You really have little respect for service workers, don't you? Many people in tourism actually like what they do. Others even see you as the sucker.
I came her to agree with the gf comment. It may be partially geographic, as I'm in Miami and about 75% of the drivers I've spoken with are Venezuelan, arrived in the last 2 years or so, and are very happy with their life change and their job driving.
And the other 25% are largely either other immigrants or former taxi drivers who are, after talking with a number of them about how the economics worked in taxis and with Uber/Lyft, significantly less exploited than they were working for taxi companies. They see Uber/Lyft as an upgrade, a big one.
Trying actually talking with them and asking enough to get to their real opinions. You might hear some spectacular stories, like the Cuban driver I spoke with who walked ashore in Key West on July 4th, and the beachgoers paid a taxi to his family's house in Miami (a 3 hour taxi fare). Then, after he ended up on the street he panhandled and saved enough to rent a car and drive Uber/Lyft while he began working to get his electrician's license in the US (he was an electrician in Cuba). He was just a few weeks from getting his license.
Tenacity. Pure tenacity. The gig economy was working very well for him. And he was quite happy with how he was able to use it to improve his life.
How does saying what the parent say equate to having "little respect?" Some people enjoy their job, no matter what they do, for sure. Absolutely. Some people hate their job but pretend to love their job because part of their job (service) is to give the appearance that they are very, very happy. Pointing that out is not disrespectful.
Your read way too much into it, your naïveté was simply being pointed out. There was no such implication.
Part of good customer service in the US is pretending you're really really happy to do whatever it is you are doing for your customer. "It is my pleasure to serve you." The staff at Texas Roadhouse wear shirts that say "I love my job," for crying out loud. It's extremely unprofessional to complain to your customers so you're going to put a positive spin on everything.
Doubly so if you are really jonesing for a tip.
If I were in a customer service position and my customer asked me how I liked my job I'd tell them I loved it, no matter if it were the truth or not. I'd lie through my teeth because its my job to be positive, not honest. That's not to say you're always going to be dishonest.
It's just like when a stranger asks you "how you doing?" You say, "good, how about you?" Even when you're miserable. It's just a social nicety people do and has no bearing on how someone is actually doing. Pointing that out isn't implying that every single person who says "I'm doing good" is secretly miserable.
The point is that when you're a customer talking to someone who makes much of their living based on your tips, conducting a quick opinion survey about how much they like their job, just prior to the part where you decide if you're going to tip them, you may not be conducting scientifically sound research.
