How to tip taxi driver in NYC?

[blahsome]

Will visit NYC for the first time next month and wonder how to tip taxi drivers there? I come from a city where a compulsory service charge is automatically added...

Thanks!

 

[N8Magic]

eg. If the fare is 14.00, slip him a 20 and say "3 bucks back is fine."

 

[DannyBoy]

Its not compulsary to tip a cabby in NY city is it?

 

[FrustratedUser]

Why tip? Aren't many of them self employed anyway?

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

Originally posted by: DannyBoy
Its not compulsary to tip a cabby in NY city is it?

only if you want to live

 

[OREOSpeedwagon]

Originally posted by: DeathByAnts

Originally posted by: DannyBoy
Its not compulsary to tip a cabby in NY city is it?

only if you want to live

or if you don't want a 350 pound arabian guy stalking you.

 

[blahsome]

What should a typical tip be like then? 10%? 20%?

Thanks.

 

[Spac3d]

Just curious, do you plan on taking just taxi around NYC? The subway system is quite easy to learn and much more efficient for its money.

 

[DerwenArtos12]

i am origonnaly form NYC. in my early teens i had tolearn the hard way how tip a cabby. and yes a few of them are self employed but almost all work with a dispatching company and have to pay a % of their fare to the dispatch. so the idea behind tipping a cabby is to kind of re-imberse them for the dispatching fee. so usually just go 15-20% unless it takes more that an hour then you go 25%. cause if you are holding them up for an hour they could have picked up two or three other fares by then. so if you are going a couple blocks you should walk. if you are going a couple miles use the subway. if you are going a cross town catch a cab.