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Friday, September 09, 2005

Taxi Tips

Inspired by this post on Desrt Idleness, I offer my own observations on tipping taxi drivers. My basic principle is that I will tip about 10% to good, safe drivers.

I will not tip drivers who pretend to have no change and kind of assume that the tip is theirs by right. I will never tip drivers who think they can manouevre a car round tight corners with only one hand on the wheel. Nor the ones who drive too fast and too close to other vehicles - they usually get rewarded by a question-and-answer session on stopping distances.

The ones who only wear their seatbelt when going onto the highway are also not getting a tip. Just like their colleagues who use their mobile phone without a hands-free.

Tough old sod I am.

But I made one guy's day recently when I told him to keep the change from a Dhs 20 note for a Dhs 14 fare.

'?!', he says.

'You're a very good driver - you earned it'.