Don’t get ripped off by a taxi driver again
Why did that NYC cab driver charge you $50 to get to your hotel from the airport when your work associate was only charged $38?
Why did that NYC cab driver charge you $50 to get to your hotel from the airport when your work associate was only charged $38?
Now you can be sure what to expect before you step into the taxi with the free World Taximeter, available on your PC or mobile phone.
This clever "mashup" site combines directions from Google Maps with local cab fares to give you an estimate of the cost of a cab ride in cities worldwide. Currently, the site offers support for New York City, San Francisco, London, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid and Prague, with many more cities in the works (next up: Paris). Each city listing also provides two or more local cab numbers to call.
The site claims to have more than 85 percent accuracy "and growing."
Firstly, Bhai, if these guys are so "intellectual", and if they do indeed have a degree in their own country, then why don't they go home where they can work at their chosen profession??? I, myself, have several degrees…all earned right here in Canada, where I was born…and I can't find a position that matches my qualifications.
Secondly, who "forced" them to drive a cab??? That would be a personal choice, and there are other jobs.
Lastly, I used to ride in cabs quite often…and one thing I learned from years of travelling by taxi is that the passenger had better beware!!! In my experience, most "cabbies" won't hesitate to "bump" the fare up as high as possible. On that note, I must ask why they would find this necessary, especially considering that they are earning more than the poor souls stuck with minimum wage jobs and NO TIPS?!!?
As for the "World Taximeter": Great Idea!!!!
I am a fellow Vancouverite and have several concerns about Vancouver cabbies… For one, there aren't enough of them. There should be mandatory testing for cabbies. Now I'm not saying this to be mean only fair. I've been in some wonderful cabbies cars but it's those few rotten apples that seem to spoil the bunch. If you don't want to be judged by the bad ones – get rid of them!
I've been in cabs in New York as well and have got one thing to say. If you don't know where you're going, don't ask me! Ask your dispatcher for directions and turn off the meter while you're doing this! It's your job, take pride in your work. If not – get out of the driver's seat.
I've lived in Toronto all my life and once in a while I'll take a cab. All the drivers I've had have been very kind and sometimes they know better routes than I knew so I saved a few bucks on that. I agree with the 98% vs 2% and you got to remember, you can't always have your cake and eat it too.
I hope the World Taximeter soon has prices for Toronto too.
this one is for shawn "As a taxi owner\operator for thirteen years I can honestly say that I get my passangers to their destination 99.99# of the time. While this gimmick can only boast 85# accuracy. There are bad apples in any occupation, just ask the catholic church. Who would you trust your child with,a priest or a taxi driver…I thought so!!!"…. you get them to their destination 99.99# of the time????…does this mean you pound your occupants 99.99 percent of cab rides??? what do you mean by pound??, one could only assume you beat them for their money??? and if this is the case, then i'd rather the numbers the taximeter gives, because according to them i'll only be beaten 85 percent of the time, and 15 percent is much better than 00.01 percent for damn sure!!!!if you are not one of the bad apples, i'm scared to see who is!!!!!!!!
One time I got snowed in after a bar, and 90% of the cabs quit for the night. The ones that stuck around, were charging rates of up too 200 flat for any rides and refused to drive you on any other circumstances. Given the snow was bad that night, to me it showed cabs in large cities are a bunch of crooks.
To me cabs, will always be a rip. This is just a meaningless threshold to fixing the rate issues with cabs. giving time, we might see more beneficial ideas.
LoL, I find the comment about "Why should the cabbie stop for you, because YOU left YOUR camera in the cab…" pretty ignorant.
Well lets start with some reasons:
This person got it half right, because its "YOUR" camera. So damn rights he better stop especially if your chasing him down for 2 blocks.
Comparing it to, "if your forgot your camera in a subway, do you think it would stop for you" is a laugh, because #1, a Cab is human piloted, a subway is computer controlled, #2 a Cab is Private transportation, a Subway is Public transportation, your not holding up 100 people.
And lastly, you cant justify having a driver sell off your $500 camera because "they're just trying to make some extra money". Im sorry but I have absolutely no sympathy for the Service industries that receive TIP's.
I've had many service type, part time jobs growing up that were not TIP eligible,(eg. working in a supermarket), where you work your but off going the extra mile. Then you go to places (especially in the US.. omg) where people want tips for doing jack. Tips were originally for rewarding people for doing an exceptionally good job, but now is disgusting that it has become expected. I think that means that the employers should pay them more if their job is so straineous that they need tips, and spare our pockets the greif.
After travelling to Rome recently I was surprised at how inexpensive cab fare was and actually how honest some cabbies were. I actually had a cabbie refuse to take me to a well known tourist spot because (I was lost) and he directed us the two blocks to our destination rather than rip us off the 10 or so Euro to take us! I just put in a fare from the Pantheon to the Colosseum and this program shows 40 Euro!!! Are they crazy? The maximum fare would be 10 Euro…not the 40 they claim as a FLAT RATE for a short trip. I would take my chances and common sense rather than this program….tourists beware!
if i was dragging a $499 digital SLR around, I'd be sure NOT to leave it behind in cabs like a loser LOL
Well, my husband has driven cab for six years. He has gone out of his way to return property left in the cab, including a lady's wallet with her passport and $1K American in it. She was going to Alaska and he had driven her to the Vancouver Ferry. He had to go to the flight office, report it and have her pick it up in Vancouver. Besides that, he has been robbed several times by druggies. Yesterday, he drove a person to the welfare office – a $30 trip, she got out of the cab and promised to pay him when she got her cheque. She disappeared out of the back door of the office and was not seen again. There are many, many of these stories in the life of a cab driver, so all your bitching, unfair complaints are mostly unfounded. You have NO idea what you are talking about.
Elizabeth Bunting
I use cabs all the time in Surrey, BC and have never had a problem. In fact most of them make an extra effort. They ask if they can help me take my groceries in, etc. I always give them a little tip, might not be much, but I do.
Cabs can definitely be tricky and require your attention to the meter and the route being taken, which is admittedly near impossible in a strange city. If you think you can just call a number and get Mr Honest at your door who will happily take you where you want to go at the best possible rate he can give you while you relax in the back seat then you will likely be disappointed. That applies to most services though, if you hire a contractor or mechanic or bring in a nerd to fix your computer it's definitely a good idea to pay attention to the work being done as I've found that MOST people WILL try and get you for that extra couple of bucks and a truly honest person is difficult to find. And if for some reason you are carting around property worth $500, I suggest keeping it in an attache cuffed to your wrist or else you'll be taking your chances. That's just me though, I'm the frugal type, your mileage may vary.
While coming back from Serbia, I stayed in France for 2 days (there are no direct routes from Belgrade to Toronto).
We entered a cab from the airport, and the meter was already at 14 euro. He claimed that the fare starts from where he gets called to pick up the person. I kept complaining about it, but I stayed for the whole trip instead of getting out to take another taxi because I was in Paris for a short time. Gave him no tip as well (he got bewildered too)
I don't know if that "rule" exists in Paris, but I HIGHLY doubt it. It sounds so bogus. Plus any other place I have been, taxis have worked in the standard way. I think he was trying to rip me off. Definately got my experience to a bad start there.
I drive cab for a living.Maybe some of you should try it some time.How many customers do you think have ripped me off?If you are having problems perhaps
you should ask the police commission in the area to do their damn job.If anybody is lax,it's them!
As a taxi driver for almost 4 years now in Ontario Canada and i personal go for the shortest way and less traffic to be cheaper for my costumers i don't believe in taking the long way no matter how slow business is out there. I guess you can't put every drivers out there in the same spot there are the honest drivers.
I ride the cab often. I have never had a bad experience on any of the cabs I've been in. They are usually very friendly. You have to remember that not all of them know where everyone lives exactly. You gotta help them out a little. As for the cab fare differences, there are a lot of factors that play into that. The time of day is a huge one. Obviously, it'll take less time early morning and late at night than during the day. Just use your common sense. Also, if there is an accident that holds traffic up, that's gonna affect the fare as well. Say both cabs went down the same street. An accident happens and the cab has to make a detour. The fare isn't gonna be the same. Another thing, about the cabbies stealing your cameras and other belongings. Don't bash them. It's not always their fault. Think about it. As soon as they drop you off they're looking for their next fare. Don't you think it could be other people that take it when they get in? Just like on the bus. It's not their fault. Don't bash them. Cabbies are our friends when we're hammered and smashed and need a ride home.
It is not in my best interest to drive you home the long way to make a few extra cents. When you get in a taxi, there is a starting fee called a flag rate. The sooner I get rid of you (how do you word that politely) the sooner I will get my next fare and that flag rate again. The more flag rates I collect the more money I make, I have to drive about 1.5 KM to make what I make for a flag rate. That is a lot of long way driving.
I have returned cell phones, cameras, luggage, and even money after my shift is over on my own time and usually am rewarded for my honestly. There are times when I drop a customer off and the next customer hops in and finds something in the back or under the seats. Most times they let me know, but there are times I am sure they put it in their own pockets.
Based on my experiences as a cab passenger in a number of cities in North America, the 2%/98% rule that someone mentioned earlier certainly applies to cabbies – it's the 98% of them that are bad apples who give the other 2% a bad name.
driving cab pays like farm work,you have to import people from countries where a dollar a day is the norm.People get chueafared from a-b and complain about cost.Its laughable
I'm from Ont.Can. I've meet both good one's and bad…to the extreme. I'll tell you my most memorable one was a ride home from the airport. She was a very nice, polite not to mention good looking. She was a good conversation. On the way I asked if she could go by the liqour store, to which she had no problem. We got to my house where she even offerd to help with my luggage, I said no I'm fine, I no sooner turn around and she has a bag anyway. In my front doorway I thanked her and gave her a, I think, a good tip. we kind of joked and, on her way out she said "You know after the last few miserable day's I've had it's been nice to laugh", and she thanked ME. Wow after this shift is over I think I'm going to get myself a bottle of booze. Not thinking she would take up on it I just made the offer, I said you know the address I would love the company…to make this short 11PM. she did just that. From that day we were together for a 22 month's before cancer took her. To the (wanna be) cabbie that beat me and robbed me for the measly $60.00 I had on me…maybe if you only knew, maybe you might have a few sleepless night's as well, but then again it would take for you to have a conscience. By the way this was not an actual cab driver, this low life just walked to the cab with me like he was the driver. I was easy money recovering from surgery I was walking with a cane, the scum even was trying make sure I would not fall, only long enough to get out of view of any witness or someone faster than me to give chase.
Anyway you really do have the good cabbies out there. I also apologize to the cabbies that I may have offended this was not meant for you's
i have taken cabs in many cities and can honestly say that i have never had a bad experience. The drivers i have encountered have been polite and gotten me to my destination within a dollar or less on same trips at different times. Keep up the good work cabbies and remember that a lot of people today just can't be pleased.