VivirLatino

Taxi! Do Drivers of Color Get Less Tips?

13:52 H | Topics: Connecticut - Money - Race

I rarely use yellow taxi cabs. I can't find any in my hood and when I'm in the city, they don't want to drive me to my hood. A study of 1,000 taxicab rides in one city, New Haven, Conn., found that black cab drivers were tipped less than white cab drivers and that black and Latino passengers tip less than white passengers (I am looking at you, oh partner of mine who doesn't tip anyone well). Even black passengers tipped black drivers less. Other studies have shown the same trend in other tip dominated industries, like waiting tables.

But the trend maybe more than just racial, it's historic according to some.

The practice of tipping emerged in the early 20th century to provide a "consideration" from then primarily white customers to those serving them in menial jobs, who tended to be Black workers. "For some, the practice of tipping was intimately connected to the perceived inferiority of African Americans,"

The study suggests two solutions to the problem: regulate tipping (as in making it mandatory) or get rid of tipping all together.

Making tipping mandatory takes away the idea of giving something extra for good service and takes away from that good ole capitalist work ethic.

But outlawing or heavily regulating tipping--economic incentive for superior quality of service--is antithetical to a capitalist society. Tipping policies saves employers from having to establish equitable pay scales for salaried and non-salaried employees.

So maybe if people were paid a living wage (which of course has it's own implications since people of color receive lower wages) this would be a non-issue?

As a woman who used to work in an industry dominated by tips, I always tip well, even if service is crappy or my taxi driver (I can't remember the last time I had a non-poc cab driver) spent the whole damn ride trying to get me to accept Christ. even if I'm not making a living wage myself. I know how hard it is. I know how the business owners pay crap and make you pay for more crap that they can afford to pay for their damn selves.

Via / Diversity Inc., NYT

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