> At a gathering at my brother’s, his own and other relatives’ big dogs were everywhere. My brother knows the dogs bother our 80-year-old parents (especially my mom, who has asthma), but I don’t think his wife does. Their place is small, so the dogs are all over you. What’s the etiquette when a host has guests who are uncomfortable with dogs?
C.M. / Westborough
Comments
TIPPING. Bostonians, in general, are not big cab users, as are New Yorkers, for example. It's possible people do not know how much to tip a cab driver. It would have been helpful for Miss Conduct here to comment on what is an appropriate tip. As for stashing small bills . . . what, to be ready to embarrass someone by plumping up what one considers to be an inadequate tip? Dangerous ground there. One has to have a perfected sleight of hand to pull that off. By the way, cabs in Boston are mandated by local law to accept debit and credit cards. Cab owenrs and drivers try to frustrate that law. If a driver won't accept a card, or claims that the machine is inoperable, then one might very well be relieved of leaving an adequate tip if one is short on cash. I've been in situations at restaurants where another person was hosting and paying the tab. She tipped appropriately. However, I thought the service and experience were exceptional and I would have tipped beyond the appropriate. What to do there?
I have to disgree. I was only 18 when I started college in Boston and was from a suburban area and had never taken a cab in my life before. But, when I had to take a cab late at night, I tipped 20% because I had asked around how much to tip (same tip as a waitress). I think you underestimate the ability of a Bostonian to know how much to tip. (But maybe you are right - maybe some people are very naive about cab tipping.)
I feel that this person did not tip well for some other reason, what, I don't know. If she thought she didn't have to tip a cab, well, she must never have taken one before and I find that a little hard to believe.