Writers, editors, photogs, and bloggers share tips, leads, ideas, news, gripes. PR reps/journos ISO press releases/trips, see also "PR/Marketing." Opinions stated are not necessarily those of Tripatini.
What do you wear to Seven Magic Mountains?
Seven Magic Mountains is an art installation located in the Nevada desert, and the weather can be quite hot and dry. Therefore, it is recommended to wear comfortable and breathable clothing, such as shorts, t-shirts, and sandals or sneakers. You may also want to bring a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen to protect yourself from the sun. It's also a good idea to bring a bottle of water to stay hydrated. While there is no strict dress code, it's important to dress appropriately for the weather and…
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“AOL Travel is hiring Travel Bloggers in around 25 different cities and areas, including Las Vegas, New York, Rome, Amsterdam, and San Francisco. You need to live in the destination you’ll be writing about, have writing experience and insider knowledge of your beat, and be able to churn out a few posts a day (150 – 300 words each). Pay starts at $15/post.”
$15 per post. That's between 5 and 10 cents a word, depending on how chatty you feel. 5 AND 10 CENTS A WORD. Even travel writers are being treated as sweatshop workers. Is this where we're heading? Is this the kind of society we want to live in? Is there any way we as travel writers can band together and say "enough is enough?"
I know the answer. But I have to vent.
I am influenced by many of the guidelines here. As per Lana, if I am being comped by a restaurant, I always leave a tip for the waiter. No reason he/she should be penalized for not having been assigned another table. On the other hand, my housekeeper is cleaning all the rooms on the floor -- and presumably being compensated adequately for that task.
BTW, I'm not complaining; but when guidebook authors divide their pay by hours worked, it comes to way less than minimum wage!
Tipping here is nowhere near as prevalent as in many parts of the world, because most - of course not all - people in public-service industries earn a reasonable basic wage. That said, though, no waitress would knock back a bonus few extra dollars at the end of a shift. While tipping 10% in restaurants is common, it is not the rule and in cafes, coffee shops - and restaurants - most people tip only if we think the service has exceeded what we should reasonably expect. Everyone might toss in some extra coins if we have had a great few hours of drinks and pizza at a favourite place. Sometimes, however, that money goes into a communal jar and the pool is distributed across the whole staff so you might have to give the money directly to the staff member you want to have it. Tipping taxi drivers, hotel porters, etc is almost unheard of.
And getting back to the comment that started this discussion, I get annoyed being asked and expected to fork out for group tips to a driver or guide, for example, on famils because these should be covered by the host as part of the package. I am however always happy to tip someone who I deal with personally while travelling for good or special service - despite my non-tipping background! - and particularly in developing countries where wages are so dramatically less than mine.
Following local custom on this is always the best policy - you can all save lots of tipping money by visiting Australia!!! - but I actively dislike the American (and in some other countries) policy of including a "tip" on a bill - call it a Value Added tax and be done with it! Tips should always be voluntary!
Where tipping is the norm, refusing to do so won't change the greater policy or increase wages. It only hurts the worker, the last person who should be caught in this squeeze. (I wish everyone was paid a living wage so that they did not have to rely on tips.)