Real life MMD: Should I keep the cash?

kt_welch

You snooze you loose!

SunnyBrighton_2

You sound like a decent person, so I would tell your friend about the tip, and offer her half - or whatever you calculate as a fair share - then see what she says. You could say that if she has to cover your round for whatever reason, then you will be happy for her to split any tips she picks up from your customers in the same way. This way, although you may be short a few pounds, you will feel that you did the 'right' thing.

She may also be a decent friend, and tell you she is happy to share, or even tell you to keep it, as you earned it.

But if she doesn't want to share at all, then it will be clear that she is not actually a 'friend', and you can tell her that you will be keeping any future tips that you are given, on her round, with a clear conscience.

Or it may be that you decide to do only your own round in the future, and not cover hers, so the situation won't happen again?

If you wouldn't like to do the last 2 suggestions, then perhaps the newspaper shop owner could decide for you both what s/he thinks is fair in the situation?

Let us know what happens !

geoffreyq

... should not have accepted the tip in the first place. When I was a paper boy I always refused politely, explaining that I was paid to deliver the papers and that there was a weekly delivery charge already added to the bill. Sadly, standards seem to have declined. The only exception was if I was delivering someone else's round at Christmas. In that event, I would accept on behalf of my colleague.
It would never have crossed my mind to pocket the money myself.

WhyIsSavingSoHard

SofaChi wrote: »

They are both 17 so encouraging underage drinking is probably not the best idea! I say keep the money, you earnt it.

I so agree with you. I wasn't shocked to read that the friend nurses hangovers at that age, but it's not good because of the obvious of being underage. Putting that aside, maybe the friend that's been given the money can use some for herself and use the rest to buy some chocolates/popcorn and a DVD rental to give them a tee-total night in.

What happens to the wages from the paper-round? Does the hungover friend get that? If not (and in my opinion they shouldn't get the wages for doing nothing), they definitely shouldn't get the bulk of the tip.

Saetana

As far as I can see you are doing the job in the place of your friend and thus are entitled to the tip. Whether or not you should discuss it with her depends on the likelihood of you both arguing over it and possibly falling out, although I think that would be a cheek given you are doing her a big favour by taking her place for a hangover!

fatal1955

You describe her as "my friend" yet the one option you don't appear to have considered is to discuss it with her.

PoorPennilessMe

Keep the money, but make a point of slipping it into conversation somewhere... Something like 'That lady at No. xx is really nice, she even tipped me £xx!' would do. That way you have been upfront with your friend, but not asked her if she wants the tip (not a good idea in my opinion - you earned it by turning up to work, not her!).

It would also help teach your friend that bunking off work has consequences, as she missed out on her tip, along with (hopefully) her wages.

SunnyBrighton_2

PoorPennilessMe wrote: »

... but not asked her if she wants the tip (not a good idea in my opinion - you earned it by turning up to work, not her!).

My logic in suggesting that she shares is - if I give a tip to my postlady/man at Christmas, for example, and the holiday temp turns up to deliver the mail, and I know I won't see the regular postie until after the holiday, I would really want to say thank you to my regular postie, so I wouldn't expect the temp to get the year's worth of tip !

zipman23

tripled wrote: »

If you filling in was just a one off, I'd just pass the lot over, but being as you do the round quite regularly anyway I'd split it with them - perhaps go to the pub together and use it as a kitty or something?

Also, they're both 17! Keep it!



- and I've just noticed that I'm not the only person to pick up on that.

kenpitfield

If your friend is stupid enough to go out regularly drinking too much at her age she doesn't deserve the money. Keep the cash - she obviously has too much already. As her friend though, the best thing you could do is to tell someone in authority about her problem so that she can be helped before she destroys herself.