What is it with Taxi Cab drivers?!

Since I've been back at work I've had to take a taxi fairly frequently because there are some days that I can't get to work early enough using Handi Transit, and others where I have to work over time and can't reschedule Handi Transit.

I also take a taxi sometimes to and from the chiropractor if I can't get there by Handi Transit or if the return trip requires me to sit for 2 hours waiting on a ride home.

Because of the car accident I was in in October, Autopac will refund me the cost of the transportation to and from a medical appointment which is the result of the accident. I usually try to take Handi Transit, but there have been times that I've had to take a taxi.

Last week I went into work early, but stopped at the chiropractor on the way. The fare for the cab was $8.60. I gave the driver a $10 bill and mentioned that I needed a receipt for Autopac. He hands me a receipt that shows the fare as being $10.00!! I don't like when people try to cheat me...or take their own tip, so I gave him the receipt back and told him the amount is $8.60 and that he owes me change.

Today again!! I messed up and went to the wrong entrance for my Handi Transit ride. As a result I missed my ride and had to call a taxi. I stopped at the chiropractor on the way home. The fare was $9.60. I told him that I needed a receipt for Autopac. I handed him $20.00 and he said "How much should I make it out for? $10, $12, $20 dollars?" And he was dead serious too!

Like what the heck?!

I told him flat out that he makes it out for $9.60 which is what the fare is and then asked him for the $20.00 back and dug around for the exact fare.

I'm so fed up with how dishonest most cab drivers are that I've encountered. This is only 2 examples. If they aren't trying to take a tip at the expense of Autopac, they are nickle and diming their way into them by rounding fares up to the nearest coin. For example a fare that is $7.40 will often see you only get $2.00 in change from a $10 bill or $2.25 if they don't have anymore change to give you. Instead of rounding down and taking the loss like they are supposed to, they make the customer take the loss because they don't have the right change to give you.

Drives me absolutely crazy!!!

I don't have much experience with cabs except for and extremely crazy one in Paris and some very nice ones in Juneau, AK and in OR. Is there an authority that you could report these drivers to? Make sure to take down their taxi numbers and file a complaint somewhere?

Wow, you'd think getting dozens of customers each day wouldn't be enough money for them

I've never had a cab driver try to take their own tip like that. And I'm a native New Yorker.

I've used both the yellow city cabs and private ones, and none of them has ever asked me for more than either what the meter said, or what they've told me over the phone. I have a friend who drives a private cab in Maryland, and I rode with her every night for two weeks - she didn't do anything even remotely like that either. Tips are OPTIONAL.

Does where you live have some group that has authority over cabs? I'd look into reporting the cab company.

You would love the taxi drivers in Malaysia - they make up their own costs and it doesn't matter what the meter said. The person I went with had an argument with a taxi driver as he charged us RM35 which is about 15NZD - still pretty cheap for a distance and I ended up paying for it.

Ok, don't shoot me on this one, but I have a different take... As a business traveler, I take a LOT of cabs, all over the place... When I ask for the receipt, I actually ask them to write down the full amount, including TIP, so I can submit it on my expense report. My company, and the other companies I have worked for, expect me to tip the driver and the only way to prove that the whole amount went to them, is to include the tip in the fair amount... If the fair was $8.60, and I gave him $10.00, I would expect a receipt for $10... Otherwise the $1.40 would be coming out of my pocket... I always tip drivers, and any other servers... They do depend on tips as much as their regular pay...

Originally Posted by carolinalima

Ok, don't shoot me on this one, but I have a different take... As a business traveler, I take a LOT of cabs, all over the place... When I ask for the receipt, I actually ask them to write down the full amount, including TIP, so I can submit it on my expense report. My company, and the other companies I have worked for, expect me to tip the driver and the only way to prove that the whole amount went to them, is to include the tip in the fair amount... If the fair was $8.60, and I gave him $10.00, I would expect a receipt for $10... Otherwise the $1.40 would be coming out of my pocket... I always tip drivers, and any other servers... They do depend on tips as much as their regular pay...

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Is the entire fare paid out of your pocket, or paid by your employer?

Originally Posted by Dragoriana

Is the entire fare paid out of your pocket, or paid by your employer?

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Employer, which is often the case when you ask for a receipt... She was also going to expense it?

Originally Posted by carolinalima

If the fair was $8.60, and I gave him $10.00, I would expect a receipt for $10... Otherwise the $1.40 would be coming out of my pocket... I always tip drivers, and any other servers... They do depend on tips as much as their regular pay...

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That's if you are taking a cab and getting reimbursed. If you were to take a cab twice a day at your own expense, I doubt very much you would be tossing $2.00 here and there every time you were inside a taxi. It all adds up. Besides, they don't do anything for you except drive. They don't even get out of the car to open and close the door. What's to tip for?

Now on the other hand if I have gone shopping and have packages and they help put them in and take them out of the car, then yes, I tip. But not just for getting into a car and being driving to a location without them doing a single thing other than pressing a meter and driving. Driving is their job. And many of these drivers own their own cabs so they aren't getting a percentage of what they take in, they get it all.

And just because I will be reimbursed from Autopac (for my medical trips) once I submit the receipt to them, doesn't mean I'm going to cheat them out of money by throwing around tips and padding the expense beyond what the fare actually is. Besides, I'm out of pocket the money until I submit it and get it refunded to me. They ask that I submit monthly and it takes about 2 weeks to get the payment back. That's a long time to be out of pocket money.

I understand your frustration. I know that with most cab companies, they also charge a "waiting fee" or charge more if your trip isn't A to B. You said that you stopped at the chiro on your way somewhere... was that figured into their charge?

I don't take taxis much unless I'm in NYC. I usually tip. I think the drivers expect it.

Ironically, I just ran into this last month. Hubby and I went to his work xmas party, and took a cab from our hotel to the party. The fare was something like 12.60 or so. I handed him 22.60 so all he had to do was give me 10.

He gave me 7 back I was NOT impressed. Hubby paid on the way home, we gave almost exact change.

I completely understand that tips can be important in a person's employment, but with the rates cab drivers charge us, and the lack of assistance (no door opening, etc.) I don't think most of them deserve a tip.

I tip for a job well done, not just for the sake of tipping.

Originally Posted by carolinalima

Ok, don't shoot me on this one, but I have a different take... As a business traveler, I take a LOT of cabs, all over the place... When I ask for the receipt, I actually ask them to write down the full amount, including TIP, so I can submit it on my expense report. My company, and the other companies I have worked for, expect me to tip the driver and the only way to prove that the whole amount went to them, is to include the tip in the fair amount... If the fair was $8.60, and I gave him $10.00, I would expect a receipt for $10... Otherwise the $1.40 would be coming out of my pocket... I always tip drivers, and any other servers... They do depend on tips as much as their regular pay...

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That's been my experience, too. I'm surprised AutoPac doesn't make provisions for the tips.

Originally Posted by carolinalima

Ok, don't shoot me on this one, but I have a different take... As a business traveler, I take a LOT of cabs, all over the place... When I ask for the receipt, I actually ask them to write down the full amount, including TIP, so I can submit it on my expense report. My company, and the other companies I have worked for, expect me to tip the driver and the only way to prove that the whole amount went to them, is to include the tip in the fair amount... If the fair was $8.60, and I gave him $10.00, I would expect a receipt for $10... Otherwise the $1.40 would be coming out of my pocket... I always tip drivers, and any other servers... They do depend on tips as much as their regular pay...

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I agree with this also, although I think it was very rude of him to assume you were tipping (I hate that), I always tip a cab driver and if you're getting reimbursed for the full charge a tip should be included in the reimbursement. To me, their job is to get me to point A to point B and if they did that well, they get a tip. Around here cab drivers get paid very little and tips are what they live on. Maybe it's because I worked as a waitress for 9 years I understand how important tips are.

With cab drivers or pizza delivery or anything I include a tip in what I have ready for them, but I do make sure they start to count out my change before I tell them to keep it. I can't stand when they just assume the change is theirs. If they do, I ask for it back and sorry for your luck.

Linda - you can't seem to get a break. Wheeltrans were giving you problems, then the grocery delivery people, the nursing assistant where you work and now the taxis. It's almost like someone's out to get you.

Good heavens! Take a deep breath and hope that things get better in your future.

I'm a jerk when it comes to cabs... and my dad is a cab driver.
When I lived in a more urban city I would tip, just usually round up a dollar or two, no big deal.
Here the fare is set $8 so I usually have exact change. I never tipped our regular cabbie. But at the end of the year I gave him a card with $20 in it because there are only 3 guys in his taxi business.
Yeah I'm a jerk.

Originally Posted by Zooy

I'm a jerk when it comes to cabs... and my dad is a cab driver.
When I lived in a more urban city I would tip, just usually round up a dollar or two, no big deal.
Here the fare is set $8 so I usually have exact change. I never tipped our regular cabbie. But at the end of the year I gave him a card with $20 in it because there are only 3 guys in his taxi business.
Yeah I'm a jerk.

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Nah, not a jerk. I believe (but I could be wrong) that most city taxi drivers in the Toronto area at least, drive for someone else, i.e., the cabs do not belong to the driver - he just pays huge leasing fees (hundreds of thousands of dollars) to use the cabs. Believe me these guys aren't getting rich. The owner of the cabs and cab company are getting rich but not the drivers.

I always tip cab drivers just like waiters. I feel it's part of the bill. Maybe that's because I'm in NYC.

whenever we have used taxis they always give us the right change or we tell them to round it up to the next pound and get change that way

i deal with them at work all the time and they always want something for nothing, they expect discount because they are a taxi driver

Originally Posted by Yosemite

Linda - you can't seem to get a break. Wheeltrans were giving you problems, then the grocery delivery people, the nursing assistant where you work and now the taxis. It's almost like someone's out to get you.

Good heavens! Take a deep breath and hope that things get better in your future.

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No one's out to get me.

Handi Transit is the pits for everyone who uses it. It can be a huge inconvenience at times.

So far as the Nursing Assistant, it's not just me who has a problem with her. The entire ward does. Some just turn a blind eye and let her keep doing what she does and then they do the work for 2. I'm too vocal to allow that to happen, so I'm speaking up. If I wanted to work 2 jobs I'd get a part time job and get paid for doing it.

And the taxi thing has been an issue for years, it's not a new thing. I just decided to vent about it because lately they seem to think that just because I'm asking for a receipt, that they can pad the amount and automatically assume that whatever money I give them is the total amount that they put on the receipt. I don't appreciate that.

That's if you are taking a cab and getting reimbursed. If you were to take a cab twice a day at your own expense, I doubt very much you would be tossing $2.00 here and there every time you were inside a taxi. It all adds up. Besides, they don't do anything for you except drive. They don't even get out of the car to open and close the door. What's to tip for?

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Do not doubt - I would NEVER take a cab without tipping. I am not sure about Canada - in the US it is customary; if you ever worked for tips you would know why...

Now on the other hand if I have gone shopping and have packages and they help put them in and take them out of the car, then yes, I tip. But not just for getting into a car and being driving to a location without them doing a single thing other than pressing a meter and driving. Driving is their job. And many of these drivers own their own cabs so they aren't getting a percentage of what they take in, they get it all.

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Same thing with pizza delivery, restaurant servers, etc. It is their jobs, and yet we all know tips are a big part of their income. The rest is pretty much minimum wage, which is well below what anyone would need to survive. Again, not sure about Canada.

And just because I will be reimbursed from Autopac (for my medical trips) once I submit the receipt to them, doesn't mean I'm going to cheat them out of money by throwing around tips and padding the expense beyond what the fare actually is. Besides, I'm out of pocket the money until I submit it and get it refunded to me. They ask that I submit monthly and it takes about 2 weeks to get the payment back. That's a long time to be out of pocket money.

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I am not sure of what you are insinuating here. You are not cheating them out of $$$. You would be if you were pocketing the money instead of tipping the driver. That would be a cheat. I find it weird that they don't expect to pay tips, when it is just a part of the process in getting a cab. Tipping is part of the payment, padding expenses is a whole other thing, FYI - you would keep the money to yourself. This is not what I do, and what anyone who tips does.