Hidden charges on USA holiday.

[starquake]

I was in NY with a group of my army buddies and were getting on a coach. Driver wouldn’t let us put our bags in the large boot, insisted on him doing it then stuck his hand out for a trip - $5.

After we arrived he then wouldn’t let us take our own bag out of the back, but insisted that he did it and then wanted another $5. One of my mates gave him a bit of an earful, as you literally lifted it up and will now lower it down. He didn’t get anything from my mate. Did seem a complete joke at the time and a bit of a piss take tbh.

One of the things you learn if regular to NYC is how much the cabs HATE airport routes on a similar note ref; tipping for bags. If you say airport you will sometimes get them driving off (as it's a fixed fare run) instead of offering to load the bags. They make more money doing local work so will try to stop any loading of bags by driving off if they sniff an airport run. (even if they get a tip on top of the airport fix fare it's still well under even 30 mins of normal work for them, for a job taking them 1 to 1.5 hours).

If you ever need a cab to get to JFK from downtown my tip is you need to tip the concierge who will literally stand in front of cab before your luggage loaded by the bellhops at any major hotel preventing a drive-off. You need to tip both, but you actually get a cab, where if you just hailed in street without a concerige/bellhop you will not. It's money well tipped, given a cab in NYC can be cheaper than even Uber with the fixed fares on offer. They usually also don't care about amount of tips, usually 1-2 dollars each is fine.

There are times in NYC when tipping is essential in essence. I tend to avoid the coach given with tips it's more than the public transit on their underground and trains, or even a cab if there are > 3 of you. If you are solo, I'd take public transit via Jamaica.

A friend went and took public transit with family in tow, which I had to point out to him cost him twice the fixed fare of a large cab with his (medium) family -> cabs are not actually over expensive if you have a larger family unit. Ditto in some cases Limos in US, they can be cheaper than a cab in some cities. When we done a stag do in Vegas, as an example with 12 of us, a large Limo unit to our hotel was considerably cheaper than the 3 cabs required, and allowed us to stop (free) at a supermarket for beers as part of fare, as it's a fixed 1 to 1.5 hour booking rather than being mileage based. The driver fee + tip was about half the cost of 3 cabs + tip. People seem to assume Limo = a rich person thing over here, when it's a normal form of transit for > 4 people over there. (In Vegas in specific if you need > 4 peope in a car, they'll order a Limo as standard at a bellhop).

Tips are not all bad given above, and remember service in NYC is reknowned for being unfriendly and brash so it's not as bad elsewhere in US.

 

[Markman]

Ive found the opposite, especially in Florida, and now with the dollar vs pound exchange being weak. But depends where abouts in the USA I suppose.

We often come out of restaurants, stating how much it cost than it would have been at home each year the gap seems to go goes up and up. Even at cheap end buffet stayle like Ponderosa, Golden Coral etc
the days are gone where servers were paid $2.00 and relied completely on tips , so you now even find the service levels are often poor as lots arent bothered ans long as they get the minimum service "tip" especially when its included in larger groups. Though they still should be paid more basic, but why would they, when they know the customer tips.

We have felt more ripped off as the years go buy, but have sold up now anyway so havent been for 12 months or so.

The only one that seemed to keep value of the chains, was Cracker Barrell, and even that has shot up the same % rates.

I have never been averse to tipping and always tip well espcially if its deserved, but its gotten silly now

Cracker Barrel. Yuck. Bland, cheap food IMHO. Only good thing about them is parking overnight in the car park, marginally better than Walmart, not as nice as Bass Sporting Goods.

Most US restaurants are chains so all the local restaurants are doing is reheating food cooked in a massive centralised kitchen.

Fresh coriander is the (only) exception to being more than in UK, £0.50 for a bundle double the size of one in the UK.

A figure recently in the NYT that 75% of the US diet is ultra processed food, and this includes most restaurant food. Finding fresh food is always a challenge, and at a reasonable price even more so.

Agree try and avoid visiting but it's the only way I can get to see my granddaughters.

 

[Two of usI]

Tips, tips, tips. Everyone wants/ expects one.
Restaurants typically 20% minimum now standard.
Even getting a drink from a bar, or a coffee.

Is this not similar on cruises ???