Vacation Longer Than I'd Like
Got back from vacation to a few days of work before I got layed off. I haven't been much in the mood to post with all that's going on, I'm sure you'll understand. After a few days of sobbing and feeling really sorry for myself, I've pulled things together and have been working it. I probably won't be posting that much for a little while, my focus being elsewhere. So good thoughts & vibes, cross those fingers and let's have a cheer for all of those folks going back into the workplace while the economy is tanking.
VACATION!
The beaches of North Carolina call and I am going to answer that call. Hope everyone has had a good summer so far. Will be back in cabs when I return in September. In the meantime, take care all!
That $19 Maximum Rate - Take Two
Lots of good comments on this topic, interesting to read.
As someone noted in the other comments, the rate is an inside DC maximum rate, so does not apply for trips from inside DC to Maryland or Virginia. DC is about 68 square miles in total area.
The $19 maximum rate is the law, making the driver's claim of restarting the meter, or other drivers' stories of dumping people out at $19 quite illegal. As for the $19 max rate = socialism, I'd probably have little more sympathy for that if I'd been hearing that for the top zone rate in the pre-meter years too :).
That $19 Maximum Rate
I was chatting with a driver last week about DC's $19 maximum fare rate which was set when the switch came from zones to meters.
I asked if he'd had many $19 fares yet and boy did he have some interesting answers. Yes, he said, he'd had a couple. And each time he tossed the meter back to the start and added that fare onto the $19 maximum. I said I didn't think that was in the spirit of the law (ok, legal lol), and he said sure it was, since he had the right to get paid for his work. Besides he said, at least he took the person to her destination. So that made me ask - huh? The response was that he'd heard of at least 2-3 drivers who had pulled their cab over when the meter hit $19 and told their passengers to get out, end of the road.
Both moves are quite illegal, and who knows if the second stories were real or new urban legends, but I thought it interesting comments on all of our getting use to DC's life with meters.
Well That Was Fun - Not!
I am stupid - because I didn't write down the driver's cab number (was one of those with great black card with the person's name on the side).
I got in cab, all is going well as we're driving along Eye street late last night heading west. I should mention that I'm not a tall person. So folks may not be able to see me sitting in back there. Anyhow, on with story.
We're going along on Eye street. There's a woman 1/2 block ahead of us trying to hail a cab. A driver on the far side of my cab speeds up, cuts in front of us to pick up the woman hailing the cab, so we slam on our breaks. I figure he didn't see me and was trying to beat out my driver to the fare.
She gets in 2nd cab and by the next block we're side by side at a red light. My driver rolls down the passenger window and starts yelling at other driver. Who of course starts yelling back. Woman & I staring at each other with "can you believe THIS?" looks. The light turns green and the drivers don't move! They're still yelling at each other. Light turns yellow and they yell more.
I check out my meter, grab the exact change toss it in the front passenger's seat and get out of the cab. Driver now screaming at me - I turn around and scream back "are you KIDDING ME?" and walk behind both cabs to get into a third (non screaming driver) cab for rest of trip.
Really Bad Facial Hair Move
Ok, it's not a cab-riding story, but had to share. Was at Union Station a couple of days ago and saw this older guy walking with other tourist-dressed folks across the street. This one guy had a Hitler mustache! You know, that boxy silly looking thing that you never see anybody wearing anymore because who wants to look like the 20th century's greatest psychotic dictator, right? I couldn't take my eyes off the guy. In all other respects he seemed like a perfectly normal tourist. I noticed a few other folks doing double takes as he walked by. Would love to know the story behind that.
That Time of Year Again?
Regular readers know one thing that really annoys me is drivers who hit on me when I'm in their cab. Please guys - I just want a ride! You know, you take me where I'm going, I pay you for that. Simple transaction. My great run of not getting hit on ended last week with two cabbies hitting on me in the same week. Ok, so maybe it's summer and we're not all bundled up in coats or something, but really guys - outside of Mad Cabbies' midnight run passengers, does that ever work?
New Poll
According to my last poll - summer vacations are going to be spent at home, with family or friends - or the winner -- at the ocean. Either lots of people live near the ocean, or a few folks have more travel money than I do this summer :).
The new poll is simple - are cab drivers worse or better drivers than the rest of us. And don't forget - there is a comments feature, so feel free to add your thoughts with your vote.
Picking the Route
For the first few weeks after meters I noticed drivers asked almost every single time which route to go. A question I'd get once and a while before became a common occurrence. But now, a couple of months in, drivers don't ask anymore.
Obviously asking at first on the meter -- I can see that. But why have they stopped?
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
Taking a cab home, driver needed to cut the run short for an emergency. I said sure, no problem, will get 2nd cab. So for my good deed, I get ...
a driver that decided to share with me, nonstop, his recent revelation of a new philosophy of life.
arggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh ;)
Rants and Raves on Cab Riding in DC
I haven't had a blog entry for a while dedicated to the various rants and raves of readers. So have fun.
Let's hear from you.
Tips
So here we are weeks into meter world and I've found that the meter rate for most of my trips is about what I've paid before INCLUDING the tip. So now my question has been. Do I pay the meter AND more tip, or do I pay only meter and no tip - which was about the same as before?
I've found that I really have started reacting to the ride. I used to tip automatically. Now I leave a tip if the driver was good, the cab clean, the ride undramatic. But where the driver's been a pain in the ass, the cab a mess, or the ride a herky-jerky stop/speed-fest full of honking and screaming, I just go with the meter rate.
Where's Yours' Apostrophie's?
In a break from the DC Meters story, let's take a look at a story from the
Sun in Great Britain, about cab driver Laurence Kirk who couldn't get a renewed license because he didn't pass a new test. Not on geography, or fares, or how to treat passengers -- things that might be important to know as a driver. But on English grammar.
Laurence Kirk whose cabbie licence from six years ago had expired, was quizzed about apostrophes in a story on football. But he only got 60 per cent of the questions correct – and a pass was 70.
Stunned Laurence said: “When I got my licence six years ago I filled in some forms, had a medical and a driving test to prove I knew the area and they passed me.”
He said the new rules of Bournemouth Council, in Dorset, were “barmy”, adding: “No one has asked me if I know Bournemouth or what I would do if approached by a drunk person – just where to put an apostrophe.”
Laurence, from Poole, must go on a GCSE English course before he can reapply.
Last night council licensing chief Steve Wright defended the test, saying it “allows us to assess candidates’ abilities”
We're no strangers to panic over language here, of course, although I have to say as long as the driver knows the city streets and how to get me where I need to go, I'm ok with him not knowing the finer points of English grammar.
Meter World
Oddly enough, last night I actually hit a cab without a meter. Driver said he was getting it tomorrow. Cutting it nice and close there. I know I wouldn't mess with a $1000 fine!
Well the verdict is in for my rides at least. They're all more expensive with meters. Anywhere from a couple of bucks to $6 more on one. Each driver I've asked has said two things 1) he's making less money on meters than zones; and 2) yes, he's making more money off of me. Guess I'm the only passenger paying more by meters LOL.
So as of tomorrow everyone's on the meter, or hiding from police while trying to operate on zones.
Any thoughts from folk on the last month of mixed rides?
With Just Over a Week to Go
I continue to get more cabs without meters than those with. And with only one exception in half a dozen rides, the cost has been MORE with the meter than with the zone. So I am still perplexed at the resistance to meters by drivers. If they're making more money off of me, am I that much of a rarity? I can't imagine I am.
