[pct-l] Tipping

[Pea Hicks]

montypct wrote:

> I like Splash's post.  Remove the mystery and suggest a specific donation
> amount.  I would feel very comfortable with any trail angel asking for a
> specific donation, and much more comfortable than leaving that amount up to
> me.

i think one reason why this can complicate matters is that it goes both 
ways- when a trail angel tells the hikers what's expected as far as a 
donation goes, i think many hikers will start wanting to expect a 
similarly specific set of services in return. then it starts to become 
more like a business transaction, whether or not there's any profit 
being made. and i personally just feel that special part of the human 
interaction is in danger of being lost at that point. don't get me 
wrong- it's not that services with a (cheap) pricetag are unappreciated, 
it's just that it sets up a different type of relationship.

one other thing i'd like to point out, which is something that has 
lingered in my mind, is the idea of "paying it forward" instead of 
paying it back. trail angels serve a greater good by setting an example 
of charity, and i for one started thinking pretty hard about my own 
charitable obligations, not so much toward other hikers, but toward 
needy people in general. let's face it, even the most financially 
challenged hikers out there are still in a position of privilege and are 
on the trail because they choose to be. anyone who truly verges on real 
destitution on the trail is not likely to continue hiking.

while it's fun to be a trail angel, i hope to be able to extend that 
spirit further off the trail than i have in the past. so trail angels 
can unwittingly end up having a greater societal impact simply by 
setting an example for all the hikers coming through, who by and large 
in their "real life" are people of means who are in a position to pay it 
forward.


gs