Readers Sound Off on Tipping Mickeys

For Those Who Came in Late: A few weeks back, I wrote about tipping costumed characters in New York City.

I had a close encounter with five such folks − Elmo, Mickey, two Minnies and a Grinch − on Thanksgiving morning. One of them used my phone to snap a photo of me with the other four. I tipped five bucks. They insisted, loudly, that the interaction was worth $20. Nevertheless, I held firm with my original tip.

I asked readers whether five dollars was an acceptable gratuity and why (or why not).

Thirty-seven readers responded to the survey, a big reality check since I had been expecting tens of thousands of people to weigh in on a topic so vital to the future of civilized society. My wife, who excels at keeping me grounded, said without guile that 36 was twice as many as she had expected.

Despite the miniscule numbers, I was gratified that the statement “Chris’s five-dollar tip was JUST RIGHT” attracted a razor-thin majority, 51.4%. If I had been a candidate in Georgia, I wouldn’t have needed a run-off.

I’m compelled to note that in last week’s run-off in the Peach State, Raphael Warnock, as honest and upright a candidate as one could find anywhere, corralled the same percentage, which means that 48.6% still voted for Herschel Walker, werewolf hunter, who lives just a few doors down from Beelzebub.

My own 48.6% broke down differently between the two remaining choices.

Surprisingly, 37.8% of respondents agreed with “Hey, they asked Chris for a picture! He should have tipped LESS than five dollars.”

Only 10.8% of readers clicked, “Chris was a scrooge! He should have tipped twenty dollars or MORE.”

Because I’m more of a qualitative than quantitative guy, I was especially interested in the comments. Readers didn’t disappoint.

“Elmo should have at least combed his face. He deserves none of the $5,” wrote one.

“They prey on tourists,” said another. “You weren’t even a memory when they left you. They were on their way to another victim.”

“These costumers didn't drive in from Ohio,” wrote a cartoon-character sympathizer. “They most probably live in the Big Apple, and life expenses for them are a lot more comparatively than a dinky little town such as Alliance.” Later, the same commenter opined that “if you couldn't afford to give that much, you should have not agreed to have had any pictures taken.”

Another offered a similar observation: “In NYC $20 is like $5 here in flyover land. When in Rome …”

A couple respondents further noted that Starbucks, which I had just exited, bag in hand, when my tale of mouse tails (and Grinch feet and ticklish Elmos) began, was more expensive than Starbucks here in northeast Ohio. So my tip should have been larger, too.

Point taken.

But I would also argue that, if costumed mice made me say cheese in the greater Alliance area, I would have tipped a dollar or two. So I did inflate my tip because of geography.

Finally, one respondent shared a similar encounter in the Philippines, in the company of a group of fellow Marines. A street hustler painted a young Marine’s tennis shoes with white dye, effectively ruining the shoes.

“With age comes wisdom,” the reader said, “and I can say with relative confidence that you have a greater sense of tact and social grace than that young Marine had at the time. But an ass kicking seems an appropriate response in both cases.”

In closing, let me reiterate I tip generously in most situations, and I urge readers to do the same.

Especially at the holidays, when tempers are short and patience wears thin, support the people who are doing their best to make your interactions merry and bright.

Even if one of them is dressed like Elmo with an unkempt face. Maybe especially then.

Reach Chris at chris.schillig@yahoo.com. On Twitter: @cschillig.

Was I Santa or Scrooge with my holiday tipping?

I like to think I’m a generous customer.

In restaurants, I tip 20%. Often more when the service is exceptional. Seldom less even if the service is poor.

You know a “but” is coming. Be patient, it’ll be here in a few more paragraphs.

A recent NBC News story on “tipflation” made me stop and think. It discussed how some retail establishments are adding a tipping option at checkout for jobs that are traditionally not augmented by gratuities.

That’s ludicrous. When I use the self-checkout at a certain big-box retailer, I feel the company should tip me because I’m doing most of the work − loading and unloading the cart, scanning, paying, everything except stocking the shelves. And I’d probably do that too if I could.

However, the NBC report made me realize that I should start tipping for takeout orders. After all, somebody took time to make and package the food, and that’s a service. In the piece, Thomas Farley, a.k.a. Mr. Manners, advised 10%.

Now, here comes the big “but” (he said with a wink and just the slightest hint − a crack, if you will − of a smile).

But I didn’t know how much I was expected to tip in the following situation:

I was in New York City for the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade this year. While waiting for the parade to step off, I headed to Starbucks to grab some breakfast and take it back to my wife, who was waiting along the route.

As I exited the restaurant, I saw Mickey, two Minnies, Elmo and the Grinch walking down the street. (If they walked into a bar, it would be the setup for a joke.) Being an infrequent visitor to the Big Apple, I didn’t realize people dress like this often. I snapped a photo with my phone.

This brought me to the attention of the entire cartoon menagerie, who made a beeline in my direction to pose with me. I guess they gave me a choice, but it also felt aggressive, with lots of masked people surrounding me.

Three photos and five seconds later, all their little costumed hands were extended for a tip. I pulled out my wallet, which was my first mistake. I gave them a five, which was maybe my second.

“Five dollars?” one of them said, whipping out a roll of bills from some secret pocket in Minnie’s skirt. “There are five of us! It is more like $20!”

Indeed, the wad of money had at least one twenty on top, although I suspect this was for show and that underneath were ones and fives.

The frugal Midwesterner in me bristled. Twenty bucks per “photo shoot” would be equivalent to $240 per hour and almost $2,000 a shift. Granted, these characters weren’t ever going to make that much since most of their day was spent hustling (in multiple senses of the word) for business. And they did have the expense of the suits.

They also were using my equipment (which, thankfully, they returned) and likely weren’t claiming any of their tips as taxable income. They certainly weren’t paying licensing fees to Disney, the Dr. Seuss estate or Sesame Street. I doubt executives would be tickled that Elmo was shaking down pedestrians in Manhattan.

Armed with this knowledge, along with a certain bravado because maybe they should have been paying for a picture with me (educator, native Ohioan, proudly bald fifty-something), I stood firm with the $5. Take it or leave it.


They took it but grumbled as they disappeared into the early morning gloom. If any of them responded to my “Happy Thanksgiving,” I didn’t hear it.

Now, however, I’m wracked with guilt. Well, “wracked” may be an exaggeration, but I am thinking about these folks and wondering if I was more Scroogish than I should have been.

After all, I did get three pictures out of the deal, along with an idea for this column, which ain’t nothing.

So, I’ve decided to solicit your opinions, dear readers. If I should have tipped more, less, or about the same to the Mice, Grinch and Elmo crowd, let me know in the survey below. As a bonus, you’ll get to see one of the photos. I’ll report back with the results in a future column.

And if I’ve made you happy at any point while you were reading this column, well, I accept Venmo and all major credit cards.

Not really.

But maybe.

Survey link (use this shortened link):

bit.ly/3VkXOUf

Reach Chris at chris.schillig@yahoo.com. On Twitter: @cschillig.

@cschillig on Twitter