Tips for Penn Quarter’s Taxi Riders

Screw the taxicab commission…just refuse to pay if they charge you based on the zone system. They have no recourse for getting the money from you, as if they go to the police they’re on the hook for $1000.

Agreed with most of the above. With the meter system comes some responsibility for the cab rider. You need to be prepared to say “I need to go to X, and take Y street.” It’s not hard, but it’s not what DC cab riders are used to doing, but it’s time to get used to it.

Also, I think we should all put a hold on judging or complaining about the new system for a little while (though articles like this, that tell people they need to realize the differences, are helpful). Under the meter system, cab drivers will make more money if they hustle and pick up more passengers. It is going to take some time for cabbies to figure that out (I suppose it is a little counterintuitive at first, b/c if you pad a ride, you make an extra 50 or 75 cents guaranteed–but if you hustle, you can pick up more passengers and get more of those $4 initial fares). So we should let the growing pains happen, and, in time, things will be great.

Ask for the receipt when you pay- the cabbie’s number is on it. Beats asking when you are already PO’d.

DC needs to beef up its taxicab rider bill of rights. And DC taxi riders need to assert those rights. We need to be able to direct the route of our trip. If the driver doesn’t like it because he/she feels like he’s/she’s going to get stuck in traffic, he/she needs to grit his/her teeth and go that way anyway. I lived in NYC for 5 years and knew exactly the best routes for my usual destinations. Whenever the driver went a different way, I didn’t tip. I even sat there and waited while a driver cursed me out and dug the dime I was due out of his pocket. I’m not sure if DC has instituted this taxi rider right. What I do know is that we have the right to “request” a receipt. Why don’t we have the right to “receive” a receipt? I know its implied, but the devil is in the details!

Same ridiculous experience going from 4th (and Mass NW) to the restaurants on 17th Street (and R). The cabbie not only shook his head when I gave him the destination, but he drove me up 16th Street…all the way to U Street and then came back down to R.
I refused to pay him more than 7$..gave him the money and opened the door and got out. They know exactly what they are doing and will continue to do so until someone with authority brings this to light.

I am also annoyed that the additional passenger fee still exists with the meter system. I have not encountered that anywhere else, NY included. Talk about an unfair charge – it doesn’t cost any more to take 2 people vs. 1 person to and from the same place!

I went from 6th & H to 7th & M yesterday, and instead of taking K Street the cabbie drove all the way down 6th to Constitution, all the way down constitution to 23rd, up 23rd and around Washington Circle, and then finally to M Street. I gave him $9 and refused to pay more for the detour. He argued that it was a “normal” way to go – ha!

pqgirl- same thing happened to me the other day. had a meter but charged me the zone fair. I was too exhausted to argue but i’m pretty sure I wanted to punch the guy in the face.

…next time

“the long way” happened to me too. Maybe next time I get in I will tell the cabbie to go the most direct route, and if they do not comply, simply get out and not pay.

what do you all find “normal” to tip on cab fare? 10% 15% Round up?

Last weekend I took a cab with 4 people from Penn Quarter. Before we even started moving the fair was $8.50 (base fair + gas surcharge + extra fares for 3 passengers). The additional passenger fee is absolutely ridiculous.

The other encounter I recently had was a cabbie who waited until I got to my destination and then told me he had no change. The fare was $7 and the lowest bill I had was a $10. What have similar bloggers done in this “no change” situation?

I have to wonder if some of these stories are happening because cabbies are used to taking certain routes under the zone system that are not necessarily the most direct geographically, but are still the quickest. Time was clearly on the cabdriver’s side before, and the particular route didn’t matter that much (as long as it was within a zone). Depending on the time of day, taking K St can make no sense, even if it’s geographically the shortest route.

#11,

That exact same thing happened to me also. I tore off about a 1/3 of the ten dollar bill, handed the rest to the driver, and got out of the cab.

End of story.

I am not sure what it is about DC taxi drivers – maybe this is an unfair generalization – but I have always felt like they try to rip you off.

I can’t tell you how many times I have tried to pay with a $10 or $20 and been told the driver didn’t have any change assuning I would just say fine, keep the change. I finally gave up and began asking every driver as soon as I got in the car if they had change for a twenty.

Amazingly, since I started doing this I have never had a single driver ever tell me that they didn’t have change.

It is unfortunately one of the all-too-typical examples in the District where basic rules and regulations of an orderly society are completely unenforced.

I hate to rant like that because I do like living here.It just bothers me that there is virtually no expectation in DC that “non-essential” laws need to be followed (see parking enforcement, vagrancy/panhandling, showing up for jury duty, keeping car registrations current, the infuriating noise ordinance issues, etc.)

Anon #11,
I have been in your situation once. One zone fee and all I had was a $20. In that case, I told the cabbie to wait while I went into a store and broke the twenty. He had nothing to lose -i made it clear I wasn’t going to give him a $13 tip.

Tonight I took a cab because I had a gym bag, a backpack and my dry cleaning with me. When I got into the cab, I noticed the base rate was $3 and the additional charge was $2. On the ride home, I read the rates posted on the cab window and besides the gas surcharge of $1, there was no other way he could have charged me the additional $1. When I got to my destination, I asked about the $2 additional charge. The cabbie told me it was for gas ($1) and for the two bags (50 cents each)!!! Since I was sitting next to the posted rates- I pointed out that it was an additional 50 cents per bag ONLY if he had helped me with each of the bags (it is stated very clearly on the decal). He kept insisting and I recited out loud the posted rates. Eventually, he conceded to not knowing the new additional charges and said he thought it applied to any bags that a passenger had on!!!

I would imagine a typical DC tourist or person who expenses the cab fare would just keep quiet and pay up. This may be one of the reasons why the cabbies don’t bother learning the new rates and pile on the additional charges so brazenly.

Same experience here with a $20 or $10. Just ask in advance … as if you are doing them a favor. They always seem to have change.

The add ons are amazing. At the airport (DCA) I had one very small bag, the size that can be carried on the airplane. The cabbie got out of the cab and put it in the truck … earning him a $3.50 bonus. When I complained he told me to take the bus next time. You can be sure that no cabbie in the future will put my luggage (big or small) into the trunk.

Late one night I took a cab to the Metro. Once there, the cabbie couldn’t break my $20. So, instead of just surrendering the whole twenty, I suggested that we flip a coin. If I won, the ride was free; if he won, he got the bounty. He agreed.

I flipped the coin, he called it…and won. Dejected, I handed the twenty over, wanting to stuff it in his grinning face. When I walked up to the Metro entrance, it was locked; Metro was closed. I ended up flagging down a cab and taking a long and very expensive ride home.

My cab ride from Dupont back to Chinatown has gone up about a buck with the meters. In general, i’ve found being very specific on your route helps with the cab drivers. I have noticed the scenic tours though. One guy taking me from Dupont to 7th and H took me all the way to Children’s hospital up near Catholic and down N. Cap and back. It was crazy. Needless to say, I paid him the zone fare and told him no way.

As for the change for the $20 issue, I don’t ask. Theses guys work for cash and should have change for a $20. Maybe DC needs to implement credit cards like NYC? In general, if the guy doesn’t have change for a $20, I saw, “oh well” and leave the cab without paying. I figure it is not my problem. Miraculously, they find change every time. Though I did have one guy who seriously did not have change and he walked with me to a neighboring store to get change. But that was one time out of 50 rides.

Two things for the positive I have noticed: First, cabbies are driving slow. Makes sense, time is charged so if they drive slow, it adds to the fare. Though it is annoying when you drive behind them now. Second, no more running of red lights. I used to just assume my cabs would run reds. Now no more. A stop at a red light or two equals an extra 25 or 50 cents.

Are these horror stories the norm for all of you? I ride in DC taxi’s a couple of times a week, each week, and 90% of the time I have a trouble-free ride.

I’ve only been in about 4 metered taxis since the June 1st change, but in each case my ride to & from my destination was about 25 cents different. No taking scenic routes, no change issues. In fact I think I’ve been offered a receipt each time.

Not to say there are not bad taxi drivers out there. I’d guess the bad/dishonest drivers are about the same percentage as any with any other business. Some people are dishonest, most(?) people are not.

many of the comments here reflect residents who have been used to one way of taxi life and are now switching over to another. part of the reason for the changeover is transparency and that applies most to out-of-towners, some of whom have trained themselves never, ever to get in a cab without a meter because in their town, that spells ripoff. zones confuse visitors because no one else uses them. doesn’t excuse scenic drives though.

as far as routes go, I still maintain a car and I never take K Street to go east-west unless it’s after midnight or before 6 am. I’ll take Eye west or (H or E) east or Constitution Ave in both directions because they are consistently faster over many trips than K Street…too many lights on K and not enough lanes for the traffic load.

Knowing the route is key. I usually tell the driver the exact route I want to go at the start of the trip. If traffic gets bad, then if I know a better way to go, I will tell the driver at that point.

Also, another thing that my drivers have being doing is to drive much slower, thus catching every red light, and thus padding the fare with “wait time”. Sometimes it feels like I’m driving on a parade float, with other cars just whizzing right by me.

I disagree that this is merely a matter of getting used to a new system. I have ridden in cabs in several other cities, and never had the types of absurd routes being described by some of the posters. I only have taken a cab once since the meters came in, and while he drove pretty slow (20 mph on eye street without nuch traffic), the route was reasonable for the most part.

Since the meters went into place I’ve experience two entirely new types of taxi-cab fraud:

(1) Leaving the meter off, and only turning it on if the passenger requests it at the beginning of the trip.

(2) Covering up the meter with a piece of clothing on the dashboard, and claiming that there’s no meter.

In both situations I was able to demand the use of the meter, but I assume these are both easy tricks to pull off with most tourists. After I asked for the meter I got slow and circuitous routes similar to the experiences described above.

You know, this would be relatively easy to fix if the city had the equivalent of “secret shoppers.” Enlist a group of civic activists, train them thoroughly, have them take some kind of oath and turn them loose.

The group goes-a-travelin’. At the end of a cab ride, if the rider been ripped off, s/he hands the cabbie a card. The card can provide a brief explanation that they’re just broken the law and will be hearing from the TaxiCab Commission. (This should discourage subsequent rip-offs, at least for the remainder of the day or night.)

Said civic rider then writes up a report of the infraction, emails it in, along with the cabbie’s license info or car info. Some time after that the cabbie gets a hefty fine and warning that X instances of this will lead to a license suspension.

I’d be willing to do this and pay the fares out of my own pocket, and get reimbursed from the cabbie’s fines.

every time I have been in a cab with a new meter I have been taken on the “long way”. Luckily I have not been going so far for it to make enough of a difference, but it is blatant, and just like DC government employees in the ongoing attacks on the citizenry of DC, the cabbies are now doing the same thing. If anyone thinks it is anything other than a purposeful attack on the citizenry, they are naive, at best.

I have had drivers intentionally drive slowly so they hit the red lights. I’ve decided that from now on I will tell them upfront that I will not give them a tip if they insist on driving slowly.

Second, keep up the comments – I am sure the Washington Post will do some “Secret Rider” stories.

I am very critical of DC taxi’s but on the driving slowly issue, I think its also possibly attributable to gas prices.

Maybe i am being optimistic (or a fool) but i feel like I have noticed taxis slow rolling down a block when there is a red light rather than driving up to it and hitting the breaks.

#25 – agree with you, but as i mentioned above, its unfortunately just one of those many examples of basic rules and regulations in DC that are completely ignored with no expectation of enforcement. Since I posted that above 2 additional examples came to mind.

“bus only” lanes and handicapped parking.

I am amazed at how many allegedly handicapped people there are in our area. On my street I see at least 2 or 3 cars parked in meters every day but I pretty much never see anyone who appears to be handicapped. While I understand that at least a few of them have handicaps that are not obvious on the surface, I am also sure that a majority of them are simply commuters using the handicap signs to get away with free parking on the street.

I have had similar “unpleasant” experiences with cab drivers.
This is my solution, which I have already implemented…..
I make note of the cab number, cab company and offense. When I get home, I send a letter to the cab company with the above info, informing them that future letters will go to Fenty and the police department. Not sure if this will work, but maybe if they are innundated, someone may take notice and it makes me feel better.

Wow… and I thought I was the only one who hated DC cabs! Since the meter switch I’ve only had one driver tell me that he thinks it will be good for business because people will take short trips that before would have been ill-advised under the zone system. Good for him for realizing the potential here, but shame on all the rest for these dirty tricks. Slow driving is one of the most infuriating, since it means I pay more and arrive later.

For the drivers who don’t like to turn on the meter, I wait until I’m a couple blocks from my destination to say that I’ll need a receipt. They have to turn on their meter at that point to produce the receipt, and then they only get maybe $4.50 for what might have been a $10 fare. Nice! (And no wonder some of them see meters as a money-losing proposition….)

From my experience, I get scammed 25% percent of the time. And I think this is because so many cabbies are still very angry about the meters.

Maybe some of this will dissipate over time.

I took another ride today…this time I told the cab driver which route to take, which he was not happy about but did as I asked

I took a cab today and after I handed the driver a $20 for a $10 fare, he told me he had no change. Another rider I was with then found a $10 bill and handed him the correct amount. After providing him the $10, I asked for my $20 back and he told me it was his. We had to argue for 5 minutes with all of us in the cab, dressed in business suits, insisting that the $20 on the front seat was mine. Finally, he forked it over.

I’m surprised that only one person has pointed out that, under the current system, cab drivers are better off driving fast (and blowing through yellow/red lights) than slow. Maximizing the number of $4 initial fares is a lot more profitable than the extra few ticks of the meter from slow driving.

On the route issue, I have to disagree with pqresident about K Street. I took Eye Street for almost a year until I started leaving slightly later in the morning . . . at which point I learned that it comes to a standstill after 9:30 — when folks can start parking and the infuriating delivery trucks double park *on both sides of the street.* Often, you’ll get only two functioning lanes, which is no more than K Street, but the difference is the frequent bottlenecks from double-parked delivery trucks. On K, you’ll occasionally get cars turning left across traffic or a stopped bus, but that’s easily enough negotiated. So I’d recommend Eye Street during morning rushhour but K Street if your commute starts after 9:30. (On the way back to PQ, L Street to Mass Ave. is almost always better than K.)

Finally, what’s the rule on bags in the trunk? The sign says $2 for “large bag in the trunk,” or something like that, but that’s different from the $2 for bags if the cabbie helps you. So how large does the bag (which the cabbie never touches!) have to be before I get hit with another $2 on my fare? Isn’t a cab driver likely to interpret this to apply to *any* bag in the trunk?

It is important to look out for this bag fee. Two cab drivers have charged me $2 for a briefcase I carried into the back seat, and said it would be an extra .50 to put it in the trunk. They said “we are told we have to charge that way.”

Not only are they driving slowly and charging illegally, the meters are tied to the odometer, which may or may not be accurate. Who is checking?