Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-27
American Tourists For
got Bus Drivers Pocket

| Special Cores poIidence OF The Star.
LONDON. October Il, 1891.
<< Il MERICANS are the sting:sst
"a people in the world" remarked
the bus diver az took my
seat beside him. At tha same ZINE ~
viewed me with that sidclong glance 81
characteristic OF men of his calling. Tn
Information was at utter variance with
all my preconcefved ideas Of American
tourists l had always heard my COM
patriots spoken of as the most open
handed di ;bursers OF sratdities. Her,
them was a now view: I list ned with IN
terest.
Americans" continued the bus rilo'.
come up on top of the buses and
occupy the front seats. They always gets
the front seats. i possible, and begin 10
talk to the driver. The driver is " ling
enough to point out the sights. ana !
have done it for hundreds of Americans
this year. But did | ever get tip from
one Of them? Not even a'penny. tn"
majority of them don't even say Thank
you. -
expressed my sympathy, with the
driver remar:ing that tip on The
sights Of the big city as they We're
passed was worth another kind Of tp
from the well pockets OF the AnlaFi-
can tourist. And their pockets w"re we'll
filed weren't they? No ore ever Heard
! Of an American whose cash account was
| limited. To the average Europ1 an every
/ American traveller issa millionaire. II he
| isn't he ought to be, and il amounts 10
! the same thing.
Il see by the papers that an American
| youth has lost S1.noo or so t. a couple %
English card sharps'' AS the Dusman
impaired this information his VOir" a
stunned a note of positive pleasure. dnd h.
roll1d the story under his tongue as
dainty and tasty morSrl when he de
vsloped the circumstances. Although he
did not SO expr SIS it, believe his plea su-e-
was derived rom this suppos d proof Of
the superior sharpness OF his country
men.
And yet" he commented in conclusion.
they say the Americans ara :" cute.
/ 'One of the FUNNIEST remarks | eve
/ heard" he continued AS he guild A.@
bus through thu intricate traffic of Feet
street with Consummata skill. was mad
! by an American who occupied the s'al
/ you are now in about a week ago. HIS
I wife wa; with him, and after a few words
he said:
wonder what he meant? I've heard OF
| them doing Europe and seeing England
but never before of them tax n London
I in / reckoned it would want bit OF
doing | figure you could take all the
other big cities of the world and lose
| them in London"
| I wanted to quarrel with his sense os
! relative siza but instead left him 10 argue
/ with the man at his other hand.
! AS a matter Of ract, the aV rage Amtri-
can in many cases gets thu reputation for
meanness through sheer ignorance. Espe-
! cially is this true If IL Is his hrst TIP
abroad AS a general rule il might be
| laid down that the safest way is to tip
| every one with whom one CONES in con-
| tact No one in the United States would
| dream OF tipping a pDlcaman. Visions Of
graft charges and LeXow inVe legations
I arise before ones eys at the very
| thought Yet tn" London hobbie vii!
beam good-naturedly upon you at the
merest Jingle OF the coins within your
pocket Most of the cheap restaurants in
| London have No gratuities'' printed al
| over their menu cards, but the girls are
paid only 81 - a week, and are expected
I to make a living wage out OF the pro-
! hibited tips.