My garbage man just knocked on my door...

[Jennifer S]

I think that's wonderful.

However, I still believe it's wrong to expect others to hand out cash gifts, in order for your family to have a nice Christmas. What happens if the families decided to give him liquor or baked goods?

How far does your sister live from NYC? Would he be able to commute? If so, there are plenty of well paying city jobs that only require you to have GED and pass the exam. Transit just had an exam for conductors a few weeks ago. The salary starts at $17.50 an hour. After 3 years it raises to $25.00 an hour.

I agree with you but it is what it is. He would accept anything - he loves to eat and drink. He really is a great guy. He has been doing this for many years - he knows on average what he'll get and it works for them. I personally would not live that way.

They live too far from NYC - but thanks

 

[luvsJack]

Why is it acceptable to give money to your hairdresser, mailperson or newspaper person but not the garbage man? I don't think the guy should have knocked on the OP's door but I don't think its that far fetched for someone to consider doing this. These people perform a service for us every week, day, bi-weekly or whatever it is in your area. For the most part they probably do it reasonably well. And many of them are paid far less than other people we give cash gifts or tips to.

Jennifer S--I sympathize completely with your BIL and SIL. Sometimes there just doesn't seem to be away out of mounting financial problems, especially when you can't find a way to increase your income. And being away from your kids 24/7 isn't necessarily an acceptable answer. I would like to suggest that he visit his local WIN Job Center. They may can help him get some training for a better paying job. They have a program that will pay for technical and vocational school, and some schools have these programs at night, so he could keep his job. It would still be time away from his family but at least it would only be temporary.

 

[Cantw8]

Maybe he thinks you have a smelly can and he should be compensated for having to put up with it

 

[Jennifer S]

Why is it acceptable to give money to your hairdresser, mailperson or newspaper person but not the garbage man? I don't think the guy should have knocked on the OP's door but I don't think its that far fetched for someone to consider doing this. These people perform a service for us every week, day, bi-weekly or whatever it is in your area. For the most part they probably do it reasonably well. And many of them are paid far less than other people we give cash gifts or tips to.

Jennifer S--I sympathize completely with your BIL and SIL. Sometimes there just doesn't seem to be away out of mounting financial problems, especially when you can't find a way to increase your income. And being away from your kids 24/7 isn't necessarily an acceptable answer. I would like to suggest that he visit his local WIN Job Center. They may can help him get some training for a better paying job. They have a program that will pay for technical and vocational school, and some schools have these programs at night, so he could keep his job. It would still be time away from his family but at least it would only be temporary.

Thank you

 

[MNFootballMommy]

I generally tip our mail lady and our garbage man. They do not ask for it--that is just tacky.

However, if it were to come down to one or the other--I would probably tip the garbage man. I can reasonably go get my mail from the post office, but I would be in a world of hurt if I had to take my garbage to the dump myself each week. That being said, they both provide a service and get paid for doing so. The tip is MY appreciation for the convenience that they provide.

 

[Briarmom]

Maybe he thinks you have a smelly can and he should be compensated for having to put up with it

[edited]

We aren't allowed to have cans. We have special bags that cost about $1 each and then cheaper bags for our recycling.

 

[aprilgail2]

Not
Good.



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?

We run out and give them their tip envelope on a morning we can catch them LOL- sometimes I am already at work but there is always at least one day they come early enough where I can catch them. Heck they are at my house 4 times a week between lawn debros pickup, paper and can pick up and 2 garbage/trash days- the least I can do is give them a christmas tip!

 

[mommasita]

We run out and give them their tip envelope on a morning we can catch them LOL- sometimes I am already at work but there is always at least one day they come early enough where I can catch them. Heck they are at my house 4 times a week between lawn debros pickup, paper and can pick up and 2 garbage/trash days- the least I can do is give them a christmas tip!

Wow. We have once a week pick up. Used to be twice, but starting 2 months ago, it became once a week, in order to increase recycling.

We also have special bags, and different colors for regular garbage and recycling. NOT fun when you run out of one and go looking for it, as you can not intermix.

 

[aprilgail2]

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.

guess it depends on where you live.

Thats for sure- you would barely get by with your rent and food if you made only 12-15 an hour here- 12 an hour would be less than 500 a week and then take out taxes- I am not even sure that would cover rent nevermind food for a family!

 

[Holly]

I hate this smiley, but a big to your garbage man.

 

[KirstenB]

We live in the country, so there's no municipal trash pickup, just private contractors. I tip them $20 each, same for the paper guy. I doubt our trash people make very much money. Our houses are all pretty far apart, and our trash guys are a dad and his 2 sons. It's a hard way to earn a living, and the alternative is for me to fill the back of my Jeep every week with trash, and haul it to the dump, no thanks.

 

[WDWRocksMySocks]

I would tell my garbage man that he owes me $$ for the garbage can he DESTROYED!

 

[tennisfan]

In the UK we have always had one collection a week for everyday rubbish, garden waste & recycling alternates each week but is collected the same day as normal rubbish.

Tipping over here for rubbish collection is unheard of here, we pay enough in council tax & rates. We sometimes give the postman a bottle of whiskey or wine but this is hit & miss as its not always our regular postie.

 

[SHAYMARAYSMOM]

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

What else would he ask for?

 

[Briarmom]

What else would he ask for?

For all I know, he could have asked for something vile the first time he spoke.
I had to have him dumb it down to Intermediate French for me.

 

[DVCLiz]

Briarmom, aren't you in Belgium right now? If so, I see this as a cultural thing. I am going on my extensive experience with foreign tipping (ie reading Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence ) - didn't the service people like fire fighters, etc. deliver calendars to their customers and receive tips in return? I think it must be a cultural thing that service people in some countries do - most US workers would not come to the door and ask outright. They might expect a certain number of customers to tip or otherwise remember them, but I don't think they would just come to the door and ask.

 

[janets]

I think the difference between tipping the garbage man and the hairdresser is that the garbage man, at least where I live, is a municipal employee and I believe it's prohibited for a municipal employee to accept a cash gift (because of possible bribery issues).

That said, my guys are pretty good about getting rid of what I put out, even if I occasionally exceed my limits. So last year I ran out at 6 AM with a big tin of homemade dark chocolate brownies. I'm hoping that they appreciated the thought, and figure I'll do something similar this year.

I don't know our postman and can't be sure it's even the same person day to day.

And lucky for me, I don't get my hair cut so I have no hairdresser. Did leave my cleaning woman her tip last week though!

 

[KAMLEM]

What exactly did he say? I can't imagine someone asking for a tip.

I have never heard of tipping the garbage man. We have two trucks (regular and recycle) with 2-3 guys on each truck, that would cost me a fortune. If one of them did something over and above what I would expect, maybe I'd tip him but they can't even put my bins back in the yard, they leave them in the street. Although, just the other day DH said that he had to fix the wheel on the bin because it broke off. When he brought the barrels in that night, the wheel had been magically fixed. Of course, the trash company owns the bins so they are probably responsible for maintaining them.

 

[Briarmom]

What exactly did he say? I can't imagine someone asking for a tip.
.

Uh..something something something if you want to wish us happy holidays...I think.

Liz, they did deliver us fire fighter calendars last year, but I'd heard of that in the US...albeit, I didn't order one, they just knocked.

I have to say, I love living with a language barrier.

 

[disykat]

I would assume it was a cultural thing.

If it happened here I'd be calling the office and complaining. The ONLY people who get "tips" from me are hairdressers, waiters, etc. and those people get tipped everytime they give a service. Tipping a salaried employee is unnecessary and kind of insulting if you ask me.

Giving a gift to someone you have a relationship is fine though. Being extra generous because you're feeling the Christmas spirit is fine. I think it's a fine line. Even the teacher gift threads feel like tip threads to me. IMO, if it feels like an obligation, it's not a gift.