Do you tip car guards?

Do you tip car guards?

  • Yes

    Votes: 64 22.2%

  • No

    Votes: 106 36.8%

  • Occasionally

    Votes: 113 39.2%

  • Other

    Votes: 5 1.7%
  • Total voters
    288
No, I do not carry cash on me and I am not going out of my way just to get cash for this.
 
I lived in South Africa thirty years ago and was strongly opposed to car guards, who just seemed to me to be demanding money for doing nothing. I've recently returned, and my attitude has softened. The ones I've come across seemed to be more helpful than the ones I encountered all those years ago (and as I get older I find I can do with some help!). I've also learned more about their circumstances. I don't give much to charity, and while the getting cash part is annoying, it doesn't hurt me to part with a few rand.
 
If they're willing to help me put my groceries in the car (especially when it's wicked heavy) and then to get me out of my parking spot without driving over a pedestrian that can't seem to think to look where they're walking (I mean, it's not like there are actual vehicles of death rolling around all over a parking lot! Why bother actually paying attention to your surroundings!), then I gladly give them a R10.
 
I wonder what percentage of Yes and Occasionally only pay solely because of fear of damage to their vehicle by the actual car guard and nothing else...?
 
Some areas have bad car guards like dodgy harassing types. Melville is a good example.
 
zoner said:
I wonder what percentage of Yes and Occasionally only pay solely because of fear of damage to their vehicle by the actual car guard and nothing else...?
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I selected occasionally because I'll tip if they've helped me with something (directed car out or helped with loading the shopping or taken the trolley) and if I happen to have some coins on me.

I don't think I've ever tipped someone because I'm afraid they will damage my vehicle if I don't. Not in SA anyway.

I've paid "car guards" in Mozambique because there they walk up to the car and grab hold of your side mirror. This is the countrywide signal for "if you don't pay me I'm adding this side mirror to my collection at home". Let's hope this doesn't become common place here in SA.
 
Ecco said:
Until these okes start getting Yoco devices LOL.

I heard in CT, some of them have snapscan QR codes? Not sure if its true or not.
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That is true and some beggars also have Snapscan lol. They sell heart stickers...wtf am I supposed to do with heart stickers? I don't have an Uber/Bolt car to stick it on to.
 
I pretty much never need their help to load my groceries and if anything they make it impossible for me to get out of parking spaces as they are always in the bloody way "directing" so I don't see why I would need to tip them for a service I didn't want or need.

The exception to this is if I bought something big and Makro and they legitimately helped me to load it in the car then I'll give them some cash and probably more substantial at that.
 
I make a point of it, its somebody trying to make a living and they are prepared to work for it. Thats laudable in my book, better than layabouts who expect something for nothing. I will talk to them when I park and say "watch my car". When returning I look for the same guard and tip them. If they have gone off, after a few questions to whoever is there now, I may or may not tip. I give R5 as routine and anything up to R50 for something exceptional.
 
No as I don't carry cash. Also past experience have told me they are absolutely useless at protecting cars and develop both deafness and blindness when any theft has occurred....
 
Jer1cho said:
Some areas have bad car guards like dodgy harassing types. Melville is a good example.
Click to expand...
That’s because there are no “real” car guards in Melville, the people who you are referring to are Nyaope boys with green vests, they are not “guarding” your car to put food on the table but to buy drugs.
 
No, they don't actually provide a service tbh.
Are they really gonna stop someone from breaking in?
I don't need to be guided out of the parking bay, I obtained my license legally.
 
Jet-Fighter7700 said:
no, and never do, firstly as I caught them being lookouts for their buddies who see who double checks their car is locked,
and directs their friends to help themselves from whatever you have in your boot, if not actively participating in jamming your car, and watching your reaction to not hearing your car lock, happened at least twice to me, luckily im a total paranoid freak, so I always double check.

and secondly, as they are pests, everybody who earned a license learns to reverse out a parking bay,
dont need them, dont want them, and am convinced this is many of their "day" job, their night job is hopping fences and burglarizing people, if not something worse, like being muggers/ hijackers,

call me a cynic, call me evil call me whatever you like, but these dudes are not poor people scraping by, these are predators watching everybody come and go an picking their targets of opportunity.

and even if they wear a legitimate vest and have a radio and look semi professional, you dont need dudes jumping around waving like they directing a A380 into a stand, you got eyes, and you learned to drive, and this was one of the things you learned to do yourself.
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As said earlier many South Africans were allergic to basic manual work, it was seen as beneath them. You'd have a poor white dude run a tiny business eg gardening or handyman type service, and he'd have a group of black guys do the actual work and he'd stand around with his boep, and point here or there or occasionally pitch in. That has caught on so that many of our old whites and new whites think they need a safety expert to help them out at the parking spot and these guys just capitalise on this.

Actually these kind of businesses as above still exist. Your gadening service has white baas who comes along with a group of young black guys who do the actual work and just stands around or sits in his bakkie.

This kind of nanny attitude occurs still and has occurred. Like our 220v outlets have switches and have huge earth plugs.
 
Mirai said:
As said earlier many South Africans were allergic to basic manual work, it was seen as beneath them. You'd have a poor white dude run a tiny business eg gardening or handyman type service, and he'd have a group of black guys do the actual work and he'd stand around with his boep, and point here or there or occasionally pitch in. That has caught on so that many of our old whites and new whites think they need a safety expert to help them out at the parking spot and these guys just capitalise on this.

Actually these kind of businesses as above still exist. Your gadening service has white baas who comes along with a group of young black guys who do the actual work and just stands around or sits in his bakkie.

This kind of nanny attitude occurs still and has occurred. Like our 220v outlets have switches and have huge earth plugs.
Click to expand...
never thought about it that way, does make sense I guess
why we still have petrol attendants when its completely unnecessary, and why we have car guards when its seen as pointless,

guess Saffers are still yearning for the days of yore when people barely did anything (if they were white)
and all manual work was done by the black poorer class, and its left its mark

fortunately times have changed, but this relic remains, when again its exclusive to SA.
 
Jet-Fighter7700 said:
never thought about it that way, does make sense I guess
why we still have petrol attendants when its completely unnecessary, and why we have car guards when its seen as pointless,

guess Saffers are still yearning for the days of yore when people barely did anything (if they were white)
and all manual work was done by the black poorer class, and its left its mark

fortunately times have changed, but this relic remains, when again its exclusive to SA.
Click to expand...
Or take your basic air conditioning business in SA.

They charge over R600 for an a/c service per unit. What does it entail? The guy inside cleans the filters, which is very easy to do, sprays with a generic spray and wipes down the unit with a dry cloth which removes basic dust. If you're lucky the guy from the outside checks the pressure.

No opening the unit, removal of the heat sink / condenser and spraying that down, or cleaning the unit from bird nest branches even. Total low level of manual work yet a big price is charged and the boss collects the profit and charges for an air con service.

Forget about them doing any actual tests on the unit, even self tests. We sourced and replaced our own temp sensors from foreign suppliers and replaced those.
 
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