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-   -   Tipping for Street Food (https://www.fodors.com/community/united-states/tipping-for-street-food-718646/)

happytrailstoyou Jul 6th, 2007 07:01 AM

Tipping for Street Food
 

I have noticed that "tipping" and "street food" are two topics that arouse strong feelings.

Reading posts on these topics I have learned that I am "cheap" for not tipping 20% for lousy service and that I am a contemptible "chicken Caesar eater" for not eating off dirty street carts.

Therefore, my question: When I grow up, wise up, and want to throw up by eating street food, how much should I tip?


Myer Jul 6th, 2007 07:03 AM

I guess if you just give it back you don't have to tip.

seetheworld Jul 6th, 2007 07:05 AM

LOL. :D

I'm right behind you, HTTY. I don't like street food either (although in my younger days I did eat the stuff).


MikeT Jul 6th, 2007 07:23 AM

Doesn't a lady of your refinement have servants to bring you your Chicken Caesar salad? That would solve the tipping problem.

happytrailstoyou Jul 6th, 2007 07:58 AM


There you go again.

seetheworld Jul 6th, 2007 08:24 AM

I don't understand the chicken caesar salad part... Some things are best left unexplained, I guess.


happytrailstoyou Jul 6th, 2007 08:30 AM



Somebody wrote: <i> Lovers of street food are the culinary risk-takers of the world, not the Chicken caesar eaters who have no idea what's going on in the prep kitchens before...</i>

michelleNYC Jul 6th, 2007 09:09 AM

Word of advice: Life is waaaay too short to get all wound-up about this stuff.

FainaAgain Jul 6th, 2007 10:38 AM

LOL HappyTrails, if this is a petition, where do I sign?

zlaor Jul 6th, 2007 11:29 AM

Tipping for street food?
Never heard of it.

Also, those guys have got to make $1,000 a day in cash ... well I don't.

Otherwise I'm pretty generous with tips, as MichelleNYC said - life is too short to worry about this stuff.

trippinkpj Jul 6th, 2007 12:17 PM

I wouldn't do it. I typically don't at the counter either, such at Starbucks or similar. Unless they do something special.

budget4me Jul 6th, 2007 02:43 PM

TIPS = To Insure Prompt Service

Street food vendors are not providing any service, as a waiter or waitress would. Therefore, there is no reason to tip.

Myer Jul 6th, 2007 03:04 PM

Budget,

But isn't the service prompt?

suze Jul 6th, 2007 03:19 PM

I can't tell is this is a serious post or just kidding around
:-(

There are all different types of &quot;street food&quot; and not all of them come from a dirty cart.

MikeT Jul 6th, 2007 04:10 PM

TIPS = To Insure Prompt Service

A complete and utter urban myth.

But happytrails was just trying to stir things up because I insulted her salad bar concoction. &lt;g&gt;

seetheworld Jul 6th, 2007 04:33 PM

I agree with Michelle.

Oh my, I don't like salad bars either (although in my younger days I did eat the stuff).

I took a culinary risk once, in Seville, Spain. We ordered Tapas without knowing what we were getting. Still, to this day, I'm not exactly sure what we ate, but it was good!

It's okay to have different perspectives on these things. We can still all get along, or maybe not. :)

shaz60 Jul 6th, 2007 06:02 PM

It's funny how people who would never eat from a &quot;street cart&quot; will ooh and aah over the same food from the same cart at a country fair. City or country I usually tip people if they are young, working hard, and friendly.

budget4me Mar 27th, 2008 02:05 PM

Myar wrote:

&quot;Budget,

But isn't the service prompt?&quot;

Vending machines are prompt too, but I've never left one of them a tip.

FainaAgain Mar 27th, 2008 02:37 PM

Oh, so this is why that chocolate bar got stuck in the vending machine! Because Budget didn't tip, and I was the next customer!

:-p

mhc Mar 27th, 2008 03:10 PM

I don't have an aversion to street food. I have left a tip when there was a tip jar, but don't automatically tip street vendors. Don't usually tip at ballpark, concert or movie concession stands either.

It just never occurred to me. Maybe it should have.

In my defense, I once tipped an older person that looked like he had worked hard in the past...


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