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[quote user="Dakguy201"] Back in the days when Pullman operated the sleepers, does anyone know what the wages were for porters?  Has anyone ever read/heard any data regarding how much additional was typical in tip income?[/quote] According to the A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, which is located at 10406 S. Maryland Avenue, Chicago, Ill 60628, Pullman Porters were dependent on tips for "much of their income".  One source claims that they were dependent on tips for more than half of their income prior to the recognition of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters in 1935.  Porters were dependent on the whims of mostly white passengers for a significant portion of their income at a time when racism was woven deeply into the fabric of American society. Pullman car porters were often referred to as "George", as a takeoff on George Pullman, the founder of the Pullman Company.  Although the job was highly respected in the African-American community, it was not as good as it sounded, especially before the recognition of the union.  According to the museum, "porters spent roughly ten percent of their time in unpaid "preparatory" and "terminal" set-up and clean-up duties, had to pay for their food, lodging, and uniforms, which might consume half of their wages, and were charged whenever their passengers stole a towel or a water pitcher.  They also could not be promoted to Pullman Conductor, a job reserved for whites, even though they frequently performed many of the conductor's duties. As a rule I tip the wait persons in the dinning car 15 per cent, unless they have a negative attitude, in which case I don't leave a tip.  The same practice applies to the sleeping car attendants.  On my most recent trip, which I described in some detail under "Amtrak Stats....", I encountered a dinning car wait person who was awful.  I did not leave her a tip.  Moreover, none of the sleeping car attendants offered to help me with my luggage or provide any extraordinary service.  In fact, I rarely saw them.  Accordingly, I did not leave them a tip. Amtrak's on-board service personnel, according to one source, are compensated fairly, especially when considering their generous benefits package, i.e. health insurance, paid vacations, sick leave, retirement benefits, etc.  Nevertheless, their job is not easy.  They are away from home for an extended period, working on a rocking and rolling vehicle, and sometimes putting up with nasty passengers.  The job can be hard on their family life and tough on the body.  I don't begrudge them 15 per cent, which is a fairly standard tip, if they provide me good service.
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