A St. Petersburg taxi driver, Ivan, experienced unusual tipping behavior from foreign tourists during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF). Bulgarian guests tipped him a mere five rubles, while Chinese tourists meticulously requested all their change, down to the last kopeck.

Ivan recounted to Fontanka that the Bulgarian passengers, whom he described as wonderful, gave him the small sum after a pleasant ride. He attributed this to their unfamiliarity with the Russian currency, noting their limited Russian language skills.

In a separate incident, Chinese passengers insisted on receiving eight rubles in change after a 1192-ruble “Comfort” class ride for which they paid 1500 rubles. Ivan was surprised, as he observed that Russian passengers typically do not bother with small change.

The SPIEF creates challenging conditions for taxi drivers due to road restrictions and disruptions in cellular communications and mobile internet, leading to issues with taxi apps. Both drivers and passengers face difficulties, including inflated prices and app malfunctions.