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My experience in NYC over the last decade has been the opposite where drivers were doing things like pissing in a bottle while I was in the car with them, or si

by Grimm1 5y ago

My experience in NYC over the last decade has been the opposite where drivers were doing things like pissing in a bottle while I was in the car with them, or similar to you having the meter broken, which starts miraculously working when I tell them I guess I have to call this number here and report it. I won't use anything but rideshare apps because they seem to have higher standards for the cars and the drivers.

staticassertion 5y ago
I spent the first 20+ years of my life in NYC, taking cabs near-constantly, and I never experienced anything like that. Very, very rarely there'd be a "broken meter". It's possible things have gotten worse, I haven't lived there in 6 years, and that was basically pre-uber there. But yeah, can't reconcile my (likely thousands of) rides with that. edit: BTW, with the broken meter (the one time I recall this happening), I just told the guy I knew how much it cost every day - 7 bucks including tip - and that that's what I'd pay. He agreed, he took me where I was going, and I paid. Easy. I know some people will get out of the cab, I kinda remember that once when I was really young and my mother was like 'nah' and we got in another cab.
- tqi 5y ago
  One thing to keep in mind is that these experiences are not randomly distributed. If the drivers assessed you as someone who they thought was likely to complain or know the rules, they probably wouldn't attempt to scam you.
  - staticassertion 5y ago
    Agreed, I was a kid for much of that time, and drivers were usually very nice to me, or at least would know that I was local and not some tourist to scam. But still, thousands of rides with virtually no incidents, I think that's gotta count for something.
  - Grimm1 5y ago
    Yeah in my particular case I was flying in from Dallas so I believe they thought I was just visiting, unfortunately for them I'm NY/NJ native.
bogomipz 5y ago
In decades of taking NYC cabs I have never once seen a cabbie pissing in a bottle. Nor have I ever even heard a story of one doing so. I have also never had a cabbie not turn the meter on. In fact it doesn't even make sense because if a cabbie really wanted to scam you they would simply take an inefficient route and run the meter up. I'm sorry but those things are actually hard to believe. They're certainly not common occurrences. Taxi drivers in NYC have an informal network of places where they can use a proper bathroom. They're actually easy to spot if you know where to look. So there would be no reason to do what you claim. Also any taxi driver knows the TLC could revoke their hack license for a meter violation like what you mentioned so none of them are going to jeopardize their livelihood with such foolishness. Again this is very hard to believe and would indeed be very freak occurrences if they happened. Yes you will have the occasional dirty car or bad driver but getting scammed is not something you ever really need to worry about with yellow cabs in NYC. Even if you're a tourist. Yellow cab drivers are some of the hardest working salt of the earth folks and you're making them out to be something they're not.
- Grimm1 5y ago
  To be fair, they were two distinct times years apart but they were enough to put me off from yellow cabs. I'm Queens born, grew up in NJ and spent a lot of time in the city growing up and now I've lived here for the last decade or so and those experiences were enough to put me off of yellow cabs entirely. You're right in that they're probably freak occurrences but I don't owe them benefit of the doubt as a consumer when I have what is in my opinion the superior solution of rideshares.
wolverine876 5y ago
As others have said, I've been in many NYC taxis for a long time, and I've never experienced those tings.

by Grimm1 5y ago

staticassertion 5y ago

I spent the first 20+ years of my life in NYC, taking cabs near-constantly, and I never experienced anything like that. Very, very rarely there'd be a "broken meter". It's possible things have gotten worse, I haven't lived there in 6 years, and that was basically pre-uber there. But yeah, can't reconcile my (likely thousands of) rides with that. edit: BTW, with the broken meter (the one time I recall this happening), I just told the guy I knew how much it cost every day - 7 bucks including tip - and that that's what I'd pay. He agreed, he took me where I was going, and I paid. Easy. I know some people will get out of the cab, I kinda remember that once when I was really young and my mother was like 'nah' and we got in another cab.

tqi 5y ago
One thing to keep in mind is that these experiences are not randomly distributed. If the drivers assessed you as someone who they thought was likely to complain or know the rules, they probably wouldn't attempt to scam you.
- staticassertion 5y ago
  Agreed, I was a kid for much of that time, and drivers were usually very nice to me, or at least would know that I was local and not some tourist to scam. But still, thousands of rides with virtually no incidents, I think that's gotta count for something.
- Grimm1 5y ago
  Yeah in my particular case I was flying in from Dallas so I believe they thought I was just visiting, unfortunately for them I'm NY/NJ native.

bogomipz 5y ago

In decades of taking NYC cabs I have never once seen a cabbie pissing in a bottle. Nor have I ever even heard a story of one doing so. I have also never had a cabbie not turn the meter on. In fact it doesn't even make sense because if a cabbie really wanted to scam you they would simply take an inefficient route and run the meter up. I'm sorry but those things are actually hard to believe. They're certainly not common occurrences. Taxi drivers in NYC have an informal network of places where they can use a proper bathroom. They're actually easy to spot if you know where to look. So there would be no reason to do what you claim. Also any taxi driver knows the TLC could revoke their hack license for a meter violation like what you mentioned so none of them are going to jeopardize their livelihood with such foolishness. Again this is very hard to believe and would indeed be very freak occurrences if they happened. Yes you will have the occasional dirty car or bad driver but getting scammed is not something you ever really need to worry about with yellow cabs in NYC. Even if you're a tourist. Yellow cab drivers are some of the hardest working salt of the earth folks and you're making them out to be something they're not.

Grimm1 5y ago
To be fair, they were two distinct times years apart but they were enough to put me off from yellow cabs. I'm Queens born, grew up in NJ and spent a lot of time in the city growing up and now I've lived here for the last decade or so and those experiences were enough to put me off of yellow cabs entirely. You're right in that they're probably freak occurrences but I don't owe them benefit of the doubt as a consumer when I have what is in my opinion the superior solution of rideshares.

wolverine876 5y ago

As others have said, I've been in many NYC taxis for a long time, and I've never experienced those tings.