One Love Pub Crawl

[Rob]

HarryS,

I am tempted to remove your post as it is fraught with speculation but am leaving it as guide for others. "Assuming" this and "wondering" that when everyone has access to both Lenbert's email address and phone number is unfair. Email or call the man and stop the speculation that is becoming increasingly libelous. Just ask him and allow the man to answer.

To others,

Lenbert's bus is legally licensed and insured under the JTB guidelines. That is not an inexpensive proposition. Maintenance on the bus is a never ending situation, as anyone with a bus knows. When the AC goes out, he has to fix it. When the tires need to be replaced, he replaces them. When the oil pump goes out, he has to put out the money to repair it.

He has provided a free service for his guests for years, bringing thousands of people who didnt even know anything about the West End, showing them bars and restaurants along the cliffs they didnt even know existed. If you want to tip Lenbert, you can - that is your choice, I have seen many people not tip having helped Lenbert get the Pub Crawl started when we had our live webcasts from the bus - but the trip is free. There is no charge for the passengers.

I am aware that some may think that he is "raking in millions" but what about the slower days? Or slow season for that matter? His costs for legal licensing and maintenance do not go down.

Just last week he had a total of 9 on the bus as a large group had cancelled when he arrived to pick them up. There have been cases where groups on the beach got picked up and dropped off at the first place and simply walked off, using him as nothing but a free ride to the West End. He got nothing for that.

Lenbert has a difficult job in choosing which places to stop and trying to be fair to all the West End businesses. While you may not know, he is related to many if not most of the business owners on the West End and can be easily accused of playing favorites by people who dont really know the facts or the dynamics. It is hard if not impossible to keep all the businesses happy. It is the close knit nature of the West End.

The crawl is only so long and he can only visit so many places during any one trip. Not everyone will be agree with his choices. I dont agree with his choices at times, but it is his business that he is trying to run so who am I to tell him otherwise?

But it is a simple fact that Lenbert Williams has brought more business and more money to the small businesses of the West End than all of the people who make the daily sunset trips to Rick's Cafe combined since 1974.

[TandJ]

We did the pub crawl last time to Jamaica (and of course will do it again the next time!)

Who CARES what his business model is? A $10 pp "tip" for that excursion is more than worth the money!

Who CARES is he's getting kickbacks from the bars - its a great and very inexpensive excursion even paying for your drinks!

Let him earn whatever he can.

[Negril1990]

Now I feel bad for not showing up last time, was hung over from the day before, I will apologize to Lenbert next week

[Kevin, PA]

Discussing the pro's and cons of our tipping culture is a totally different topic up for debate and here is probably not the right place to discuss it further. However, within the norms of the tipping culture many live in today, it is customary to tip most private drivers (non-public transportation drivers). The tip shouldn't change based on some means testing of the person receiving the tip but rather it should be based on the level service you received and what the individual giving the tip feels they can afford and\or the person deserves.

It would be no different of someone called a restaurant that offered free pickup. Yes the service is free and the driver is probably still getting paid for the ride but most people would still tip the driver....and then the waitress. Some would tip the driver even more then they would if they had hired the driver, irregardless of the driver collecting a fee from the restaurant, simply because they recognize the value of a free ride.

[saeyedoc]

Yes, like when they comped our meal at Ivan's due to their double booking the 100 candles dinner, boy did they get a good tip!

[NashvilleNegril]

Word! Geez! Take a red stripe please!

[Troublemaker_420]

No one is REQUIRED to tip Lenbert. That said, I have, and will again any time I use his services in the future. My pub crawl memories are some of my best of Negril, and the $20-40 dollars we tipped over two crawls was worth every penny to me. It doesn't matter, to me, how much he makes, or how he makes it. He as a great host that took me places I'd likley not have been otherwise. His financial situation isn't important to me, but rewarding him for what I thought to be excellent service and showing us a wonderful time IS important to me, whether he makes $!5000 a year or $150,000. I'm not going to pay (tip) less for stellar service simply because I think he made enough money witout my help. Lenbert was tipped what I thought the services he provided were worth, and thats all I ask that anyone do

[newfiegirl59]

I have seen ppl. chastised from other guests & Lenbert himself for not leaving a tip as they got off the bus. So all you ppl saying it's worth being jammed into a bus way over capacity and you are still having fun i highly doubt it, and i do feel it's got to the point it is a accident waiting to happen.

[Face Down]

So all you ppl saying it's worth being jammed into a bus way over capacity and you are still having fun i highly doubt it, and i do feel it's got to the point it is a accident waiting to happen.

So what...you are calling us liars? How do you know what we think? Actually I find the Love Bus more fun when the bus is overfull than with just 10-15 people on it...and i have been on it both ways. It might not be your cup of tea but what do you know of others personal experience...you sure do not know mine!!

As for safety, Lenbert is probably one of the safest drivers I have rode with while in Jamaica. I feel way safer slowly cruising the Beach Road and the West End with Lenbert behind the wheel (and I have sat in the front with him on more than one occasion) than speeding down the road to and from MoBay.

As for the price of beers, as other have said, it is our $$, if you do not want to part with an extra dollar for a stubbie, don't. If you are so worried about saving a buck then maybe this is not for you, but the Pub Crawl is an attraction and what you pay for the 4-5 hours in my book is a deal.

I will continue to go with Lenbert every time I am there, what he does is a great service for the less frequented establishments of Negril...and good for him making a pretty decent living also. Win-win for everyone if you ask me....SMH.

[Accompong]

How's it work? Thinking of doing it this year, and maybe seeing some spots on the West End that I am not all that familiar with. Does it make the same stops every day? What time does it start? How long does it last? Who to I contact about it?

This was the original post that started this thread. From there it went to denigrate the West Side establishments, Lenbert personally and his business in general.

Businesses come and go in Jamaica and it doesn't take much to ruin a good thing. Either by liking them TOO much or "smack talking" about them.