Taxi Cab Suckage!

[boringscreenname]

Ok the boy and I only have one car, and our work schedules conflict. So three days a week, I have no car, I can't really afford all the expenses that come with another car so I take a cab into work, and the boy gives me a ride home in the mornings.

Anyway I've tried using two different cab companies and get the same results. I call around 9:30 PM, and ask if they can have a cab at my place by 10:30 PM, give them both addresses, my name and phone number, they tell me a cab will be there, then the cab is always running late, and I'm not talking just 5 or 10 minutes, more like 30 minutes.

When I call the cab company to ask about the cab, they always give me the line of we'll have someone out there as soon as we can. Well that's nice and all but I called in advance because I wanted a cab at a specific time, so i can arrive at work on time instead of 15-20 minutes late. They also refuse to accept any responsibility for the cab being late, and refuse to give me a discounted fare. I'm at my breaking point here, is there some secret I'm missing to get a cab that shows up on time or what?

[Becks]

If they're so consistently late, maybe you can try calling even earlier.

Other than that, I have nothing to add.

[BlaqueKatt]

time calls-set them up 24 hours in advance

[Misanthropical]

We only have one cab company in my town and they take advantage of it. You could call in 24 hours in advance, but the dispatcher will yell at you to call back when you actually need the cab.

So, you call an hour before you need one and, with out fail, it's a 3 hour wait or the driver got lost.

Plus, they WILL take the longest possible route to where you want to go.

I would rather walk to where I'm going than have to deal with them again.

[CanadaGirl]

Plus, they WILL take the longest possible route to where you want to go.

Oh my god, I HATE that! Stupid cabbies always seem to take the longest way to a short destination so they can get more $$$ on the fare. Argh.

[boringscreenname]

I've tried calling 24 hours in advance but they say they can't set them up that early. I've also tried calling 2, 3, 4, and 8 hours in advance and get the same thing. Also this was the first time I've used this particular cab company. I had the exact same problem with another cab company so I stopped calling.

I think the biggest problem is that I call and arrange for a taxi with one person, then when the cab is running late, a different person answers the phone and has no idea what's going on because the other guy didn't properly relay the message.

I think the solution to this is just calling them up and telling them I need a cab immediately, that way it's fresh in their minds. The driver last night really pissed me off because he took the long route instead of the route I told him to take, and I didn't recognize the area at all, and the guy's asking me for directions. Of course the fare was higher than normal too, and I was not happy. I was planning on using the guy regularly and calling him directly until he pulled that crap.

[Lace Neil Singer]

There's a few good taxi companies where I live, and one who are arseholes. Do you have any other ones cept this one you can call?

[rerant]

I don't know how well it would work, but when you call your cab maybe try letting the dispatcher know right off the bat of all the problems you've had with them and remind him or her that your cab is to arrive at 10:30, not 11:00.
Should you cab still end up being late take down the exact time it arrived, the driver's name and operator number, the time you called and, if possible, the operator number of the dispatcher and write a letter to their head office.
It may not make them any more willing to get there on time, but if a driver feels their job may be in jeapordy otherwise it could very well light a fire under their ass.

As an example I wrote a few letters of complaint to my local trasit service about the poor service of my route, such as REALLY late buses and some that didn't show at all.
Well wouldn't you know it the service is running perfectly now.

[MiloMorai]

Figure out which of the DRIVERS you like best and see if you can deal with them. They have better control of when they are free to get to you at a certain time. See if the driver has a cell phone that you can call an hour or two before you need a ride. Just remember that s/he is going a bit out of the way to accommodate you and tip accordingly.

[Seshat]

My husband drove cabs for a while, and had a few regular customers. He'd arrange to be in their area about the time he needed to pick them up, and try to take their job when it came through dispatch.

His best, of course, didn't go through dispatch at all. They had pre-arranged with him for him to take them to/from work. He'd just show up at their door at the arranged time.

[boringscreenname]

When I first started using a cab, I found this really nice guy, who would always show up early, call in advance to confirm my appointment, and was a good conversationalist etc... I had no problems with him, then one day when I wen to call his cell phone, he didn't answer, then the next day it was disconnected so I have no idea what happened.

Since he quit I've been trying to find another driver, but they either don't normally work in my area, or don't usually work 3rd shifts. There are multiple cab companies in town, I live in a big city, I've just been sticking to the more well known companies, so I guess now it might be time to call Phat Taxi.

[wagegoth]

I can just mirror what the others have said. Find someone regular, get their personal number, set up a regular pickup, and tip well.

I live in an area with several cab companies, but it depends on the driver. I've had the dispatcher telling me the driver would be there in ten minutes, that they were at such and such intersection (a few blocks away), and then twenty minutes later, I'd be calling the dispatcher because the driver still wasn't there. So if I ever saw that driver at a stand I'd walk right past his cab and take another one. Yes, I've done that. It felt good.

[TryNotToBeThatOne]

I have used taxis rarely. The last time might be the last time, unless it's an emergency or I know the driver already.

The SO's company Christmas party used to have an open bar. We'd go with another couple & rotate who the designated driver was. One year, the driver decided that she did not want to do it. So she ordered a taxi and she'd pay for it. She contacted the company to find out when to call to order the 2 trips. She called ahead of time to set an appointment about what time to take us to the party & an approximate time to take us back. We knew an approximate time because we knew what time the live band started....and they always played with the volume too high.

The one to take us to the party, no problem. Then she called the same company to pick us up, within about 15 minutes of the approximate time that she gave them. Half an hour later, we'll still waiting & it's frigging cold. We finally gave up & caught a ride from another co-worker, squeezing into their car.

[WanderingSaint]

Oh my god, I HATE that! Stupid cabbies always seem to take the longest way to a short destination so they can get more $$$ on the fare. Argh.

A Taxi driver I ahd actually LOST money doing that.

He'd been the only driver to actually come and pick me up with my cat from the vet. Kudo's. I was ready to give him 25$ extra on top of whatever the heck the fare would be (which I know would be about 25-30$, thus 100% tip 'cause I was thrilled to finally get someone).

Then he proceeds to take the most meandering course he possibly can to get home, PLUS driving through two red lights and crossing two lanes of traffic to do a turn, which is of course highly illigal and dangerous. That, and it takes an extra HALF HOUR to get to my place.

End amount? 32$. I gave him 35$ in all, and told him I knew what he did, and that I wasn't appreciative of it.

If only he hadn't decided to be an arse, both of us would have left a lot happier.

[PepperElf]

gawd i hate when drivers start going the wrong way, even though you try telling them "no it's this way"

That happened to me a couple years ago in VA when I took a cab home from the air port. I had a weird neighborhood... two roads had the same name, but only one had a stoplight. I told him exactly where to go, but he insisted on going to the other road because he had some other customer with the same issue once and the other guy had gone to the road without the stoplight.

it didn't matter that i'd been driving home that way for over two years, the driver just *knew* I lived on the road-without-the-stoplight. Needless to say...he had to do a u-turn and go back to the main road and go to where I'd said to go in the first place.

*grr*

thankfully cabs are not so anal here. sometimes there are mistakes, but not often....and once when the driver's mistake ended up increasing the fare he only charged us what it would have been if he'd gone the right way to begin with. gotta love that


the only thing i don't liek about cabs in japan.... if you use $ to pay instead of yen, they'll give you a rate of 100 Yen to a dollar, when the rate is really abougt 113-115 or so. instead of fighting with them, i try to only use cabs when I have yen.