also...
I forgot the best part of the bus adventure so now that I'm in the terminal I'll tell you before I have to write an article (ugh, I've become such a working person)
When at port authority, I wasn't sure where to go and I looked lost as per usual. A man asked if I was looking for the airport shuttle. I said yes, to laguardia. He guided me where to go. The whole exchange took about 30 seconds. "Thank you!" I said.
"Can I have a tip?" The man asked, not rudely.
But also not rudely I said, "a tip? You just did something nice. I do things like what you did every single day and I've never once asked for money." He smiled sheepishly and we waved goodbye.
While what I said was totally accurate and I don't feel bad, it is interesting that when I was in south africa I would have (and did) tip people in the "informal sector"for doing things that in the us didn't warrent a tip because it was more common there and also my white/american guilt was running so high I felt it was the least I can do. But other than make me feel better what did those 5 rands (at that time approx 75 cents) actually do? I'm sure there's the rare story of a car guard (people you tip to watch your car) who saves up his money and put his kids through university. But not to sound so republicanesque but handouts or paying people just because you feel guilty does nothing to "break the cycle of poverty." Like I'm not saying eliminate welfare or anything and maybe I'm just thinking abt that nytimes article I read abt malawi which many of you prob read bc it was the 2nd most e-mailed article today.
Ok,that was really deep for a blackberry entry. Now I'm going to conserve battery, byeeeee.
When at port authority, I wasn't sure where to go and I looked lost as per usual. A man asked if I was looking for the airport shuttle. I said yes, to laguardia. He guided me where to go. The whole exchange took about 30 seconds. "Thank you!" I said.
"Can I have a tip?" The man asked, not rudely.
But also not rudely I said, "a tip? You just did something nice. I do things like what you did every single day and I've never once asked for money." He smiled sheepishly and we waved goodbye.
While what I said was totally accurate and I don't feel bad, it is interesting that when I was in south africa I would have (and did) tip people in the "informal sector"for doing things that in the us didn't warrent a tip because it was more common there and also my white/american guilt was running so high I felt it was the least I can do. But other than make me feel better what did those 5 rands (at that time approx 75 cents) actually do? I'm sure there's the rare story of a car guard (people you tip to watch your car) who saves up his money and put his kids through university. But not to sound so republicanesque but handouts or paying people just because you feel guilty does nothing to "break the cycle of poverty." Like I'm not saying eliminate welfare or anything and maybe I'm just thinking abt that nytimes article I read abt malawi which many of you prob read bc it was the 2nd most e-mailed article today.
Ok,that was really deep for a blackberry entry. Now I'm going to conserve battery, byeeeee.
posted by diana at 2:44 PM
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