Seeing new places is part of the excitement of traveling. Even if you are just going to visit old friends in a city you once knew well, a cab can be a great way to maximize your leisure time when away from home. The tips in this article will help minimize some of the hassles associated with cabs and help you to reap the benefits of this method of transportation.
Hiring a taxi is often safer than driving your own car in an unfamiliar city. The one-way grid patterns omnipresent in modern cities can make it very difficult to know which lane you need to be in before making a turn, increasing your risk of causing an accident or drifting into an unsafe neighborhood. Every time you need to stop and ask for directions, you are advertising you are not a member of the local community. It increases your risk of being a crime victim. A cabbie will know how to transport you to just about any destination in their city in the most efficient manner. If your cab driver isn’t certain where your destination is exactly, he can always radio into his office for guidance.
Even if you don’t get lost, driving around your destination city in a rental car is also going to increase the likelihood of being targeted by criminals. In central Florida several years ago, tourists were robbed after being followed by unsavory types loitering in a rental car lobby. Most of the victims were traveling alone, and were renting a car simply to drive to their hotel. If they had spent their car rental fee on a cab instead, they could have had much better memories of their trip.
Many criminals avoid targeting people in cabs since they know the driver is well connected to a home office – and law enforcement. In some cities, cabs are now equipped with video cameras. This also acts as a strong deterrent and helps keep cab passengers safe.
Many travel destinations are attractive because they offer unique shopping experiences. All those bags can make you an attractive target to a thief. Hiring a cab to drive you even a few blocks can help minimize your risk. It is also cheap insurance to help you avoid tripping and falling on the concrete or pulled muscles from lugging all that awkward weight.
Hailing a cab can provide extra safety, but is it worth the cost? Depending on how far you need to travel, it may cost only pennies more per mile than taking public transit or renting a car. While there may be a few unscrupulous cab drivers who will take you several miles out of your way just to inflate the fare, most are honest. If they are reported to the commission overseeing their licensure, they risk losing their ability to legally drive a cab. Most are unwilling to take that chance. If you do feel taken advantage of by a cabbie, write down the registration number of the cab driver and save your receipt. File a report with the regulatory agency overseeing taxis in that municipality. You may not receive a refund, but you will know for certain if the cabbie was dishonest. Bear in mind many cities seem to have constant construction projects, limiting traffic flow. You may want to ask the cabbie if he is going around a traffic jam before assuming he is trying to pad his pocket. At the very least, he will be put on notice that you are paying attention to the cost.
If you are traveling with a group, the costs associated with a cab may be divided among all riders – making it a tremendous bargain. It is much more convenient to hail a cab when shopping than hauling your purchases up subway platforms or fumbling for change to hop on a bus. Consider the value of being able to transport your goods in the trunk of the cab while factoring whether the cab is a worthwhile expense or not.
Tipping cab drivers is standard, and don’t forget to figure that cost before getting into the car. Most don’t take credit cards, so make sure you have enough cash to cover the fare and the tip. If you feel the service was particularly bad, you may avoid tipping.
Hailing a cab is oftentimes your greatest challenge. In New York City, for instance, you may need to queue up outside Penn Station or Grand Central Station to catch a ride. During rush hour, the lines can be quite long. If an area seems particularly congested with wannabe cab riders and you don’t want to wait, just walk a few blocks. If staying at a hotel at your destination, ask the concierge to have a cab waiting for you. Provide 15-20 minutes advance notice. In hotels without a concierge, simply use the yellow pages and call a cab company to dispatch a cab to your location. Otherwise, you may be in the street trying to hail a cab just like everyone else. If you will be in town a few days and you find an exceptional cabbie early in your trip, ask for a card. Let him know you would like to call on him whenever you need local transportation.
In some cities, cab drivers are not obligated to pick up all travelers. In London, for instance, cab drivers are permitted to bypass any person they feel unsafe picking up, or from stopping in crime-ridden neighborhoods. Cabbies can also elect to not take you to your stated destination. In many U.S. cities, any on-duty cab MUST stop when hailed.
Relying on cabs can allow you to relax and enjoy the scenery while traveling. They are a safe alternative to driving or taking public transportation without significant costs.
