Tipping: The mystery, and the enchantment

Tips are the most unpredictable, well, for the most part. My oddest bout' with the mysterious inclination of non-tippers came two weeks ago. I had only a 4 dollar and 50 cent ride taking two nurses to their hospitals. They gave me 5 dollars, and that was when the most strange conversation took place

Nurse 1 - "Can I have change?"

Me - "Oh you want your 50 cents? sure, here it is."

I hand them the two quarters quickly

Nurse 1 - "No, I want change of a 5. Give me 3 singles for 5."

Me - "Oh okay."

I hand her 3 singles, but I don't receive a five dollar bill. Nurse opens the door and has one foot out of the cab.

Me - "Hey. I need 5 dollars for that!"

She reluctantly gave me the 5, but feels like she's loosing money. I take the 2nd nurse around the corner, with the meter off, in this time another 40 or 80 cents would have ticked on the meter. And she says:

Nurse 2 - "I need change too, give me another 5 singles."

Me - "Sure."

She gets her 5, and proceeds out the door as well. I am completely bewildered that these two were this completely non-functional.

Me - "Hey!! I need 5 dollars."

Nurse 2 - "Well didn't you already get 5 from her?"

Me - "No, I got 5 dollars, I gave her back 50 cents, then I gave her 3 dollars for her 5.

Nurse 2 - "But you in total should have 12 dollars now and the fare was only 5 dollars."

after contemplating this for a short second, I remembered how easily I can get very confused, and realizing this may get complicated. I franticall waved my hands in exasperation.

Me - "Ooh, whatever, just give me 5 okay!"

So after calculating it all I gave her the 2 extra dollars which I thought would be a tip, for the 5 dollar bill that she again, reluctantly gave to me. I have no idea how she can sleep at night, by taking her friend's 2 dollars, and my tip for her self.

My next fare took me all the way to Bedford-Stuyvesant, a wonderful 26 dollars and 60 cents. She paid with a credit card and didn't tip. I was happy anyway, as the streets had nobody who needed a cab, and I was lucky to have such a trip. It is very strange recently how more and more people aren't tipping, but still odd things happen and people occasionally will tip 300% sometimes, we never know, so we must be on good behavior just incase.