City Going After Cabbies Who Refuse Fares
Yesterday the mayor held a press conference about the city’s plans to crack down on cab drivers who refuse fares based on where a passenger wants to go, and they released the video above of what Gothamist calls a ‘secret shopper’ looking out for violations.” (The first fare refused in it is to 3rd Avenue…
Yesterday the mayor held a press conference about the city’s plans to crack down on cab drivers who refuse fares based on where a passenger wants to go, and they released the video above of what Gothamist calls a ‘secret shopper’ looking out for violations.” (The first fare refused in it is to 3rd Avenue and Union Street.) According to City Room, “complaints of illegal refusals by cabbies are up 36 percent during the eight-month span ending in February, compared with the same period in 2009 and 2010.” Taxi commissioner David Yassky said at the press conference that “his sister had recently failed three times to hail a cab in the rain while walking with her 7-month-old in Park Slope, Brooklyn.” The city is proposing harsher penalties against cabbies for fare refusals: $500 for a first offense and $750 and a 30-day suspension for a second offense.
City Starts To Take Fare-Refusing Cabbies Seriously [Gothamist]
Cabbies Say No as the Camera Is Rolling [City Room]
I have had good luck with yellow cabs within Brooklyn… Hailed one the other night along 7th Avenue and Flatbush to get back to the SSlope. This would have never happened 10 years ago.
Car Services have greatly improved in Brooklyn. When you get a ride with a good responsible driver with a clean car ask for their personal card. Next time you need a ride call them direct. I have a couple of drivers who I can call anytime day or night and if they are available anywhere in NYC they make an extra effort to make the pickup.
The problem with shift change is that it’s also around rush hour. Someone outta look into that bullshit.
“Many cabs still refuse to stop to pick up minorities. But God forbid they refuse to take some yuppy to west bubble f*ck.”
I can’t remeber the last time I was in a cab not driven by a minority.
From what I have seen, Brooklyn Heights gets more cab service than some areas of Manhattan.
the only time i’ve had problems being refused is around shift change time. which is fine.
Maybe some of you need to spruce up your image a bit….
“All the animals come out at night – whores, skunk pussies, buggers, queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, sick, venal. Someday a real rain will come and wash all this scum off the streets. I go all over. I take people to the Bronx, Brooklyn, I take ’em to Harlem. I don’t care. Don’t make no difference to me. It does to some. Some won’t even take spooks. Don’t make no difference to me.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dax5dsaLfl8
I have never been refused a cab ride from Manhattan to Brooklyn Heights, but I never tell the driver where to go until I am safely in the car. I have found that attitude on the part of the cab driver is typically due to these factors:
A) They drive a cab and are naturally unhappy due to the obscene number of rude and arrogant people they contend with on a daily basis.
or
B) Their shift is ending soon and going to Brooklyn will make them late(turning in their car also results in a penalty).
At all times I find directness that is heavily inflected with politeness and respect helps to avoid such problems. If the cab driver returns the favor, I tip well and tell them why.
I’ve never been refused and I live in (wait for it….) The Bronx. Although my cab rides from Manhattan to where I live are far and few in between. I just get in, close the door, and give where I’m going with explicit directions on the fastest way to get there. I usually make a joke about knowing they hate driving anywhere outside of Manhattan so I tip really well (and I do). The ONE time I had a complaint was at the airport. The driver was complaining to the dispatcher about going to the Bronx. The dispatcher told the cab driver “you can’t do that! Stop complaining, get it your fu**ing cab and take this woman home!”
Many cabs still refuse to stop to pick up minorities. But God forbid they refuse to take some yuppy to west bubble f*ck.