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Many taxi cab drivers will try to rip off travelers. (Hey, sometimes the obvious thing needs to be said.) Getting nicked for a few bucks isn’t a big deal, but being conned by a cabbie can ruin one’s impression of a destination.
No national or international organization tracks statistics on cab scams, and many drivers are surely honest. That said, we all know that each and every city in the world has its unscrupulous drivers. Case in point: In 2010, authorities in New York City had to arrest 59 cabdrivers who were busted ripping off passengers for more than 70,000 rides over the years, with up to 2,000 cabbies accused of intentionally conning customers at one time or another.
To avoid getting “taken for a ride—literally—follow the following precautions.
1. Before you reach your destination, ballpark how much your airport cab ride should cost. Ask friends, check a guide book, or look at the lists of typical route rates on Taxi Prices or Price of Travel.
2. Before you leave the airport, get local currency in small bills and coins. A common ruse by cabbies is to claim they don’t have the change to break large bills, prompting you to overpay.
3. Download free apps to help you look up licensed cabs on the fly. For example, Taxi Magic works in more than 25 US cities (free, iPhone/iPad, Android, Blackberry, Palm; taximagic.com).
4. Only take licensed taxis. These are regulated and require drivers to show a license with a photo. The riskiest rides are with drivers who hang out at airports without official identification. Some of these have extorted passengers for hundreds of dollars, holding their luggage hostage.
5. Agree to a price before you get into the car. And make sure it includes your whole group and the cost of luggage, not per person.
6. Look at a map ahead of time if you're going somewhere complicated. When a driver has a wide choice of routes, he or she may be tempted to take you the long way around to puff up the fare. One way to avoid this ruse is to show the driver the route you would like to follow on a map. This move can be a polite way of showing that you know where you’re going and how long the trip should take without overtly antagonizing the cabbie.
7. Don’t insult the cabbie by accident. If you assume the worst from the start, you may insult the cabbie, which can create its own problems.
Have tips of your own? Please share them with other readers by posting a comment!
SEE MORE FROM BUDGET TRAVEL
Quiz: Can You Spot the Travel Rip-off?
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Many airports have a taxi stand with a manager. Don't be too shy (or proud) to ask the manager what the fare should be -- they're usually on the up and up.
Posted By travelgirl on January 17, 2012, 9:35 PM
Thanks for the comment, travel girl!
Posted By Sean on January 19, 2012, 8:26 AM
I travel all over the U.S. for work and in order to minimize getting "taken for a ride" by a dishonest cab driver I always do two things; first, I contact the hotel at which I'll be staying and ask them the average cost for a taxi ride from the airport to which I will be flying. Second, I always agree on a price before I enter a cab and I never take an unlicensed cab. Once in the cab, I note the cab number so that if I have any type of incident with the cab driver or the ride, I can be specific in my complaint. In the 20 years I've traveled for work and pleasure, I've only had one negative experience with a dishonest cab driver.
Posted By Carolyn on January 23, 2012, 4:52 PM
Most airports have a contract with one taxi company, and the base price is usually 2-3x higher than other cabs in the same city.
I do my research before I leave home!!
If the departure area is on a different level of the airport, go there first, and grab a cab (from a different cab company), and leave from the departure area.
In smaller airports, there's often no other choice, except you CAN catch the rental car shuttle, and call for a taxi while on the shuttle.
The final alternative, is to see if there's shuttle service to and from your hotel. This is often the best deal, especially if you're on a business trip with several colleagues. Be sure to ask.....some shuttles charge "per person", while others charge per mileage.
I also snap photos of the car, driver, trunk (as they're loading it), and the ID of the driver (make sure the company telephone number is included). Ask for a business card, so you can use this taxi again.
It works....as a woman, you need to be twice as attentive so you don't get ripped off!
I've been scammed when I was younger, but I'm so "pro-active" now, no one messes with me anymore!!! :-)
Happy travels!!
Posted By MomtoMany5 on January 24, 2012, 1:50 AM