Tipping at Marinas

[DRFerron]

Recently we visited a marina and one of the marina employees helped with our lines so I gave him a tip. He took the money and didn't say thank you, just turned away and moved on to the next boat in our group.

I'm wondering if I gave too little. What is the recommended tip? There wasn't anything unusual about getting into the slip, all he did was secure two of our lines for us.

[gulfcoastcruiser]

Next time don't leave a tip

[rockDAWG]

Hmmmm, helping with two lines. I don't think so. Unlike the wait staff in the restaurant, they are paid by their employee.

If they go above and beyond and super friendly, it may call for a tip. I would not be over thinking this. There are many reasons that he failed to say thank you. Whatever it is, it is NOT you.

I have sailed with my captains, and watched many captain in the fuel dock etc. I have not seen anyone pays tips.

[ardoin]

I help folks tie up all the time at my dock and I've never been offered a tip. As one that is living aboard, we just help when needed. I never expect a tip either, just expect my transient neighbors to be polite and respect my home yard.

[DRFerron]

Originally Posted by ardoin

I help folks tie up all the time at my dock and I've never been offered a tip. As one that is living aboard, we just help when needed. I never expect a tip either, just expect my transient neighbors to be polite and respect my home yard.

Our neighbors help, too, at my own marina, as do we. In this case we were at another marina where I paid for a slip and one of the employees helped us.

I'm not stressing about it, just curious and thought I'd throw it out there while I waited for the Phils/Braves game to start. Seems to me it's akin to tipping someone who parks your car but maybe I'm wrong.

[RobGallagher]

There is the possibility that he/she was never tipped before and did not know what to say.

I have always worked around tipped employees and some of them even have to be trained to say thank you. Not that they are rude, just sometimes shy or unsure of themselves.

Then again...

[TheSeaPenguin]

I have to agree with Rob. I think it is likely that the guy didn't know how to respond. The few times I have tipped people in situations where it wouldn't be normally expected (such as for non-delivery pizza that I was picking up 2 minutes before they closed) there wasn't really a response.

[Quickstep192]

I sometimes dock for a day in a marina in town. It's very hard to get lines around their tall pilings, especially if I'm alone, so help is greatly appreciated. I usually give the guy $5 and he's very gracious in accepting it.

[224]

1

[TheSeaPenguin]

Originally Posted by 224

Unfortunately of course the habit is now so entrenched in the United States that it is almost impossible to purge it from modern society. One of my great fears is, with American tourism, it will become a contagion to the rest of the civilised world.

When I travel in America I carry my own bags, I don't wish to be shown my room, I'm not interested in having my bed turned down, I'm capable of establishing how the television functions.

I also believe Americans tip the wrong people. You tip the surly, the discontent and the resentful when the real people in your lives who you should be tipping is someone like the cardiac surgeon who repairs your heart after you have willfully destroyed it with poor nutrition and other adverse health choices. This man you never tip. Rather you sue him because he may leave bruising.

While I agree that tipping can be overdone, it is a great way to reward good service and indicate that in the future you would like good service. Typically in America jobs that require tipping are paid _well_ below minimum wage (varies by state, but when it goes below we are talking maybe $3 an hour). This is a travesty all of its own, but not one many of use have the power to change. I tend to tip as a reward (either because they did well or I made things hard), or because I know the next time I come in I am going to get the best service ever.

That is the nice part.

(abusive language deleted)

"Obesity in Australia has been described as an "epidemic" with "increasing frequency." The Medical Journal of Australia found that obesity in Australia more than doubled in the two decades preceding 2003,[3] and the unprecedented rise in obesity has been compared to the same health crisis in America." (Obesity in Australia - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

I understand it is very much "in vogue" to bitch about the fat Americans... but really. Not only is your response not on topic it has about as much common decency as (more abusive language deleted)

If you want to talk about the politics of tipping medical professionals as it relates to medical care and the relation of medical care to double cheeseburgers... start a new topic.