That's My Story

EAVESDROPPING ON A “BRO” SESSION

Originally Published the Week of Oct 18, 2022

Sometimes you can’t help but eavesdrop on a conversation.  I know it’s rude and we shouldn’t do it.   However, there are times when you can’t help but be drawn in.

Besides, if the folks are talking loud enough for everyone to hear…gosh…the conversation is out there!

So, I was sitting at one of the tables outside our restaurant here in La Paz.  Besides me was a group of 7 or 8 guys having a cold one after work before going home.

Just like guys everywhere stopping off to decompress a bit.  Dudes.  Bros. 

All local guys.  I knew some of them.  Others not.  But, all nice guys.  Working guys.  Mexican blue collar.

One worked in a hotel as a bellman.  One was a hotel assistant manager. 

From what I could tell, two of them were waiters from different restaurants. One was a shuttle driver.  I think one was a taxi driver and one was a charter captain.

And they were talking about tips and tipping. 

Always an interesting subject since we’re in the hospitality business ourselves with our fishing fleets, restaurant, shuttle company and association with many La Paz hotels.

They were telling stories about tips…mostly bad tips and laughing about it.

Now, I’m not agreeing or disagreeing, but just relating some of the conversation.  Not trying to create controversy about it. 

They were talking about the best and worst tippers.

All agreed that overall, gringos were the best tippers.  Overall.  Some better than others, but overall way above average.

From what I could tell, Californians and people from New York were the best.

Japanese from California were very good.  Chinese often wanted a discount, but in the end tipped well. 

The guy who seemed to work at the reception desk of some hotel said, that when he knows they are Chinese, he offers them a high rate, then discounts it to the rate he was going to give them anyway.

“They just want to know they were getting a deal and they are happy.  My boss is happy.  It’s win-win.”

He also said some folks from “eastern U.S.” were also like that.  They wanted to know they got a “deal.”

They guy who was a charter skipper said it was funny that some of the people who spend all day telling him about their big business or what they own are the worst tippers.

“I hear about all their big houses or all the places they travel to or their fancy cars. All nice and good.  Very interesting.

But at the end of the day we have lots of fish.  I do a good job.  I get a 5-dollar tip!”

“Once I had a guy who was related to the Farrari Family in Italy. Big money.  Fancy fishing clothes.  Nice fishing gear.  His wife was dressed like a fashion model to go fishing.”

“End of the day, he reaches into his pocket and gives me his pocket change.  Coins!  It added up to 40 pesos (2 dollars!).”

Of course, this lead to who are the worst tippers.

They all agreed that Canadians and Europeans are not big tippers.  But, the worst tippers were Mexicans from the United States and local Mexicans.

They actually all raised their glasses to that one .

“Many of the Mexicans from the states like to impress that they speak Spanish and many of them sure have a lot of money.  But they are cheap tippers mostly.  They leave very little or they give you a handful of coins or just a few dollars.”

The fishing captain said they sometime give him a bonito or two and think that’s “my tip” even though it’s junk fish.

The hotel guy said the ladies who clean the hotel rooms say that after several days, they’ll get two dollars left on the dresser.

The taxi and shuttle drivers said they almost never get tipped at all.  Definitely, locals never tip.

All of them agreed that the locals were the very worst.

The waiter said that many of his fellow waiters tried to avoid waiting on the locals. Everyone wants to wait on the gringo tables.

“Of course, we try to always give good service to everyone, but it’s difficult when you know that your service isn’t appreciated.”

He said, “Locals will run up 100 dollars for a meal for a family.  And then they will leave 1 dollar in coins as the tip.” 

“It’s just the way locals are.” said another. “If you have not worked in the service industry, you don’t understand how we all depend on tips.”

“Again, often the wealthiest Mexicans who have the money to eat at restaurants or stay in good hotels are the worst tippers.”

Several of them agreed that they could almost tell where people were from by the way they tipped.  

Overall, most of them said that the bad tips evened-out with the good tips at the end of the day.  But, just disappointing how some people can be such poor tippers or not appreciate their hard work.

That’s my story!

Jonathan