Yet another reason to thank the universe for (decent) ride sharing. On Sunday morning, a cabbie turned into the Hulk after a passenger failed to give the customary tip. Strangulation ensued.
"The taxi driver had taken a 37-year-old man to the area of Waller Street and Central Avenue around 1 a.m. Sunday and the victim asked for his change back, leaving no tip for the cabbie," according to SF Appeal. "An argument ensued and the passenger tried to flee but the driver caught up to him and began choking him."
The victim described his attacker/chauffer as a white, balding man, 30-40 y/o with a muscular build and sporting a polo shirt and jeans. The cab company couldn't be identified, though the taxi in question was "white with red lettering." (Make your best guess in the comments.)
Sunday's taxi turmoil asks the obvious: is it ever okay to not tip your taxi driver? The answer is: yes. Now, we tip $3. Too much at times, we know, but we feel compelled to overtip, even if that does mean a traffic-heavy ride from South Park to Upper Haight comes to $20. It always makes the cabbie happy and, possibly, brings one good karma. HOWEVER, we tip less for obvious meth use and/or constant chatter about The Way Things Are These Days. No tip goes to cabbies who use ethnic or homophobic slurs.
Plus, with ride share you decide on the tip amount (if any) after the ride ends and your driver pulls away. No fuss and/or muss.
Something to note: some of those ride-share drivers can be equally sketchy.