[pct-l] Tipping

[dsaufley at sprynet.com]

GS, 

I agree with your line of thinking -- it's human nature to have (sometimes unreasonable) expectations, especially where services for remuneration are concerned.  Clear communication about what is offered for the price could negate that problem. Consistency is also an important factor. The "Drakesbad incident" this year came about because of inconsistent offerings -- over time, some hikers have been comped, and others weren't, all of which was out there on Trail Journals and in the PCT Handbook, resulting in unclear expectations and a very unfortunate misunderstanding between hiker and host.  What I didn't understand was cutting off all subsequent hikers from that point forward because of a perceived dine-n-dash, but then, that's me.

I understand that about 98% of the AT hostels are either work-for-stay or pay-for-stay, and I have never heard anyone complain about it (not that they haven't complained; I just haven't heard them).  At Hiker Heaven we've experienced that some people are extremely uncomfortable about receiving what they perceive as charity, and feel better if they do something or pay something in return, so we let them.  Every unsolicited cent goes back to the hikers in one form or another.  

What I don't understand is the concept of punishing the innocent to pay for the ills of the guilty.  If someone trashed our place, wrote on the walls, and carved anything on the tables, I would hunt them down and see to it that they -- the actual perpetrators -- were made accountable for the crime of vandalism they committed and paid for/repaired the damages.  I don't buy into the conclusion that because 2-3 hikers were bad (or even merely griping) that all the hikers should be painted by the same brush and lose out.  That's just absurdly ridiculous to me, and results in a three-way tragedy:  the wrong-doers got away with it, the owner isn't compensated for the damage, and all hikers thereafter suffer for something they not only didn't do, they would probably never even consider doing.  

I've enjoyed this thread and hearing what y'all have to say.  

L-Rod



-----Original Message-----
>From: Pea Hicks <phix at optigan.com>
>Sent: Dec 26, 2006 11:51 AM
>To: 
>Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
>Subject: Re: [pct-l] Tipping
>
>
>
>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
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