Another sad scam........

[driftin' by]

"TIP" does not mean "To Insure Promptness." Actually, if you wrote in English, the phrase would be "To Ensure Promptness" so, TEP is not TIP. 'Tip' is an old word, and it has nothing to do with either acronyms or the act of attempting to influence quality of service. Although the word has many meanings, both as a verb and as a noun, the use of the term as it applies to monetary rewards to servants dates to the 1700s. It first appeared in this context as a verb ("Then I, Sir, tips me the Verger with half a Crown" from the 1706 George Farquhar play The Beaux Stratagem) and was first recorded as a noun in 1755. However, the use of 'tip' to describe the act of giving something to another (where that list of possible 'somethings' could include small sums of money, intelligence on horse races or the latest silly joke) goes back to 1610. 'Tip' slipped into the language as underworld slang, with the verb 'to tip' (meaning 'to give to or share with') being used by shady characters as part of the then-current argot of petty criminals. Nowadays this use of 'tip' has become entirely respectable, but it is amusing that the usage began its linguistic life as tough guy jargon. One wonders if future generations will similarly discover that some of their everyday terms sprang from scenes in The Godfather or were first voiced in episodes of The Sopranos.

I stand corrected. Although, I'm not sure what exactly you meant with the "Actually, if you wrote in English" comment? A subtle way of saying "Listen here you dumb azz"?

I apologize for for passing on misinformation. It was one of those "mama says" bits of information. Totally bewildered by all the scholarly information cowboyneal was passing along regarding the origins of the word, I did a quick search to verify what he was saying in true. Would you believe what I found? The exact same information word for word cowboyneal posted based upon someone else's research. Cowboyneal, you should really cite your references!

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.htm

 

[driftin' by]

but you wouldn't do that, because it costs too much - ok, think about it the next time you buy a case of "Iron City Light"

Guess you have to live in the rust belt to get this one? IC- mmm, mmm good!

 

[Blue Moon]

When I travel to Mexico, which I do frequently, I use pesos... .

Dave

Heck, that’s nothing... I use my extra pesos to tip in Texas…

Blue Moon

 

[Teamcasa]

...AS far as earnings, of course they make less than the average American, but they have a completely different standard of living as well...so it's all relative. Trust me, they do quite well...especially those who own their own cars and licenses.

Well Christi, maybe some of them do OK there in a resort setting but where I travel, they are not doing so well. Not even the ones that work in high end restaurants. The Mexican Government does little to support or care for the poor. In upper Baja, thier goverment sets up communities without electricity, water or and infrastructure other than a dirt road.

I apologize for climbing on my soapbox but there is a huge difference between “they do quite well...especially those who own their own cars and licenses.”, and those of us who pay thousands just to visit and dive.

I guess my point in this mini-rant (again I apologize) is that it upsets me when I read about someone who is mad enough to stiff a poor waiter in Mexico over $5.00. Trust me, $5.00 USD means a great deal more to them than it does to me (us in the USA).

Rant over – sorry.

Dave

 

[Christi]

Well Christi, maybe some of them do OK there in a resort setting but where I travel, they are not doing so well. Not even the ones that work in high end restaurants. The Mexican Government does little to support or care for the poor. In upper Baja, thier goverment sets up communities without electricity, water or and infrastructure other than a dirt road.

I apologize for climbing on my soapbox but there is a huge difference between “they do quite well...especially those who own their own cars and licenses.”, and those of us who pay thousands just to visit and dive.

I guess my point in this mini-rant (again I apologize) is that it upsets me when I read about someone who is mad enough to stiff a poor waiter in Mexico over $5.00. Trust me, $5.00 USD means a great deal more to them than it does to me (us in the USA).

Rant over – sorry.

Dave

Teamcasa..I was strictly speaking of Cozumel taxi drivers...who are in fact some of the high wage earners on the island. I'm actually not sure where you ever got the idea that I was talking about all of Mexico or even other occupations...I'm guessing you didn't read the rest of the conversation which caused you to take my comments out of context.

Of course I am not saying thtat they (taxi drivers) are rich by our standards, but the thing many don't seem to realize is that the Mexican people are not nearly as caught up in the material things than we are as Americans and as I said, the cost of living for the locals is significantly less than we're accustomed to, even in small town USA. So when I say they are doing quite well, I mean they have a nice home, transportation, always have food on the table and have disposable income to enjoy activities with their families.

I don't mean to sound rude or arrogant, but you may not have noticed, but I LIVE in Mexico (Cozumel), I'm not just a visitor. I employ eight Mexican nationals and started a business from the ground up here, so I'm quite familiar with the wages, employment benefits, medical care/costs, cost of living, and the value of a peso, etc.

 

[Teamcasa]

Teamcasa..I was strictly speaking of Cozumel taxi drivers...

I don't mean to sound rude or arrogant, but you may not have noticed, but I LIVE in Mexico (Cozumel), I'm not just a visitor. I employ eight Mexican nationals and started a business from the ground up here, so I'm quite familiar with the wages, employment benefits, medical care/costs, cost of living, and the value of a peso, etc.

PM sent with a better explanation.


I did jump to the conclusion based on the beginning of this thread.
I applaud you for your courage and determination to open a business in Mexico. Its no easy task!
BTW I’m more than a visitor to Mexico as well.

Christi, May I apologize to you?

Dave

 

[cowboyneal]

I stand corrected. Although, I'm not sure what exactly you meant with the "Actually, if you wrote in English" comment? A subtle way of saying "Listen here you dumb azz"?

I apologize for for passing on misinformation. It was one of those "mama says" bits of information. Totally bewildered by all the scholarly information cowboyneal was passing along regarding the origins of the word, I did a quick search to verify what he was saying in true. Would you believe what I found? The exact same information word for word cowboyneal posted based upon someone else's research. Cowboyneal, you should really cite your references!

http://www.snopes.com/language/acronyms/tip.htm

Just kidding; I didn't mean anything personal - it's my ascerbic writing style...lol...I wasn't claiming it (the definition or explanation) as mine, and this isn't exactly an academic forum, not to mention I couldn't find the "footnote" key, so, I didn't feel a need to provide any additional information or explanation...

 

[cowboyneal]

Um...actually...they have alot more influence than you are aware of obviously. They are very influencial over our local elections. Immigration policy...no effect that I'm aware of.

AS far as earnings, of course they make less than the average American, but they have a completely different standard of living as well...so it's all relative. Trust me, they do quite well...especially those who own their own cars and licenses.

Yes, maybe they can influence the "Cozumel Council," or whatever it is, but I'm sure Mexico City isn't in any jeopardy. I guess it's all a matter of degree. I would be completely ashamed to make a big deal over $2.00 (or 5 or 10) in a cab ride, tip or any other thing relative to my income compared to the standard of living in Cozumel, or many other places in Mexico. Sure there are a few "well off" people, and some quite wealthy, but put them on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, and you'd not be considering them either. I'm sure that neither I, nor anyone I know will be getting on line to take a cab driver position in Cozumel, even with all the 'local political influence' they might wield...

 

[scubawife]

I guess my point in this mini-rant (again I apologize) is that it upsets me when I read about someone who is mad enough to stiff a poor waiter in Mexico over $5.00. Trust me, $5.00 USD means a great deal more to them than it does to me (us in the USA).

I always tip well and if $5 did make that much of a financial difference to me then I probably should think twice about going on dive trips, or any sort of vacations. If I can't afford to tip at home then I shouldn't be going to a restaurant here either. It's not as much the money but the principal of it. Betsy (the original poster on this thread), lives in Cozumel and runs a business and has done so for many years. If the restaurants aren't batting an eye at tagging a tip on to her bill, then they are probably going to do it to all their customers. Some beach places that are taking up the practice and the cabbies who overcharge are more likely hitting up the tourists that they see as being rich. It will lead to people not tipping anywhere they go on the island because they will assume they are somehow being scammed already, and it gives the honest establishments (the majority) a bad name.

If a restaurant wants to let their customers know that in Cozumel it's customary to tip the waiters then they should just add something to the menu that says, "Prices do not include gratuities." For people traveling from countries that it's not customary to tip, or for those who don't know it is customery in Cozumel, that should be hint enough. I really do believe that most people would leave a tip if they are politely made aware that it's not already included and/or is customary. If an owner or manager decides that they want to guarantee the server gets 15%, then just post that information clearly and print it on the menu. If I read, "A 15% gratuity will be automatically added to your bill," then if I want to leave extra I can decide the appropriate amount. I don't want to be have it blindly added then leave another 15-20 on the total. Playing games to get a more then 30% tip isn't cool no matter where you.

 

[ggunn]

I guess my point in this mini-rant (again I apologize) is that it upsets me when I read about someone who is mad enough to stiff a poor waiter in Mexico over $5.00. Trust me, $5.00 USD means a great deal more to them than it does to me (us in the USA).

To reiterate, it's not the $5.00 and it's not that I don't want to tip and it's not that I don't appreciate how poor a lot of the folks there are, it's deception that irks me. When I go to Cozumel (or anywhere), I treat the folks I meet there with respect and I appreciate the same in return. When someone tries to run a scam on me, it demeans us both.