Questions about incompetent cab drivers

solids · #1 03-27-2007, 02:31 PM

Wow, is there anything more annoying that this? A few situations:

1) Friday night, you and your friends go out to your favorite bar. The usual cab fare is $10. You get a cab driver who doesn't really know where he's going, and takes you way out of the way and it takes much longer to get there. You mention this to him once during the ride, and it ends up being $20. How much do you pay the driver?

2) A friend of a friend is having a party. You've never met them before, you aren't excited about the party, aren't familiar with the party's address...50/50 whether you go or not. You finally decide to go with your friend.

After hailing the cab, you realize the driver is brand new and has no idea where to go. You end up in the general neighborhood, but drive around aimlessly for a while looking for the street. After 10 minutes of this, you say [censored] it, let's just go home. When you get back home, the cab fare is $20. How much of this $20 do you actually pay?

jba · #2 03-27-2007, 02:34 PM

1) why did you let him go the wrong way? It's on you dude. pay the fare, no tip.

2) it's not his responsibility to know wtf you want to go. If he doesn't know where it is you have to tell him. He's a driver not mapquest. $20+tip.

jetsguy · #3 03-27-2007, 02:35 PM

Failure to pay a cab fare is called Theft of Services, most penalties average about $500. Pay the $20, especially since he picked you up presumably at your house.

almostbusto · #4 03-27-2007, 02:36 PM

shouldn't you consider yourself largely responsible for #2?

i have been in a cab four or five times in my life so i can't really comment with any authority.

Dale Dough · #5 03-27-2007, 02:40 PM

1. $10

2. Tell him you won't pay the 20 because it's his fault he didn't know the address (I'm assuming you gave him one). It's not his fault, though, that you decided to go back home. So you owe him 20 less the time spent driving around aimlessly. If you don't know how much that is, have him make his best estimate.

I took a cab to way out of town once, and he wasn't sure which exit to take. Roadside directions told him to take a further exit that is more convenient, but takes more time. I only realized this after we passed the first exit, and told him 'crap I think we should have taken that one'. He just decided to cut the price on his own, and it worked out to be the same I would have paid otherwise.

The DaveR · #6 03-27-2007, 02:40 PM

"Hey, why are you going this way? Turn right and take blah blah blah."

solids · #7 03-27-2007, 02:43 PM

[ QUOTE ]
1) why did you let him go the wrong way? It's on you dude. pay the fare, no tip.

[/ QUOTE ]

Since when is it your responsibility to poke your head through the window and backseat drive the entire ride? A cab ride usually isn't "as directed", so the cabby should know where to go, especially if it's a common destination.

[ QUOTE ]
2) it's not his responsibility to know wtf you want to go. If he doesn't know where it is you have to tell him. He's a driver not mapquest. $20+tip.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you give him an exact address on the island of Manhattan, he should be able to get you there, imo.

Evan · #8 03-27-2007, 02:43 PM

[ QUOTE ]
it's not his responsibility to know wtf you want to go. If he doesn't know where it is you have to tell him. He's a driver not mapquest.

[/ QUOTE ]
From the Taxicab Rider Bill of Rights. As a taxi rider, you have the right to::

"A courteous, English-speaking driver who knows the streets in Manhattan and the way to major destinations in other boroughs"

That doesn't mean I wouldn't pay, but it is his responsibility to know where he's going.

Dale Dough · #9 03-27-2007, 02:47 PM

I see the others don't agree. I guess it comes down to what the cab companies promise to deliver. I always assumed that they had some area of operation where they had to know everything, outside of that it's on you.

When I order a cab at home in Moscow, I always negotiate price in advance, so you have to tell them where you are going. If you ordered a cab to xyz and you weren't told in advance that the cabbie doesn't know where it is, IMO you don't owe him squat besides the usual fare, I don't care what the rules are.

I'm not talking about not paying no matter what - you don't want to deal with the 500 fine. But you should be able to convince the cabbie to accept less money. If he doesn't, file a complaint at the cab company.

jba · #10 03-27-2007, 02:48 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
it's not his responsibility to know wtf you want to go. If he doesn't know where it is you have to tell him. He's a driver not mapquest.

[/ QUOTE ]
From the Taxicab Rider Bill of Rights. As a taxi rider, you have the right to::

"A courteous, English-speaking driver who knows the streets in Manhattan and the way to major destinations in other boroughs"

That doesn't mean I wouldn't pay, but it is his responsibility to know where he's going.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah that's fine but I dont get the impression this is manhattan, it's some neighborhood who knows where. Yeah a NYC driver should know where XXX 7th ave is, but it's a lot different to expect him to know where 123 bumfuck lane in flushing is, no?

edit: whoa, I just read your other post. you gave him an exact in address in manhattan? ok that's pretty bad I agree. I'd probably pay the metered fare just because I dont really care and avoid confrontation. but just giving him whatever it would have cost to get to your destination I guess would be fine too.