My garbage man just knocked on my door...

[Briarmom]

and asked for Christmas money.

Is this normal?

 

[Mermaid02]

No. I'd be po'd.

 

[chyam]

I have heard of people that give to their mailman, newspaper guy or anyone else that services them on a daily basis....but personally in my area, my mailman is very rarely the same person each and everyday so I only give a "gift" to my newspaper guy. As for the others like the garbage guy, and mailman they are paid well for their jobs and they are just doing their job so I do not give to them, I do not know them personally so that knocks that reason off the list also. I also would not give especially since he was almost "begging" for a gift! It's especially tough this year for many people so we are all in the same boat, and you won't see me asking my boss for Christmas money so why should it be any different for other people to do so?

 

[Briarmom]

No one else has asked for (or gotten) any Christmas money from us. That is one of the things I don't miss about living in the US.

After figuring out what he meant, I gave him 10 Euro.

 

[megthewonderful]

OMG! I would have taken offense to that. Things are tough this year and we have cut out gifts for our family (only homemade gifts from the kids this year) and have decided not to gift our postman (since they are not the same person everday) and our paper delivery person (since we continue to get our paper late every day). Knocking on the door and asking for money is rude! It is not normal!

 

[John Smith1]

no..

 

[LaraK]

He could have been knocking on your door asking for something else...

 

[Briarmom]

He could have been knocking on your door asking for something else...

Would that have been normal?

 

[just4today]

What does he look like?

 

[Allison]

I've never understood the concept that people who are being paid to do their job somehow are owed a gift from people they don't even know. Should I send a gift to the mayor and city attorney too?

 

[KATHINOWA]

We actually got a card in the mail yesterday from our garbage collectors. Not sure if they're expecting something in return. I also wonder if my tax dollars paid for my christmas card.

 

[cruellababy]

I have never heard of them asking; we do leave a case of Heineken on the top of the rollie toter w a red bow- but no one has ever asked; and if they did I'd be po'd.

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

not normal, but some do give them extra at the holiday season. I usually give to our post office. We live in a small town with the same letter carriers for the past 10 years, and they live in our town, so we know them on a first name basis. So our town is different. Now our garbage men, they change routes every week it seems and they are from a bigger city nearby, so we don't know them at all.

 

[fortheluvofpooh]

I have never heard of them asking; we do leave a case of Heineken on the top of the rollie toter w a red bow- but no one has ever asked; and if they did I'd be po'd.

I have to ask, what is a rollie toter????

 

[java]

Wow that's pushy.
I don't tip my garbage guys because I pay them to pick up my garbage. We don't get town garbage. In my old neighborhood(where they picked my garbage up from the backyard!- I used to offer them a case of beer and they never turned me down.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

We actually got a card in the mail yesterday from our garbage collectors. Not sure if they're expecting something in return. I also wonder if my tax dollars paid for my christmas card.

We got one too! After it wished up a Merry Christmas it said that last year a lot of gifts were lost or stolen so if you want to give a gift please do not leave it outside overnight. You can ask them to ring your bell even if you want! Sort of puts those threads about gift registries to shame huh?
FTR- I do tip the grabage men and the mailman.

 

[Jennifer S]

We actually got a card in the mail yesterday from our garbage collectors. Not sure if they're expecting something in return. I also wonder if my tax dollars paid for my christmas card.

My BIL is a trash man and he pays for his own cards. They get paid so little that my sister depends on tips to get Christmas presents for her kids. Whenever her Dh comes home from work he gives her the cash and she gets what she can with the money. Without the tips her kids would not have much of a Christmas.

Just showing you the other side.

 

[Briarmom]

What does he look like?

Not
Good.

My BIL is a trash man and he pays for his own cards. They get paid so little that my sister depends on tips to get Christmas presents for her kids. Whenever her Dh comes home from work he gives her the cash and she gets what she can with the money. Without the tips her kids would not have much of a Christmas.

Just showing you the other side.

Thanks for the info.

OK, now I will be more aware of this if/when we live in the US again in a place with trash pick up. How does your BIL get his tips? Where do people put them?

 

[Jennifer S]

Some hand it to him and some tape it under the lid. I think he may have put his address on the card so it could be mailed - but not sure.

btw - he does not knock on doors

I never tipped the garbage man either and didn't understand why others did - now I do. It really is a crappy job - esp in the heat and bitter cold.

 

[Cindy B]

My BIL is a trash man and he pays for his own cards. They get paid so little that my sister depends on tips to get Christmas presents for her kids. Whenever her Dh comes home from work he gives her the cash and she gets what she can with the money. Without the tips her kids would not have much of a Christmas.

Just showing you the other side.

Funny-- we were told that our garbage guys make about $12-15 an hour. Granted that isn't a lot to support a family on, but as someone unemployed-- $12-15 an hour is quite a bit-- especially if another person in the family is working.