Cool story, but that's some Paul Harvey nonsense. Assuming it was true (it isn't), it would be "ensure" in any case.

Recognize that most van drivers are simply cogs in the machinery. Them being late is not usually their fault, but the transportation companies fault for scheduling them too tight, or being short staffed, or changing their assignment last minute.

You’re right. That was ironic. I said tipping was good, though. So, if we fly together and we both tip and don’t give out unsolicited financial advise to each other, we’ll have a nice time.

Cool. However, I reserve the right to mock you if you tell me that you're a crypto HODLer.

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.

Ha, I doubt that.... quite the opposite.

Don't make much money? They make more than 3 times what I made my first year here. They are not raking it in but if they are struggling on first year pay they have other issues.

Ok, but that was, what, in the 90s-mid 2000s? When you account for the inflation, we are remarkably similar in terms of real dollars. Not to mention some us new guys (include me) are likely to either be furloughed or hurt bad in the recession. Airlines are now showing a reduction in bookings.

I'm not saying 1st year pay is poverty, but having to tip a couple of dollars each and every van ride will add up each month.

Pilots should get tipped by the passengers when we get them to their destination safe and on time.

This would be more appropriate than pilots tipping the van drivers. The pax are our customers, therefore we as service providers could be tipped. Van drivers and pilots are employees, thus no need to tip each other. This is the difference.

Now if you hire a driver (taxi, uber, etc) to go somewhere, then you should tip since its personal travel.