I never really understood the whole tipping the van driver thing. If you think about it, we are all employees working for those above us. Pilots don't tip the TSA for allowing us through security or the gate agent for getting us all boarded up. The van driver taking us to the airport we operate from is really no different than any other employee we deal with. They drive us, we then fly the people in the plane, etc. The driver doesn't work directly for the airline, but they are contracted by them so it is essentially the same.

For the new hires, they don't make really much money at all the first year. Give the new guys a break since everything costs so much and it's harder each and every day to pay bills. Those $1-2 tips over time add up.