Letters: To tip or not to tip, plus spritzing while driving

I just returned from two weeks in England: one week in Bath, in the Cotswolds, and one week in London. I tipped everywhere I would in L.A., and the recipients were very appreciative [“Tips on Tipping,” On the Spot by Catharine Hamm, June 26].

Upon leaving for London, I took a taxi to the train station and needed help navigating the ticketing, and with my luggage. Three employees were eager to help me, and one in particular whisked me through the process, taking my bags as though they weighed nothing, and depositing me at the exact place I needed to be on the correct platform.

I offered him 5 pounds as a tip. He said, “We are not a tipping culture like the U.S. I get paid very well to do my job.” Wow.

Last year, I was on a riverboat cruise, and the situation is what Hamm described in the Spot column: envelopes given to each passenger the last night, and we each tipped, based on the excellent service provided.

I recognize that tips in these situations mean the difference between making a wage and making a good living, and I am more than happy to give these hardworking people something in return. I look at it like this: If I can afford the trip or hotel, I can certainly afford several euros or pounds, etc. People on the other end are extremely grateful.

Shelley Keith, Sherman Oaks

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Instead of perpetrating the egregious practice of people who have been conned into believing that it is appropriate to subsidize employers who refuse to pay their employees reasonable wages, why not expose those employers at hotels, restaurants and, the worst of all, cruise lines, for having the chutzpah to bill for tips?

The cruise lines have legally avoided paying almost all state and federal taxes by registering their ships in foreign countries, while they collect billions of dollars from the cruising public and make sure they stuff enough money in the pockets of legislators so this tax avoidance will continue in perpetuity.

Jay Rockefeller, while in Congress, was about the only legislator who even cared about this cruise line practice, and he’s no longer there to talk about it.

Lawrence Berk, Ventura

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Hey, mister, keep me awake while driving

Regarding “8 Basic Tips for Travelers,” On the Spot by Catharine Hamm, June 12: Trying to drive a great distance over unfamiliar roads at night is a recipe for disaster, one I deal with by using this simple trick when coffee doesn’t revive me: an inexpensive drug-store mister, which I blast onto my face as needed. These are similar to ones used to spritz plants.

The cool water works well to keep me alert until the oh-so-welcome lights of the hotel come into view.

Kyle Kimbrell, Playa del Rey

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