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Outside of NYC, every taxi experience has been an absolute nightmare. Scams, CC machines never working, unreliable, sketchy, going a longer route to rack up the

Outside of NYC, every taxi experience has been an absolute nightmare. Scams, CC machines never working, unreliable, sketchy, going a longer route to rack up the meter. Sometimes they'd just never show up when you called one and you'd just be stuck. That's why I went to Uber/Lyft. Not just because of pricing (though that was a bonus). NYC taxi service has always been great though. And there are enough that like 70% of the time (in Manhattan at least) I can just walk to the street, put my hand up, and have a ride in a minute or two. CC machine always works, etc.

deathanatos 5y ago
Every article like this, there are comments like yours. Yet, I've taken a taxi many times, and nearly every time it was: call #, request taxi, "okay, 15 minutes", 15 minutes later taxi arrives, we drive to destination, pay by CC. I've had a problem exactly once: I caught a taxi at the airport in Denver, CO, and like most airports, the pricing plan from the airport is different than to the airport (which is priced like a normal ride). Upon arrival at the destination, the cabbie didn't want to honor that agreement — "how would I make money if I charged that much?" — which, had I not been in shock from hearing about the stupidest remark I'd ever heard, I should have really told him exactly how he should make money. But that was once, out of probably dozens of experiences. I've had far more trouble with, say, … airlines. I've taken Lyft/Uber too, and honestly, it just isn't much different? The wait is about the same (relative to location, that is, less in crowded city centers). The difference is the ordering: with Lyft/Uber it is by app instead of by call. Slightly nicer, admittedly (can drop the pin, no need to understand often poor quality audio) but both apps absolutely murder cell batteries.
- reedciccio 5y ago
  Uber is the same app anywhere in the world. Lyft is the same all over the US. You don't have to memorize or discover different ways to call a cab in all the places you're traveling to. That's the main advantage I see.
- yupper32 5y ago
  Well since articles more often have comments like mine, maybe you're in the minority of locations that have a decent taxi service? Last time I took a taxi, it was on the East coast and it took an hour for someone to show up. I called 3 times to the dispatch and each time they said 10min. Then the car showed up and they said the CC machine was broken and I had to pay in cash. I didn't have cash. Then suddenly the CC machine was fine and I finally was able to get my ride.
- graeme 5y ago
  I was kicked out of a taxi once in Montreal when the driver heard I was going to the airport. Fortunately he did so by a cab stand so I got another quickly but it was jarring. Had cab machines have “broken” electronic payment terminals more times than I can count. There is on local taxi company that’s always excellent, Atlas Taxi. But other than them had real lousy experiences in the pre uber days. And very hard to get an invoice for tax purposes even if you paid by card.
- astrange 5y ago
  Japan and London are the only places I've had taxi rides that don't feel like being kidnapped. When they actually show up.
908B64B197 5y ago
Uber/Lyft was also a breeze of fresh air for non-white riders. Not being refused rides (after waiting the usual half hour for the taxi to show up) and not seeing the driver speed away when hailing from the curb was a great experience.
- imbnwa 5y ago
  Chicago was the worse for this
- dnautics 5y ago
  Also lgbt riders, due to harassment during the ride, even more dangerous since you're captive.
MattGaiser 5y ago
Yeah, Uber/Lyft could succeed even if they charged more. Outside of the small town cab services (mostly due to poor mapping, where local knowledge has more value), they are far better than the competition.
olliej 5y ago
yeah the bizarre reliability of CC machines not working in SF taxis was amazing. Almost like it was by choice rather than accident.
digianarchist 5y ago
I went to Vietnam a couple of years ago. Ho Chi Minh city had Uber. Getting around was a breeze. In Hanoi, Uber didn't work. We had a taxi with a fiddled meter. They tried to charge me $40 US for a 2km journey.
- nkingsy 5y ago
  Hanoi is at the top of my list of places where tourists are treated as walking dollar signs. Coming off a bus/train, you get swamped by drivers and you absolutely must know exactly where you're going and how to get there or you will be taken wherever the driver is being paid to take you. Cartagena is a close second. Interestingly, outside of major ports of call, Hanoi was lovely, some of the best food I've eaten anywhere and $10/night for a beautiful room. You get a lot of ding for your dong as long as you know how to miss the scams.
  - ekianjo 5y ago
    > Hanoi is at the top of my list of places where tourists are treated as walking dollar signs. Some parts of thailand are pretty much like that too. Being screwed by Taxis if you are a tourist is the norm.
    - digianarchist 5y ago
      Tends to happen in places with unmetered taxis. Never heard of anyone modifying a meter in Thailand.
      - ekianjo 5y ago
        Even with meters, the usual trick I saw was: "oh sorry sir I took the wrong turn, and now we are stuck in a road with major traffic, I'll try to turn back as soon as I can" - added 10 minutes worth of ride. The only solution I see for this kind of abuse would be meter + "strictly follow GPS" rule.
      - fy20 5y ago
        When I was in India they were at least honest about this. They said the meter in the rickshaw was only for locals :-) The ride was still only $10 for what would probably be $50 at home so can't complain...
zippergz 5y ago
Exactly. Even though the uber/lyft experience is not always perfect, it is almost always much better than taxis, and I will pay a premium for it. The people who only care about price can have the cabs, and the discount airlines while they're at it.
bentlegen 5y ago
In Dublin I called a cab company to reserve a taxi the night before a flight, and explicitly asked for a cab with a working credit card machine, which they assured me would happen. The next morning the cab arrives on time – great – I get in and we drive to the airport, at which point the driver reveals that their credit card machine is conveniently "broken". The driver insists I leave my luggage in the cab as collateral while I go inside the airport to find a cash machine. This ends up taking about 15 minutes, I have to pay $5 in ATM fees, I'm anxious the entire time he's going to leave with my luggage, etc. Yeah, I don't mind paying more.
- res0nat0r 5y ago
  In the usa at least, and in many states the cab companies are required to allow you to pay with a card. I've not dealt with this scam in a while but will tell them tough luck and they're not getting paid and proceed to get out. They usually change their mind quickly.
  - squeaky-clean 5y ago
    The scam hits a bit differently when you have $500 of luggage in the trunk. I've also done the "No working credit card reader? Sucks for you then" and walked away. But never when there's luggage locked in their trunk.
    - dnautics 5y ago
      Yes I was hit by this scam as a college student in Chicago and that was the last time I took a cab ever.
- alasdair_ 5y ago
  >The driver insists I leave my luggage in the cab as collateral "no" usually works here. It's not on you to deal with the problem of a broken credit card machine.
  - virtue3 5y ago
Uhhrrr 5y ago
Eh, NYC taxi service definitely hasn't always been great. During my one visit in 2003, cabbies refused to go anywhere but Manhattan or the airport. And in Manhattan, it was impossible to get a cab. I'm glad to hear it has improved. Almost as glad as I am that rideshare exists now.
- yupper32 5y ago
  I don't know NYC in 2003, but that was nearly 2 decades ago at this point. A lot has changed in 18 years. Hell, 2003 was the first time the subway systems stopped taking coins.
- rmah 5y ago
  I lived in NYC in the 1990's and early 2000's too... and, IMO, taxi service was fine to great in NYC. Hold up youhr hand and 9 times out of 10, you had a cab within 5 minutes or less. It was better than any other city I travelled to, perhaps with the exception of London.
fernandotakai 5y ago
>NYC taxi service has always been great though as someone on twitter mentioned -- it depended on your skin color and where you were going.
cortesoft 5y ago
NYC taxis have their issues, too. Not sure if it is still the case, but when my sister lived in New York (five years ago), Taxis wouldn't even go to her neighborhood in Manhattan (Inwood, the north tip).

deathanatos 5y ago

Every article like this, there are comments like yours. Yet, I've taken a taxi many times, and nearly every time it was: call #, request taxi, "okay, 15 minutes", 15 minutes later taxi arrives, we drive to destination, pay by CC. I've had a problem exactly once: I caught a taxi at the airport in Denver, CO, and like most airports, the pricing plan from the airport is different than to the airport (which is priced like a normal ride). Upon arrival at the destination, the cabbie didn't want to honor that agreement — "how would I make money if I charged that much?" — which, had I not been in shock from hearing about the stupidest remark I'd ever heard, I should have really told him exactly how he should make money. But that was once, out of probably dozens of experiences. I've had far more trouble with, say, … airlines. I've taken Lyft/Uber too, and honestly, it just isn't much different? The wait is about the same (relative to location, that is, less in crowded city centers). The difference is the ordering: with Lyft/Uber it is by app instead of by call. Slightly nicer, admittedly (can drop the pin, no need to understand often poor quality audio) but both apps absolutely murder cell batteries.

reedciccio 5y ago
Uber is the same app anywhere in the world. Lyft is the same all over the US. You don't have to memorize or discover different ways to call a cab in all the places you're traveling to. That's the main advantage I see.
yupper32 5y ago
Well since articles more often have comments like mine, maybe you're in the minority of locations that have a decent taxi service? Last time I took a taxi, it was on the East coast and it took an hour for someone to show up. I called 3 times to the dispatch and each time they said 10min. Then the car showed up and they said the CC machine was broken and I had to pay in cash. I didn't have cash. Then suddenly the CC machine was fine and I finally was able to get my ride.
graeme 5y ago
I was kicked out of a taxi once in Montreal when the driver heard I was going to the airport. Fortunately he did so by a cab stand so I got another quickly but it was jarring. Had cab machines have “broken” electronic payment terminals more times than I can count. There is on local taxi company that’s always excellent, Atlas Taxi. But other than them had real lousy experiences in the pre uber days. And very hard to get an invoice for tax purposes even if you paid by card.
astrange 5y ago
Japan and London are the only places I've had taxi rides that don't feel like being kidnapped. When they actually show up.

908B64B197 5y ago

Uber/Lyft was also a breeze of fresh air for non-white riders. Not being refused rides (after waiting the usual half hour for the taxi to show up) and not seeing the driver speed away when hailing from the curb was a great experience.

imbnwa 5y ago
Chicago was the worse for this
dnautics 5y ago
Also lgbt riders, due to harassment during the ride, even more dangerous since you're captive.

MattGaiser 5y ago

Yeah, Uber/Lyft could succeed even if they charged more. Outside of the small town cab services (mostly due to poor mapping, where local knowledge has more value), they are far better than the competition.

olliej 5y ago

yeah the bizarre reliability of CC machines not working in SF taxis was amazing. Almost like it was by choice rather than accident.

digianarchist 5y ago

I went to Vietnam a couple of years ago. Ho Chi Minh city had Uber. Getting around was a breeze. In Hanoi, Uber didn't work. We had a taxi with a fiddled meter. They tried to charge me $40 US for a 2km journey.

nkingsy 5y ago
Hanoi is at the top of my list of places where tourists are treated as walking dollar signs. Coming off a bus/train, you get swamped by drivers and you absolutely must know exactly where you're going and how to get there or you will be taken wherever the driver is being paid to take you. Cartagena is a close second. Interestingly, outside of major ports of call, Hanoi was lovely, some of the best food I've eaten anywhere and $10/night for a beautiful room. You get a lot of ding for your dong as long as you know how to miss the scams.
- ekianjo 5y ago
  > Hanoi is at the top of my list of places where tourists are treated as walking dollar signs. Some parts of thailand are pretty much like that too. Being screwed by Taxis if you are a tourist is the norm.
  - digianarchist 5y ago
    Tends to happen in places with unmetered taxis. Never heard of anyone modifying a meter in Thailand.
    - ekianjo 5y ago
      Even with meters, the usual trick I saw was: "oh sorry sir I took the wrong turn, and now we are stuck in a road with major traffic, I'll try to turn back as soon as I can" - added 10 minutes worth of ride. The only solution I see for this kind of abuse would be meter + "strictly follow GPS" rule.
    - fy20 5y ago
      When I was in India they were at least honest about this. They said the meter in the rickshaw was only for locals :-) The ride was still only $10 for what would probably be $50 at home so can't complain...

zippergz 5y ago

Exactly. Even though the uber/lyft experience is not always perfect, it is almost always much better than taxis, and I will pay a premium for it. The people who only care about price can have the cabs, and the discount airlines while they're at it.

bentlegen 5y ago

In Dublin I called a cab company to reserve a taxi the night before a flight, and explicitly asked for a cab with a working credit card machine, which they assured me would happen. The next morning the cab arrives on time – great – I get in and we drive to the airport, at which point the driver reveals that their credit card machine is conveniently "broken". The driver insists I leave my luggage in the cab as collateral while I go inside the airport to find a cash machine. This ends up taking about 15 minutes, I have to pay $5 in ATM fees, I'm anxious the entire time he's going to leave with my luggage, etc. Yeah, I don't mind paying more.

res0nat0r 5y ago
In the usa at least, and in many states the cab companies are required to allow you to pay with a card. I've not dealt with this scam in a while but will tell them tough luck and they're not getting paid and proceed to get out. They usually change their mind quickly.
- squeaky-clean 5y ago
  The scam hits a bit differently when you have $500 of luggage in the trunk. I've also done the "No working credit card reader? Sucks for you then" and walked away. But never when there's luggage locked in their trunk.
  - dnautics 5y ago
    Yes I was hit by this scam as a college student in Chicago and that was the last time I took a cab ever.
alasdair_ 5y ago
>The driver insists I leave my luggage in the cab as collateral "no" usually works here. It's not on you to deal with the problem of a broken credit card machine.
- virtue3 5y ago

Uhhrrr 5y ago

Eh, NYC taxi service definitely hasn't always been great. During my one visit in 2003, cabbies refused to go anywhere but Manhattan or the airport. And in Manhattan, it was impossible to get a cab. I'm glad to hear it has improved. Almost as glad as I am that rideshare exists now.

yupper32 5y ago
I don't know NYC in 2003, but that was nearly 2 decades ago at this point. A lot has changed in 18 years. Hell, 2003 was the first time the subway systems stopped taking coins.
rmah 5y ago
I lived in NYC in the 1990's and early 2000's too... and, IMO, taxi service was fine to great in NYC. Hold up youhr hand and 9 times out of 10, you had a cab within 5 minutes or less. It was better than any other city I travelled to, perhaps with the exception of London.

fernandotakai 5y ago

>NYC taxi service has always been great though as someone on twitter mentioned -- it depended on your skin color and where you were going.

cortesoft 5y ago

NYC taxis have their issues, too. Not sure if it is still the case, but when my sister lived in New York (five years ago), Taxis wouldn't even go to her neighborhood in Manhattan (Inwood, the north tip).