Cabs in US cities.

In mexico City, as well as Monterrey, Chilpancingo, Puebla, Cuernavaca and other Mexican cities, free cabs roam the streets looking for fares. I recall it was like that in New York City as well when I visited in 1983, and in London in 1985. Of course you can also call a taxi company and have them send a cab for you. I do that on occasion, particualrly when I need a cab for the airport.

In Vegas I usually make do on the bus system, and rather well, too. Last time, I needed to take a cab. So I figured as they form lines in just about every hotel, my best bet was to find the hotel nearest my destination and take one there. This worked very well. but for the return someone had to call a cab for me. I ran accross the same situation in Houston, TX, last week.

So I take it in these cities you can't just hail a cab off the street. The question, quite naturally, is why not?

Yeah, in New York, you can hail a cab if you see one, and get dropped off anywhere.

In Vegas, in many areas (particularly the Strip), you can only get picked up or dropped off at taxi stands. Many taxis are barred from pickups at strip locations.


Why? Silly rules set up by the Taxi Commission. Go ask them.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Why? Silly rules set up by the Taxi Commission. Go ask them.

I can understand not allowing cabs to make pickups on the Strip. It's a major thoroughfare, and cabs stopping all over the place would make for that much more traffic. In fact, I'm surprised the buses stop on the street rather than having dedicated bays at most stops. I wouldn't mind a similar rule in some busy streets here like Insurgentes.

I just didn't see cabs cruising in, say Sahara or Tropicana Avenues. In Houston I plaiy didn't see any cabs cruising anywhere.

As somebody who owned a small cab co and drove a
cab, I would hate to drive in Vegas. Its really a very
small city when you're in a cab. There's the airport
right there, the Strip, and Downtown, and Boulder.
Most fares will be very short. And if you do get a
longer one out to where somebody lives, you'd have
to deadhead all the way back.

So they have to get a ton of small fares to make their
nut. People going from the MGM to Riviera, and from
there Downtown. And all the traffic. I'd be a nervous
wreck. The airport here, like in most cities, is 15 miles
away. Vegas has it right there, which sucks for cab
drivers.

Quote: EvenBob

The airport here, like in most cities, is 15 miles
away. Vegas has it right there, which sucks for cab
drivers.

Hmmm....

Bob, based upon your cabbie experience, what do you
think of this:

It has been the cabbies that have protested the most, and
successfully blocked, extending the monorail to the airport.

It suddenly occurred to me that if the monorail were extended,
that the cabbies would lose so much business that -maybe-
many of them would quit. As a result, the few cabbies that
remain would have plenty of business, albeit, for the short
hauls you describe.


Yeah, I realize that quitting might not be an option for most
cabbies, but what's your opinion?

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Yeah, I realize that quitting might not be an option for most
cabbies, but what's your opinion?

Cab drivers in every city make a lot of money
on airport runs, and there is always somebody
plotting to take business away from them. The
monorail is screwing with the livlihood of a lot
of drivers, they should be pissed. Driving a
cab is a hard way to make a living, thats why
so many foreigners do it.

Its not that they would quit, the cab companies
would just have less cabs on the road and it would
be harder to find one to drive.

Quote: Nareed

So I take it in these cities you can't just hail a cab off the street. The question, quite naturally, is why not?

In many cities in the USA it is illegal to hail a taxi from the street. Los Angeles is a prominent example It may not be illegal in taxi, but it may be illegal for drivers of a certain company to take fares that way. A lot has to do with their insurance.

I don't think it is illegal anywhere in Mexico to hail a taxi. But I think it is only common in NYC and Chicago in the USA.

In my city you had to call for a cab or get one at a cab stand.
Its just too dangerous to stop and pick somebody up, car
insurance wise. They do it in NYC because its all cabs there,
they have to do it.

deleted

Quote: DJTeddyBear

It has been the cabbies that have protested the most, and
successfully blocked, extending the monorail to the airport.

In Mexico City there's a limited number of cab companies allowed to pick up passengers at the airport (it used to be just one, so that's progress). In turn these cabs cannot pick up passengers off the street, but they can be dispatched to fetch people to the airport (and only to the airport).

There are two reasons only why cabbies will take you to the airport: 1) The airport is at the edge of town, near two freeways with lots of foot traffic on the sides, so picking up passengers there is rather easy, 2) there's a booming business in picking up passengers just outside the airport, as airport cabs charge higher rates.

Quote: pacomartin

In many cities in the USA it is illegal to hail a taxi from the street. Los Angeles is a prominent example It may not be illegal in taxi, but it may be illegal for drivers of a certain company to take fares that way. A lot has to do with their insurance.

That's really peculiar. I'd rather just find a cab wherever I am than have to call one.

Do you suppose it has something to do with a lack of pedestrian traffic? I saw few people on foot in Houston. While in Vegas outside fo Downtown and the Strip, you see very few pedestrians as well. In comparison, NY's streets are as crowded as Mex City's.

Quote:

I don't think it is illegal anywhere in Mexico to hail a taxi. But I think it is only common in NYC and Chicago in the USA.

Some companies don't allow their cabbies to pick up passengers off the street. But then there are a number of independent cabbies, too. Many own their cars and are affiliated with other cabbies or to taxi companies.

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

You can in Detroit. Whether or not its legal, I don't know.

The taxis in detroit hate taking you between casinos,since they are all fairly close to each other.I think it`s about $4-5 if they take you the right way.One guy took me from Mgm to Motorcity and went way out of the way and the fair was $9 .I refused to pay him more than $5,told him to call the cops,so he then took the money.

Quote: Nareed

In Mexico City there's a limited number of cab companies allowed to pick up passengers at the airport (it used to be just one, so that's progress). In turn these cabs cannot pick up passengers off the street, but they can be dispatched to fetch people to the airport (and only to the airport).

There are two reasons only why cabbies will take you to the airport: 1) The airport is at the edge of town, near two freeways with lots of foot traffic on the sides, so picking up passengers there is rather easy, 2) there's a booming business in picking up passengers just outside the airport, as airport cabs charge higher rates.

Tourist books stress that it is dangerous to take an unofficial taxi at Mexico City Airport. They caution you to ignore the solicitations from people working the floor. So you prepay for your ride and take a ticket to the taxi. In smaller cities I discovered you could almost always walk to the end of the parking lot and someone would pick you up for about half the official rate.

Quote: pacomartin

Tourist books stress that it is dangerous to take an unofficial taxi at Mexico City Airport.

Indeed. Chances are good you'll be robbed at best.

Quote:

So you prepay for your ride and take a ticket to the taxi.

You do that in just about every airport and bus terminal.