2020 Curious Constance Trip Preparation/Report

[TP2000]

Someone needs to tell me what an appropriate tip will be for our driver because I’m tip dumb.

20% of the total bill, but nothing less than $20.00 for an airport town car service. But once you go over a $20 tip you need to start increasing the tip in $5 increments or else you'll just look silly.

If 20% comes out to $22 or $23, just bump that up to $25 and move on with your life. We are not on this beautiful planet long enough to worry about saving two bucks on a tip.

So if your tab one-way from LAX to Disneyland is $95, give him a twenty dollar bill. If the tab goes significantly over $100, say to $115, give him $25. And so on.

But 20% of the bill is a good bet, especially because LAX pickups are no fun for these guys.

I like to give the tip to the driver directly as we near the end of the journey but are still a few minutes away from the destination; I will usually lean forward from the back seat and say something like "Thank you again for your help today, I appreciate it!" and slide the money across the center console towards him, which he will acknowledge and take happily. That way when we arrive he can focus on parking and getting the luggage out of the trunk while I disembark, and then once you are safely all out of the car with luggage at the curb you can say "Thank you again, sir!" with a smile as you head into the hotel or terminal knowing he has been taken care of.

 

[Curious Constance]

20% of the total bill, but nothing less than $20.00 for an airport town car service. But once you go over a $20 tip you need to start increasing the tip in $5 increments or else you'll just look silly.

If 20% comes out to $22 or $23, just bump that up to $25 and move on with your life. We are not on this beautiful planet long enough to worry about saving two bucks on a tip.

So if your tab one-way from LAX to Disneyland is $95, give him a twenty dollar bill. If the tab goes significantly over $100, say to $115, give him $25. And so on.

But 20% of the bill is a good bet, especially because LAX pickups are no fun for these guys.

I like to give the tip to the driver directly as we near the end of the journey but are still a few minutes away from the destination; I will usually lean forward from the back seat and say something like "Thank you again for your help today, I appreciate it!" and slide the money across the center console towards him, which he will acknowledge and take happily. That way when we arrive he can focus on parking and getting the luggage out of the trunk while I disembark, and then once you are safely all out of the car with luggage at the curb you can say "Thank you again, sir!" with a smile as you head into the hotel or terminal knowing he has been taken care of.

Thanks! Thank god I asked.

 

[Curious Constance]

Wait! That’s a lot of money!!!!!

 

[TP2000]

Wait! That’s a lot of money!!!!!

Start a Jeeve's Tip Jar on the kitchen counter, where the family can drop their spare change into. By June you should have quite a bit saved up to go towards round trip tip money.

 

[Curious Constance]

Start a Jeeve's Tip Jar on the kitchen counter, where the family can drop their spare change into. By June you should have quite a bit saved up to go towards round trip tip money.

Okay, I’ll just hand him the entire jar, then make a run for it.

 

[TP2000]

Okay, I’ll just hand him the entire jar, then make a run for it.

Well, that is one option for extending a gratuity.

But can we also talk about how to handle the luggage? When Jeeves meets you in Baggage Claim with that awesome sign, you will need to let him know that you have bags to pick up from the carousel. Once the bags are collected, allow him to take your bag as the lady of the house and likely your daughter's bag. Your husband can carry a bag or two, while Jeeves takes at least two of the ladies bags as he leads you out to the car.

Jeeves shouldn't be expected to carry all of the luggage like an Andes mountain sherpa, but he will make an attempt to at least handle the ladies checked luggage while your husband picks up the slack. Just let Jeeves know how many bags you have and then follow his lead.

Once you arrive at your hotel, since you already presented him a gratuity and your thanks a few blocks away, allow him to park the car and then you can begin getting out. He will likely go for at least one rear door and open it for you, but modern Americans rarely will sit and wait for him to open all the car doors. His primary role once the car is parked is to go to the trunk and unload the luggage and place it on the curb next to the car. As the mom, you can focus on getting everyone arranged on the curb as he does this and just let Jeeves do his thing. Maybe take a moment and breath in deep and say "Kids, can you smell the orange blossoms?! We're in California!", and by the time that moment has passed your luggage will be placed on the curb and you can give your final "Thank you, sir!" with jaunty wave and smile as he gets back in the car to leave.

Got all that?

 

[Mickeyboof]

Well, that is one option for extending a gratuity.

But can we also talk about how to handle the luggage? When Jeeves meets you in Baggage Claim with that awesome sign, you will need to let him know that you have bags to pick up from the carousel. Once the bags are collected, allow him to take your bag as the lady of the house and likely your daughter's bag. Your husband can carry a bag or two, while Jeeves takes at least two of the ladies bags as he leads you out to the car.

Jeeves shouldn't be expected to carry all of the luggage like an Andes mountain sherpa, but he will make an attempt to at least handle the ladies checked luggage while your husband picks up the slack. Just let Jeeves know how many bags you have and then follow his lead.

Once you arrive at your hotel, since you already presented him a gratuity and your thanks a few blocks away, allow him to park the car and then you can begin getting out. He will likely go for at least one rear door and open it for you, but modern Americans rarely will sit and wait for him to open all the car doors. His primary role once the car is parked is to go to the trunk and unload the luggage and place it on the curb next to the car. As the mom, you can focus on getting everyone arranged on the curb as he does this and just let Jeeves do his thing. Maybe take a moment and breath in deep and say "Kids, can you smell the orange blossoms?! We're in California!", and by the time that moment has passed your luggage will be placed on the curb and you can give your final "Thank you, sir!" with jaunty wave and smile as he gets back in the car to leave.

Got all that?

Might I convince you to write a full book of practicalities in the modern era!?

 

[Curious Constance]

Well, that is one option for extending a gratuity.

But can we also talk about how to handle the luggage? When Jeeves meets you in Baggage Claim with that awesome sign, you will need to let him know that you have bags to pick up from the carousel. Once the bags are collected, allow him to take your bag as the lady of the house and likely your daughter's bag. Your husband can carry a bag or two, while Jeeves takes at least two of the ladies bags as he leads you out to the car.

Jeeves shouldn't be expected to carry all of the luggage like an Andes mountain sherpa, but he will make an attempt to at least handle the ladies checked luggage while your husband picks up the slack. Just let Jeeves know how many bags you have and then follow his lead.

Once you arrive at your hotel, since you already presented him a gratuity and your thanks a few blocks away, allow him to park the car and then you can begin getting out. He will likely go for at least one rear door and open it for you, but modern Americans rarely will sit and wait for him to open all the car doors. His primary role once the car is parked is to go to the trunk and unload the luggage and place it on the curb next to the car. As the mom, you can focus on getting everyone arranged on the curb as he does this and just let Jeeves do his thing. Maybe take a moment and breath in deep and say "Kids, can you smell the orange blossoms?! We're in California!", and by the time that moment has passed your luggage will be placed on the curb and you can give your final "Thank you, sir!" with jaunty wave and smile as he gets back in the car to leave.

Got all that?

Dude, this is good stuff!!!!

There is a good chance it’ll just be me and the kids on this trip, and we’ll only have two checked bags. So two girls and a tiny 12 year old boy. Should he take both bags? Can we call him Jeeves? Should we all sit in the back? Will he talk the entire time on the way or let us relax?

 

[TP2000]

Dude, this is good stuff!!!!

There is a good chance it’ll just be me and the kids on this trip, and we’ll only have two checked bags. So two girls and a tiny 12 year old boy. Should he take both bags? Can we call him Jeeves? Should we all sit in the back? Will he talk the entire time on the way or let us relax?

Here's how you get away without talking to Jeeves much, unless you find him genuinely interesting (I never have though).

Once you get in the car, he will likely have already confirmed what hotel you are going to but if he hasn't you can take that time to remind him. With two kids and an adult in a Town Car, I would place your son in the front passenger seat and your daughter in the back. You should have your daughter enter first and slide over so she is sitting behind Jeeves, with you in the right rear passenger seat so you may interact with Jeeves if necessary without talking to the back of his head. As he pulls away from the curb you can turn to your daughter and ask her a direct question of some sort, and engage in chit-chat just between the two of you, then include your son with a direct question or comment so that he joins your family conversation. That tends to set the tone that you are focused on someone else as you let him do his job.

If Jeeves makes some sort of polite small talk comment; where are you from, is it your first time at Disneyland, etc., you would of course answer him politely and then turn the comment towards your daughter or son with a "what ride do you want to do first?" question so you are continuing his conversation but not placing the focus on him and his likely non-fascinating life story.

I find that if you start the drive quietly with only a small bit of chit-chat with someone other than Jeeves, then the ride can proceed quite nicely and it is far easier to have long stretches of no talking without anyone feeling awkward. But you need to set the tone first. Whatever you do, do not ask him a small talk question like "Do you make this run often?" or "How long have you been driving today?".

For the most part though, the guys who do this for a living know their roles very well and can pick up on all the social cues quite well. But you really do need to make an effort to set the tone within the first minute or two of the ride.

 

[Curious Constance]

Here's how you get away without talking to Jeeves much, unless you find him genuinely interesting (I never have though).

Once you get in the car, he will likely have already confirmed what hotel you are going to but if he hasn't you can take that time to remind him. With two kids and an adult in a Town Car, I would place your son in the front passenger seat and your daughter in the back. You should have your daughter enter first and slide over so she is sitting behind Jeeves, with you in the right rear passenger seat so you may interact with Jeeves if necessary without talking to the back of his head. As he pulls away from the curb you can turn to your daughter and ask her a direct question of some sort, and engage in chit-chat just between the two of you, then include your son with a direct question or comment so that he joins your family conversation. That tends to set the tone that you are focused on someone else as you let him do his job.

If Jeeves makes some sort of polite small talk comment; where are you from, is it your first time at Disneyland, etc., you would of course answer him politely and then turn the comment towards your daughter or son with a "what ride do you want to do first?" question so you are continuing his conversation but not placing the focus on him and his likely non-fascinating life story.

I find that if you start the drive quietly with only a small bit of chit-chat with someone other than Jeeves, then the ride can proceed quite nicely and it is far easier to have long stretches of no talking without anyone feeling awkward. But you need to set the tone first. Whatever you do, do not ask him a small talk question like "Do you make this run often?" or "How long have you been driving today?".

For the most part though, the guys who do this for a living know their roles very well and can pick up on all the social cues quite well. But you really do need to make an effort to set the tone within the first minute or two of the ride.

This is all gold! Thank you for teaching me how to deal with life! I can see my daughter wanting to sit up front and my son in the back. Would this be sending any unwanted small cues to him? Lol

 

[TP2000]

This is all gold! Thank you for teaching me how to deal with life! I can see my daughter wanting to sit up front and my son in the back. Would this be sending any unwanted small cues to him? Lol

Let the kids sit wherever, but you should sit in the right rear seat so you may speak with him if needed.

You know what would be gold? You should get the kids to practice this entire thing with you in the family room; use empty luggage and arrange dining room chairs into a car format and get some Monopoly money and then practice how to act and what to say. And then just make a video of that and put it on YouTube because it would be hysterical!

 

[Mickeyboof]

I wish these tips worked on Maggie, my lyft driver last week.

I practically had my ears cut off, yet she continued to labor over the fact that she was only driving lyft because she was retired and needed to get out of the house. Not sure if I believe she was a ‘high roller’ who sold her fashion company at a young age, or if she is best friends with an oil baron’s daughter in ‘Saudi.’

Constance, what ever you do, immediately extinguish any conversations of places you should visit in your lifetime, otherwise you’ll be engulfed in a 40 minute dictation of every small town in Europe and province in China.

 

[DrAlice]

You all crack me up. Thanks for a much-needed laugh. After reading the last page or so, I'm now looking forward to our heat-of-summer 7 hour drive down I-5. (is it really called LAXit???!?!?! )

Off topic-ish: Since @TP2000 seems to be our resident tip expert (and I am also tip-dumb), I have a question. When staying at a hotel that has an included full breakfast (*cough* LegoLand), what is the tipping etiquette for the servers? The food is served buffet style, but each table has a dedicated server that takes care of beverages and gets you anything special you might need.

 

[TP2000]

I wish these tips worked on Maggie, my lyft driver last week.

I practically had my ears cut off, yet she continued to labor over the fact that she was only driving lyft because she was retired and needed to get out of the house. Not sure if I believe she was a ‘high roller’ who sold her fashion company at a young age, or if she is best friends with an oil baron’s daughter in ‘Saudi.’

Constance, what ever you do, immediately extinguish any conversations of places you should visit in your lifetime, otherwise you’ll be engulfed in a 40 minute dictation of every small town in Europe and province in China.

Oh, what a nightmare!

If it helps any, my last two Lyft experiences were last week during the International House of Pancakes Presents TP2000 Immersed in Star Wars: Rise Before Dawn, Powered by Lyft day. And both rides were fine. On my pre-dawn ride to IHOP I had a middle aged Armenian type fellow who already had KUSC Classical playing on the radio when I boarded and barely said a word, which was fine and he received a nice tip for that at that ungodly hour. My afternoon ride home from the Disneyland Hotel was hosted by a lovely middle aged woman who was very polite and quiet but about halfway home we got to chatting about Ina Garten recipes and techniques for roasting chicken and she couldn't have been more pleasant. She also got a glowing review and a nice tip, in cash instead of on the App.

But I always think its best to enter into those types of driving situations in a defensive posture. You have to set the tone and you have to be in control of the conversation, or lack of conversation. Otherwise it can be painful.

 

[TP2000]

Off topic-ish: Since @TP2000 seems to be our resident tip expert (and I am also tip-dumb), I have a question. When staying at a hotel that has an included full breakfast (*cough* LegoLand), what is the tipping etiquette for the servers? The food is served buffet style, but each table has a dedicated server that takes care of beverages and gets you anything special you might need.

In those types of situations when the server keeps the drinks flowing, clears your used plates and keeps an eye on your table for you, I always tip at least $5 for one or two people. If it's a family of four or more, I think a $10 bill left on the table is sufficient. Assuming they actually took good care of you and were reasonably responsive.

At the fabulous Bacchanal Buffet at Ceasars Palace in Las Vegas, I always try and seek out the server and hand them $10 early in the meal and thank them for that first round of clearing. And from then on out I tell you, my table is never left without a full Mimosa and a sparkling clean plate!

But in a theme park environment like Legoland or Goofy's Kitchen, $5 to $10 depending on the needs of the family is just fine.

 

[TP2000]

Dude, this is good stuff!!!!

There is a good chance it’ll just be me and the kids on this trip, and we’ll only have two checked bags. So two girls and a tiny 12 year old boy. Should he take both bags? Can we call him Jeeves? Should we all sit in the back? Will he talk the entire time on the way or let us relax?

Might I make a suggestion? (And God only knows why you'd take parenting advice from an old bachelor!)

Maybe this is the time to put the 12 year old son into a new social situation and ask him to handle the gratuity and the bag arrangements? I know I'm old fashioned, but I think it's a good skill to have for a young man to be savvy and comfortable in social situations like this, and it would help give him confidence as he moves into his dating and socially active years.

And he might take to the challenge and appreciate the chance to be the "man of the house", as we used to say. I imagine the driver would find that rather fun to play along with as well.

But, maybe it's a year or two too early for him to tackle that assignment, which I would also understand. Still, don't be afraid to enlist your kids into this fun new adventure! There is never a harm in pushing the envelope a bit with children barreling towards their teen years, and knowledge is power.

 

[Curious Constance]

Might I make a suggestion? (And God only knows why you'd take parenting advice from an old bachelor!)

Maybe this is the time to put the 12 year old son into a new social situation and ask him to handle the gratuity and the bag arrangements? I know I'm old fashioned, but I think it's a good skill to have for a young man to be savvy and comfortable in social situations like this, and it would help give him confidence as he moves into his dating and socially active years.

And he might take to the challenge and appreciate the chance to be the "man of the house", as we used to say. I imagine the driver would find that rather fun to play along with as well.

But, maybe it's a year or two too early for him to tackle that assignment, which I would also understand. Still, don't be afraid to enlist your kids into this fun new adventure! There is never a harm in pushing the envelope a bit with children barreling towards their teen years, and knowledge is power.

That’s a good idea. I’ll see what i can do. He’s really shy with new people, but opens up after he’s comfortable. Depending on his mood, he’d probably love it or hate it hahaha

 

[truecoat]

Okay, I’ll just hand him the entire jar, then make a run for it.

My Dad gave me a jar of quarters for Christmas years ago. I thought there was 50-60 bucks in there but it was $275 so I'd take that jar in a heartbeat.

 

[Phroobar]

My Dad gave me a jar of quarters for Christmas years ago. I thought there was 50-60 bucks in there but it was $275 so I'd take that jar in a heartbeat.

Imagine what I could do with a jar of quarters and an arcade....

 

[Phroobar]

@Curious Constance on your way down to Disneyland, you guys have to stay at the Atari hotel in Seattle.

Atari Is Bringing a Gaming-Themed Hotel to Seattle

Location and groundbreaking TBD.

www.seattlemet.com