Tipping your garbage guys and mail delivery

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well it's nice that you all feel so appreciative and all that jazz. Good for you. Enjoy your giving, and your ability to give, and leave the rest of us alone without the name calling. A lot of these professions pay more than you are giving credit for, but even if they didn't it's not my job to go around dropping money like the tooth fairy.

I have my own family to worry about and when I feel like being charitable, I'll give to a charity or to an individual who I know for sure needs it.

It's not about charity. It's about being a human being in a culture that shows appreciation through tipping.

Maybe in your neck of the woods, but in my neck of the woods appreciation is shown by saying thank you.

Saying thank you is minimal, basic politeness. Perhaps say it with extra warmth and actually convey appreciation, but somehow I doubt it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Someone told me that the garbage guys love a case of beer on top of the garbage can.

Do you run out and do it when you hear the truck coming? IF you put it out earlier...who's to say someone else will grab it?

How do you do that??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I do not tip government employees, and would certainly not expect a tip if I were a government employee. I realize fully that the person delivering my mail is a real live woman with children who does a good job (in rain and sleet, etc etc), and who would probably gratefully accept a tip at Christmas time. I just can't do it. I cannot give any tip (even cookies) to a person who has taken a job in the public sector. I absolutely believe there should be a training at every application session for the public sector, "Why you cannot ever accept even something SEEMING like a tip from the people you serve." I don't think you should take a job in the public sector if you don't understand the importance of providing equal service to everyone and that a tip (in any form) corrupts the system.

I'm sure that the people earning $24k a year (for a family of four) who are serving you day in and day out really appreciate your high-mindedness. Or I guess they just realize that you don't appreciate their work and that you're a cheapskate.

Happy holidays, Scrooge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I always tip the garbage men. They come rain, shine, snow or holiday. Our regular trash days are Monday & Thursday. I thought the schedule would change on Thanksgiving so they could spend the day with their families. Nope, there was garbage pickup on Thanksgiving morning. They work a hard (and stinky) job and I don't mind tipping them one bit.


Do most jurisdictions collect trash from SFHs two days a week? (I live in a condo, but I always thought it was usually once a week. Two is nice!)


Whats up with needing trash collection 2x/week? Who generates that much refuse? We have 2 kids and a dog and we can 2 weeks between collections. Of course, if you are not recycling your paper, cans, bottles, etc then you will have lots of trash.

I don't NEED trash collection 2x/week, but that's what my homeowners' association contracts the trash collection agency to do. Sheesh. Why does every little thing bother you so much?

[Anonymous]

Well I need twice a week trash pick up, otherwise, the garbage gets nasty. And we recycle far more by volume than what we create in trash. But we also cook at home all the time, and I don't really want things like old chicken parts sitting around a week at a time in my garbage can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not tip government employees, and would certainly not expect a tip if I were a government employee. I realize fully that the person delivering my mail is a real live woman with children who does a good job (in rain and sleet, etc etc), and who would probably gratefully accept a tip at Christmas time. I just can't do it. I cannot give any tip (even cookies) to a person who has taken a job in the public sector. I absolutely believe there should be a training at every application session for the public sector, "Why you cannot ever accept even something SEEMING like a tip from the people you serve." I don't think you should take a job in the public sector if you don't understand the importance of providing equal service to everyone and that a tip (in any form) corrupts the system.

I'm sure that the people earning $24k a year (for a family of four) who are serving you day in and day out really appreciate your high-mindedness. Or I guess they just realize that you don't appreciate their work and that you're a cheapskate.

Happy holidays, Scrooge.

No not Scrooge. I already said, I tip everyone but public servants. And by the way, my sister's neighbor is a mail carrier, and I always give her a Christmas basket, but that is a gift unrelated to the job she does. I am sorry if you don't understand why I hold the line on this, but frankly, I'm quite sure the postal carrier who took the position did not do so for crappy cookies once a year. If they did, they shouldn't have. Because you don't understand a moral decision, doesn't mean the person you call a Scrooge is unkind or ungenerous. Obviously the solution to a person doing great work is a higher salary. And since I'm one of the people who doesn't mind my taxes going up, I think I'm doing more for the postal carriers than the person who slips them a twnety once a year.

[Anonymous]

I have never thought about a Christmas bonus for the garbage men but it sounds like a good idea. I had always heard mail folks can't accept gifts so I'll need to look into that.

I go to Starbucks all the time and love the guys and the woman who work there and know me and are so sweet. I tip sometimes, but not all the time. If I tipped all the time, I would need to go fewer times and that would not be helping them much since fewer customers are not good in an era where Starbucks is closing down. But as Christmas gets closer I will tip more. We tip wait staff and pizza delivery guys VERY generously - always have. Easily over 20% each and every time we go out or order pizza (which these days is not that often).

I also tip the person who cuts my hair very generously and if I get a massage (maybe 2x a year).

I think of tipping as different than holiday gifts. I give the daycare providers a very generous giftcard each year, and I give the woman who cleans our house an extra $100 every Christmas (and tip her 10% every time she comes to clean).

Beer as a gift for garbage men seem kind of random but I'll look into that tradition. Does seem like it would be a logistics issue - where do they store it? What happens if they don't drink?

[Anonymous]

From wikipedia:

"The USPS is often mistaken for a government-owned corporation (e.g., Amtrak) because it operates much like a business, but as noted above, it is legally defined as an "independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States," (39 U.S.C. § 201) as it is controlled by Presidential appointees and the Postmaster General. As a quasi-governmental agency, it has many special privileges, including sovereign immunity, eminent domain powers, powers to negotiate postal treaties with foreign nations, and an exclusive legal right to deliver first-class and third-class mail. Indeed, in 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a unanimous decision that the USPS was not a government-owned corporation, and therefore could not be sued under the Sherman Antitrust Act.[23]"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not tip government employees, and would certainly not expect a tip if I were a government employee. I realize fully that the person delivering my mail is a real live woman with children who does a good job (in rain and sleet, etc etc), and who would probably gratefully accept a tip at Christmas time. I just can't do it. I cannot give any tip (even cookies) to a person who has taken a job in the public sector. I absolutely believe there should be a training at every application session for the public sector, "Why you cannot ever accept even something SEEMING like a tip from the people you serve." I don't think you should take a job in the public sector if you don't understand the importance of providing equal service to everyone and that a tip (in any form) corrupts the system.

I'm sure that the people earning $24k a year (for a family of four) who are serving you day in and day out really appreciate your high-mindedness. Or I guess they just realize that you don't appreciate their work and that you're a cheapskate.

Happy holidays, Scrooge.

I am not the person you quoted but you sound really stupid.

If you have a problem with what people are paid, and I seriously doubt that mail carriers are only earning $24K, then your problem is not with people who see no need to tip them. But you are too short sighted to see that because it makes you feel all warm and tingly that you can come in and save the day once a year. If you are so concerned, why are you only tipping during the holidays, after all, families have to eat more than once a year.

Giving should be done freely and from the heart. Not because people want to avoid being called names, or made to feel guilty by faux do-gooders.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well I need twice a week trash pick up, otherwise, the garbage gets nasty. And we recycle far more by volume than what we create in trash. But we also cook at home all the time, and I don't really want things like old chicken parts sitting around a week at a time in my garbage can.

Our trash with AAA went from twice a week to once a week-same size can. Recycling went from the 2 milk cart type things to a slightly smaller can with lid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you tip these people during the holidays? Sometimes I say yes and other times I say "I didn't get a tip for doing my job"...am I being a grinch?

This is absurd and I have actually seen cards for Garbage collectors, mailmen, etc. These people have regular jobs and are paid well above minimum wage. Would you tip your bus driver or metro train operator or the really useless ones who sit in kiosk? No. Tip waitstaff generously because they only get $2.10/hr. Stop the silliness now of tipping everyone who provides a city or government service.

Does this include teachers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you tip these people during the holidays? Sometimes I say yes and other times I say "I didn't get a tip for doing my job"...am I being a grinch?

This is absurd and I have actually seen cards for Garbage collectors, mailmen, etc. These people have regular jobs and are paid well above minimum wage. Would you tip your bus driver or metro train operator or the really useless ones who sit in kiosk? No. Tip waitstaff generously because they only get $2.10/hr. Stop the silliness now of tipping everyone who provides a city or government service.

Does this include teachers?

Don't some teachers make $70k-$80k?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you tip these people during the holidays? Sometimes I say yes and other times I say "I didn't get a tip for doing my job"...am I being a grinch?

This is absurd and I have actually seen cards for Garbage collectors, mailmen, etc. These people have regular jobs and are paid well above minimum wage. Would you tip your bus driver or metro train operator or the really useless ones who sit in kiosk? No. Tip waitstaff generously because they only get $2.10/hr. Stop the silliness now of tipping everyone who provides a city or government service.

Does this include teachers?

Don't some teachers make $70k-$80k?

Even if they do, it's barely enough to support a family in this area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I do not tip government employees, and would certainly not expect a tip if I were a government employee. I realize fully that the person delivering my mail is a real live woman with children who does a good job (in rain and sleet, etc etc), and who would probably gratefully accept a tip at Christmas time. I just can't do it. I cannot give any tip (even cookies) to a person who has taken a job in the public sector. I absolutely believe there should be a training at every application session for the public sector, "Why you cannot ever accept even something SEEMING like a tip from the people you serve." I don't think you should take a job in the public sector if you don't understand the importance of providing equal service to everyone and that a tip (in any form) corrupts the system.

The USPS is now a private company. (If that changes anything for you.)

. Not true. It's an "independent federal agency." USPS employees shouldn't accept cash tips.

[Anonymous]

I give generous cash gifts to the garbage men and the parking garage attendant. These guys work thier asses off (with a smile) for a fraction of what I make. Why not share the wealth? btw, what puts a spring in your step - cookies or cash?