Tip Thruway Driver?

[Rail Freak]

If I take the thruway bus Denver-Raton, does the driver usually get tipped?

 

[Bob Dylan]

Its a regular Greyhound and Greyhound drivers aren't tipped! Perhaps if they help with luggage, make a put stop @ a good place etc. you may want to tip them if they are allowed to accept tips!

 

[greatcats]

No, I would not normally tip the bus driver. I did tip once a Megabus driver who was a real gentleman.

 

[the_traveler]

If it's a private company, maybe - but I would not tip a regular Greyhound driver on a regular Greyhound route. That IMO would be like tipping the engineer on your train, since (s)he "drives" your train much like the Greyhound driver drives your bus.

 

[bobnjulie]

We've tipped if they are helping with the luggage....

 

[GG-1]

Aloha

I consider Tipping as a way to show appreciation for service above the call of duty. So if the driver handles baggage loading unloading and or acts as a tour guide I will tip them.

 

[railiner]

Aloha

I consider Tipping as a way to show appreciation for service above the call of duty. So if the driver handles baggage loading unloading and or acts as a tour guide I will tip them.

I agree with this....normally a line haul bus driver does not receive tips, as a charter or tour driver does. But if he goes beyond what would be just normal good service, and does some extraordinary service...a gratuity would be in order....

 

[willem]

Aloha

I consider Tipping as a way to show appreciation for service above the call of duty. So if the driver handles baggage loading unloading and or acts as a tour guide I will tip them.

I agree with this....normally a line haul bus driver does not receive tips, as a charter or tour driver does. But if he goes beyond what would be just normal good service, and does some extraordinary service...a gratuity would be in order....

Are you saying a charter or tour bus driver normally receives a tip, even for just normal good service? Put another way, is a charter or tour bus driver analogous to a waitress, who does get tipped for normal service? How would one determine service above the call of duty?

I'm not challenging any of the statements, just trying to clarify them for my own behavior. Thanks for any insight.

 

[the_traveler]

Sometime (but not always) a charter or tour bus driver may point out points of interest along the way or may stop at Red Lobster for lunch or the next rest area for a break stop. I would probably tip him/her for that. I doubt a regular route Greyhound driver would stop at "the rest area on I-25 between exits 135 and 158 for 45 minutes" unless it was a planned stopping point or the bus had problems. (Only once in my past life did something like that happen - and it was due to engine problems and the bus eventually broke down on the NY Thruway!)

 

[railiner]

Aloha

I consider Tipping as a way to show appreciation for service above the call of duty. So if the driver handles baggage loading unloading and or acts as a tour guide I will tip them.

I agree with this....normally a line haul bus driver does not receive tips, as a charter or tour driver does. But if he goes beyond what would be just normal good service, and does some extraordinary service...a gratuity would be in order....

Are you saying a charter or tour bus driver normally receives a tip, even for just normal good service? Put another way, is a charter or tour bus driver analogous to a waitress, who does get tipped for normal service? How would one determine service above the call of duty?

I'm not challenging any of the statements, just trying to clarify them for my own behavior. Thanks for any insight.

No, a charter or tour bus driver is not analogous to a "waitress"....but is more like a 'taxicab driver' in a sense...you do tip taxi driver's, don't you?

While a line bus driver is running on a schedule, and follows that regardless of what his individual passenger's may desire, a charter driver is at "the beck and call" of the group chartering the bus, and strives to safely transport them wherever and whenever they desire, within reason...

A line driver may have baggagemen load and unload his bus at major terminal's, while a charter driver will always perform that task himself at wherever the group goes. In addition, a charter driver on longer trips will often be the one cleaning the coach while the group is at various stops.

A tour bus driver, especially on multiday tours, usually will split the gratuity when a professional tour guide accompanies the tour.

I would point out, that charter and tour driver's generally are not paid as well as line driver's, and depend a lot on gratuities as part of their income...

I hope that clears that up...