quote:

Originally posted by Saeed:
The day someone does that to me on my last day in camp, I will throw it away, and not pay a penny, and never deal with that establishment again.

Tip Guilting. I hate it.

I have found fishing charters south of the border, all the way down through Central America to be the worst. In Costa Rica a few years ago, one captain would tell stories about his client, and how disappointed he was that this guy only tipped him $400 on a one day trip.

I'm thinking, "$400 sounds very generous. It's more than I am paying."

Another captain waited until the last day of a 4 day trip and then started telling me that the sunglasses he wears cost $200, and he breaks a few pairs a year, the lodge steals most of his tips, he doesn't get tips at all from some groups because ... blah, blah, blah.

I got very tired of it all. The "Last Day Tip Speech" as the boat heads in, they find the time to come and sit and talk with you about this and that ... and tips.

Now, I just turn the conversation away the very second the word "tip" comes up. I do it in such a manner, that the person knows that I do not wish to talk about how much other people tip.

I get it. It's a third world mentality. A poor captain, mate or whatever living in a shack in Central America or Mexico, is doing the tip guilt story. I give them a good tip anyway. But it does irritate me quite a bit.

I got told I did not tip enough in Tanzania once. The ph came to me and said, "We have a problem, the staff is not happy with the tip amount." It was my second safari ever. Even being new, I got so mad, I wanted to go take it all back.

We met with the staff and they apologized and they felt horrible that the Ph had told us this. I was about to ask for it back when the beans got spilled.

Turns out, the ph and his girlfriend camp manager took 2/3 of the tip and left the staff with almost nothing. They were mad at THEM, not US!

That guy was a creep.

I hope he reads AR.

As a fishing guide myself, I never mention tipping. My price includes my and my mates wages. We often do get a tip but it is always viewed as an extra and is appreciated as such.

Is this fair example?

Nice restaurant, special - tbone steak, baked potatoes and all the trimmings
...$ 19,95
Tips not included in price

Would the place do OK?