped, "The coldest winter I spent was a summer in San Francisco!"

There are some fine things to do already mentioned. But I think that, for a college student, you'd find more amusement along Haight Street - Ashbury to Stanyan or Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley (a short BART ride). Chinatown (San Francisco or Oakland) can be fun. If you want more active stuff, The Exploratorium at the Palace of Fine Arts in SF of Lawrence Hall of Science (above UC Berkeley campus) are science-oriented play.

That sounds like some kind or rip off or rich people does, really not a good recommendation for OP as a college student. Besides, I come to SF several times a year, never heard of any locals said anything like you had mentioned, SF is no different to any big city in the US, and I live in chicago.

Minimum of $5 as a taxi ? Are you kidding ? It is not even in NYC.

Hotel shuttle no matter wherever you go in US is never $3-$5, it is always $1 per bag and only if they help. That is standard for leisure or even business travelers.

Luggage check at hotels is never minimum of $3, think about how much you pay for the hotel ! It is a service already included in the cost of your room, and all of these people work in a hotel get salary, even if they work in a bar. They are not like waiters in individual restaurant only survive with tips.

This applies to all hotels not unless one is staying in Ritz or Four Seasons, which I doubt OP as a college student is going to one of those.

As others have said, we follow standard tipping practices as the rest of the USA. Here's my general rule:

Taxi: 10% - 15%. Adjust up or down if your driver was good or bad
Airport shuttle: $1-$2. $1 if they just drive you. $2 or more if they help you load bags
Luggage hold: $2 for 1st bag and $1 for each additional

As far as things to do for a college student - depends what you like.

If you like museums, hit the SF Museum of Modern Art. If you like tourist stuff, hit Fisherman's Wharf and then take a cable car around town. If you like window shopping, go to Union Square. If you like to just hang out, go to the Haight-Ashbury district. If you enjoy some history, take the boat to Alcatraz Island...

Tell us what you like and we'll take good care of you