Short Taxi Fares (and the associated driver rage!)

[Orca]

I live a stones throw (Ascot) from BNE airport and more often than not need to catch a cab home. I often try to sneak into a cab at the departures drop off but the parking demon normally stops this... So I join the cab rank line.

I realise it's a short fare but some of the treatment I cop when I hop in the cab and tell him I only want to go to Ascot is remarkable! I understand their frustration but taking it out on me just because I live nearby is ridiculous.

I usually tip well on these fares but have recently decided that if the driver carries on like a muppet then it's no tip for you sir!!!

 

[PapaRubbery]

I live a stones throw (Ascot) from BNE airport and more often than not need to catch a cab home. I often try to sneak into a cab at the departures drop off but the parking demon normally stops this... So I join the cab rank line.

I realise it's a short fare but some of the treatment I cop when I hop in the cab and tell him I only want to go to Ascot is remarkable! I understand their frustration but taking it out on me just because I live nearby is ridiculous.

I usually tip well on these fares but have recently decided that if the driver carries on like a muppet then it's no tip for you sir!!!

I live a $25 cab ride from MEL (Essendon), and I use the departures for the same reason - pissed off cabbies who waited three hours for a $25 fare.

If the parking demon tells me I can't I just do it anyway. Or I say I approached the driver, it's what I want to do. I've had one or two arguments from the pseudo-parking police about how I have to go downstairs and queue. I just say 'look I'm getting into this cab, this isn't worth your time arguing'. Usually does it.

I have a friend whose of Chinese background, and he plays the 'sorry sorry me speak no english--hi mate, just a short fare to the city thanks!'

Next time pretend you don't speak english and just get in a cab anyway!

 

[Shelf]

I'm a $30 fare from MEL - I used to receive cabbie rage for a short fare. I always goto departures for a cab now.

 

[boomy]

I have the same problem when going from SYD airport to my friend's office in Alexandria. The taxi drivers always have an attitude and complain they waited for 2 hours just to get a $15 fare, like it's my problem... At first I felt a bit bad about it and used to tip well but after having to listen to them coughing about it over and over again I decided to ignore them by talking on my mobile until I arrive to my destination.

 

[Awesom Andy]

I have a friend whose of Chinese background, and he plays the 'sorry sorry me speak no english--hi mate, just a short fare to the city thanks!'

I should try that next time.

 

[anat0l]

A good cabbie shouldn't b*tch about short fares. More short fares are generally better than less longer fares (especially if they have to go to butt's end for the long fare!). I really don't know why cabbies should be so annoyed about short fares (MEL airport somewhat excepted, but there's enough discussion on that), especially if they are working and fare running in an area which already has a high concentration of standing jobs.

The social/moral/ethical/etiquette/gentleman's rules of engagement with respect to catching cabs is contentious at best. Generally, it seems that:

• Most concentrations of taxis will have a rank, so if there is a rank, you should use it.
• Always give your business to the next available taxi in line, unless there is a very good reason not to.
• For cabbies, it's pretty much the similar rules. If there is a rank, use it. Attempting to circumvent a queue area or "steal" a job from a cab who is in line is not good form.

That's what it seems like. None of it is really lawfully enforceable. If you're the type, "I don't care - I just want a cab to get me to where I want, and I'll do whatever I can to do achieve that ASAP," fair enough.

It's a real shame - there are good cabbies but they are broad brushed very unfairly by a marked percentage of bad apples.

 

[bass_ke]

Great cabbies in OOL and thankfully nearly always a short rank to deal with my usual $12 fare. It always seems to be a lads club in the short rank, out to socialize and take a few fares on the side

 

[RooFlyer]

On my first trip to Los Angeles - when was a naïve 16 - I was booked into a hotel but had forgotten, geographically, where it was. I got into a cab at the LAX rank, said the name of the hotel and the address.

The driver took off, then slowed and he looked puzzled. Oh hell, I thought, I got the cab driver who doesn't know the way.

A bit more slow, a bit more puzzlement.

"That's here, isn't it?" he said. Huh, I dunno mate, and gave him the address again.

"That hotel is right here man! X**%%$$! %%@@*!!"

I had booked an airport hotel (an unknown phenomena to me at that time) and the ride lasted les than 5 minutes.

I tipped well.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

taxi drivers have a choice no? They can either wait for two hours at the airport and greedily expect a high fare. Or they can drop off their passenger and simply drive back to the city. They need to do a cost-benefit calculation like anyone else: is my time waiting in a queue worth the occasional potential low fare?

 

[boomy]

taxi drivers have a choice no? They can either wait for two hours at the airport and greedily expect a high fare. Or they can drop off their passenger and simply drive back to the city. They need to do a cost-benefit calculation like anyone else: is my time waiting in a queue worth the occasional potential low fare?

I guess it's hard to do a cost-benefit calculation when they don't know which fare they are going to get, it's a gamble really. They do have a more fair system at the airport, if they return within 20 minutes, they will go to the head of the queue (must return to the same terminal).
It's good for places like SYD, where they can take people to airport hotels and come back on time to get another fare without waiting too long.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I guess it's hard to do a cost-benefit calculation when they don't know which fare they are going to get, it's a gamble really. They do have a more fair system at the airport, if they return within 20 minutes, they will go to the head of the queue (must return to the same terminal).
It's good for places like SYD, where they can take people to airport hotels and come back on time to get another fare without waiting too long.

that's exactly my point. they should be thinking 'is it worth me sitting in a queue for a potentially low fare?'. I'm mean if they're gonna be greedy and only expect high fares they gotta take the risk of a low fare.

 

[Groundfeeder]

Given that the meter usually shows $20 before you get to the Gateway Motorway or Nudgee Road in BNE, the cabbies shouldn't cough. How do SLF get to the Airport Novotel from DOM if they're unaware of the bus?

 

[cove]

Now I remember that is the Novotel Airport in Brisbane. I booked that one on Hooroo and it wasn't walkable easily from the airport.
As a result I never use Hooroo nor Novotel as I had to fight for months to get the QFF points they offered.
Now that bus drops you on the other side of a small shopping centre so I did use a taxi to get out of that hotel in the early morning.
I gave the taxi driver an extra fiver to never have to do that again.

 

[Princess Fiona]

Got a grumpy taxi driver at LAX a couple of weeks ago as we were going to Marina del Rey.
As it was the start of a two month vacation I couldn't have given two hoots.
The mini and I acted as if we didn't understand the ugly scowl and cursing in Spanish which was easy as we didn't

 

[Simo]

Luck of the business.

Swings and roundabouts.

Cabs are just like any other business.

Somedays you have good days other days you have bad ones.

I have just done a few little cash jobs not much work but for only a few bucks...

 

[cove]

Lucky we don't learn Spanish in school in Australia.
It ranges up to $25 including tip depending on the traffic so I cannot see the issue.
Did you remember to scowl back at payment time?

 

[vitagen]

You should try getting a cab in Kuala Lumpur. Anything innercity they ask where, you tell them, they drive off.. So we have to find a nearby hotel and grab the blue taxis

 

[craven morehead]

The odds would suggest they will get at least one of these fares each day. So suck it up or change jobs/ranks :mrgreen:

 

[fersea]

Stuff em. Just tell them to stop complaining and drive. You will go where I want you to go and I dont give a stuff if it is a long or short fare.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

speaking of short fares I was watching someone trying to hail a cab the other day in the Mel CBD... taxi after taxi stopped, the woman would go to the window and ask if the driver would take them to xyz. All of the refused. I'm sitting there thinking 'why don't you just get in and THEN tell them where to go'?

Finally after about 20 minutes (and 5 or 6 cabs) she did just that - got in first and then told them. the taxi went on its way.

It is still illegal to refuse short fares right?