Tipping Bus Drivers Would be Nuts

Should we tip bus drivers? There’s been a local net debate floating around about the idea in the last week – and personally I think it’s nuts.

We want a better commuter system but tipping drivers isn’t going to achieve that.

I feel sorry for the drivers who have a hard job battling traffic, bad inconsiderate motorists who don’t let you pull out from stops and sometimes rude demanding customers along with performance stresses from their immediate management.

There’s huge personal responsibility when you have so many lives at risk.

Local young entrepreneur Ben Young who runs Best ideas are free wants us to start tipping drivers “if you have a pleasant journey or if he was kind enough to give you directions or waited for you to run up to the bus just as it was about to leave.”

No, sorry Ben  Bad idea.

Rather than go down the US tipping route, I think a “thank you” should suffice.

Ben argues tipping would remind bus drivers at the end of the day it’s all about the patrons that jump on and jump off. I‘m not a big bus user unless the trains have stopped running for the night but with this “logic,” I have to wonder if Ben ever uses a bus.

I don’t see any evidence that drivers aren’t usually pretty considerate although they do usually enforce the set rule that you can’t jump on or off at lights and fair enough – that’s a safety issue (one hears of  Melbourne people laid low in the middle of the road when they get off trams as cars roar by).

They can get grumpy but so would you working long hours in often trying circumstances. It sometimes sounds as if the depot supervisers beat up on them about being late etc over the RT system they use. They’re not paid well – something they’re battling in mediation still at the moment (they’re back in mediation on Monday).

The Northern Distribution Union , during the present  pay dispute with NZ Bus, did reveal their pay rate in one of their statements:

“Auckland bus drivers are hard working and skilled but only earn between $14.05 and $16.75 an hour, and many work split-shifts, meaning they are away from home for up to 15 hours, but only paid for eight or nine hours.”

That’s about what train guards get as well and they work shocking split shifts. They might start very early in the morning, work a morning peak shift, have some hours off and be back for the night shift. I don’t know how they do it and still keep on their feet trying to cope.

We should address the pay and condition issues and attract good staff not by commuters topping up their pay but by their employers paying what they afford in relation to profits.

Tour drivers may be a different thing altogether. I have never been on a bus tour so can’t comment.

I was curious about how this worked in the US so Googled. US bus tour drivers say this is how it works in the US for professional tour drivers which, let’s be honest,  is a whole different thing from commuter services: It’s suggested as US$10-15% of the tour cost.

Or this guy, talking to people in the industry has a more complex calculation system:

He says Americans should tip:

1)     Nothing: If a driver just drives and does nothing else, then the tip should reflect his involvement,”0″. As driving from point A to point B is what he is paid for.

2) $1-$2 per person per day: In the letter, “Tipping Bus Driver,” the driver was going to be acting also as a shuttle driver once they arrived at the destination. If the driver is professional, always at the bottom of the stairs to assist as needed, creates conversation, and maintains a clean coach, then the driver should receive a minimum of $1-$2 a day per person. If the driver also unloads the luggage and reloads it, then that should be taken into additional consideration.

3) $3-$5 per person per day: The driver who in addition to the above, points out areas interest along the way, brings a certain amount of levity into the mix, intermingles with the passengers with bits of wit and humor, demonstrates a true professional demeanor and ability such as where he lets the passengers off and on. In other words, the driver who becomes a positive memory of the trip should be rewarded with a tip of $3-$5 a day per person – and not per couple as some wish to.

All too hard.

I still say let’s not go there.