Renting a party bus is an awesome way to reward your teenager making through 4 years of high school drama politics, but all party bus companies are not created equal. Take the story of the 17-year-old prom-bound teen that fell out of a party bus window on June 7, 2014.

The accident happened in Mission Viejo, California at around 7:20 p.m, with 59 high school seniors as passengers. Charlotte Boyse was standing on one of the seats when somehow she tumbled out and landed on the highway. Fortunately she was not seriously injured, but did sustain some cuts and bruises. She was able to call 911 and was treated and released from the hospital the next day.

An investigation uncovered that while no one on board was intoxicated, including the driver, the company itself, Leon Party Bus, had been operation illegally.

Party buses must have are required by law to have a United States Department of Transportation number and must obtain a local business license – two things a parent, or anyone for that matter may not think to ask for when search for a party bus to rent. Having a DoT number ensures that the business carries the proper insurance and meets standard safety requirements.

Because the industry is so under regulated many companies, like Leon Party Bus, successfully fly under the radar, undetected for years.

So, your night on the party bus went flawless. The bus arrived on schedule and your driver did her part to make sure that traffic was no issue when it came to getting you and your friends to every destination and back safely with no interruptions. And now the night is done and as you depart for the last time you reach in your wallet/purse to reward your chauffeur with a cash tip, but you’re not sure how much is a reasonable amount, in fact was a gratuity added into the final bill?

Both are questions that are often asked and by the time you’re finished reading this you’ll know, the common practice for how to tip your party bus driver.