Jessamy, our first ever guest, is back to discuss key topics of manners and etiquette. Issues of the week include tipping (always a favourite), humans taking up parking spaces, reserving seats in fast food joints, and letting the other person speak.
Music in this show from:
Vegas Hard Rock Shuffle — Charlie Crowe
Highschool Reunion — The Travoltas
Wild Angel — Joshua Kadison
Fan of the Bean — The Clintons
Bonus episode of In Latte Veritas: Paris Hilton, iconic blonde?
4 responses so far ↓
1 Bebe // Jan 22, 2007 at 8:33 am
Another great show, and I can totally relate to the Jessamy trying to figure out American rules of etiquette.
We just came back from a five week trip across the US and the rules seemed to vary greatly. In New York, it was important NOT to speak to anyone or make eye contact. Saying hi to everyone on the street just takes way to much time, and people think you’re a nutter. And it seems like it is fine to push through crowds with a quick ‘excuse me’ as you barge on through.
Then we went to Memphis, and I was constantly surprised when locals would say hello and engage me in conversation. It took some adjustment. I found San Francisco to be somewhere in between these. And man there sure are a LOT of homeless people in San Francisco. What is up with that?
Don’t even get me started on the tipping. It is very confusing. The price seems to vary place to place: NYC is 20%, smaller cities 10-15%, and some small towns don’t seem to expect it at all. And who to tip? In restaurants, yes. Taxis, yes. Hotel staff? I don’t know. Starbucks etc? I just threw vast amounts of cash around at everyone, hoping I was doing the right thing.
Oh and Steve, you are absolutely right as usual, it is just wrong to reserve seats/tables for a bunch of people who are elsewhere. But what about if they have all put a coat or bag on the seats around the seated person??
Bebe
2 Jessamy // Jan 22, 2007 at 10:41 am
The homeless situation in SF is hopeless, and the crux of it appears to be a serious gap in mental health services. The government is trying to address the problem as it is getting out of hand, according to some estimates the SF has the same amount of homeless as NYC yet one tenth of the population. The amount of actual numbers of homeless is unknown in SF so this month the mayor is arranging a ‘headcount’, done by people tackling a street each to add up the number of homeless - crazy.
USA tipping rules that I know of so far:
Hairdresser - a tip each to the cutter, colourist AND the person washing your hair, this means 3 separate envelopes of cash.
Taxis - yes about 10% or ‘keep the change’, unless you have stacks of luggage that they help you with and your give a little more.
Fastfood chains (inc. Starbucks) - no.
At the Bar - $1 per drink.
At the Restaurant - 18% for good service, 10% regardless.
Home delivery - yes 10% is the norm to give the delivery guy.
3 shady // Mar 6, 2007 at 5:41 am
how much should i tip my nail tech? never know, the shop charges 18.00 for a full set of nails and 11.00 for a fill in. they do wonderful work and i send them plenty of clients. so is 7.00 too much?
4 Marc Naimark // Dec 2, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Back in Princeton, NJ, after I slapped the side of a car whose driver had ignored my right of way on the pedestrian crosswalk, the irate driver got out and yelled “You nigger!” at me. Not only horribly offensive, but extremely puzzling, as I am particularly white-looking.
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