Here's some tips to make taking taxis smoother.
1. Give the cab room to pull over. We can see you. We are looking for you, so you don't have to stand in the middle of the road jumping up and down flailing your arms in the air. Legally we are required to pull out of the traffic lane to the curb or some other safe area, so once you see us pulling over, move back so we can pull to the curb.
2. Sit in the back seat. That's where you are supposed to sit in a taxi. Of course unless there are too many people, fill up the back first.
3. Tipping. It's a common practice to tip a cab driver. Tip more if they provide exceptional service. Tipping well motivates a driver to better service.
4. Be polite. You may need special services from a driver so if you are rude, do think we will go out of our way for you? Instances include, leaving things behind in the cab, needing the cab to wait, needing the cab to return at a certain time, scheduling, getting the driver's personal number for quick service, favors, etc.
5. Be ready to go. When you call or hail a cab, be ready to get in the cab and leave. The dispatcher may say 15-20 minutes, but a cab could be coming available right around the corner. Making us wait loses us money and I have pulled away from customers who were not ready to go in a reasonable amount of time.
6. Don't call multiple cab services for one pickup. If you call several and take the first one who gets there, problems arise. If it happens repeatedly, the dispatcher will "black list" your number and calls from you won't be dispatched, and you'll have a harder and harder time getting cabs. It's also just rude to the other drivers who waste their time and gas to drive to get you.
7. Don't argue with us to turn off the meter. If a driver is o.k. to do that he will agree to do it, but it's illegal and can bring a fine.
8. Don't argue to overfill the car. There is a big fine for that.
9. Don't puke inside the car. Tell us to pull over. At least get it out the window!
10. You are paying for a service so you are the boss. Don't let the driver take you a way you don't want to go. Remember the number of the cab you were in in case you leave something behind.
1 comment:
great tips. i could embellish on each of them, but i'll stick to #1 for now. in years past cleveland cops left cabbies alone. they'd only pull us over for the most egregious of offenses, but over the last five years or so they seem to be targeting us. i'm always looking for cops before i make a move in downtown cleveland because their behavior toward us could only be described as harassment. customers don't help when they pull the running out into the middle of the street routine. these days i'm desperate for money, but i make a point of passing by the customers who do this kind of crap. will they learn? no. most of them are stupid. but at least i won't get a ticket for obstructing traffic by stopping for them. one of these days i might just have to run over one of these idiots. :)
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