Detroit Taxi Ripoff thread

**j to the jeremy** · February-09-13, 05:52 PM

OK, its a well known fact that pretty much any cab driver downtown on a big suburban event day [[sports games, festivals, etc) won't run the meter and tries to overcharge a flat fee for any distance traveled. This is both illegal and .........ey [[ i guess the french word for shower gets one censored ). Today i had a really bad one who tried to increase it from $10 [[actually reasonable) to $20 for a ride to the WSU area, mid ride.

I'd like to keep a running list on here of any cab or driver known to do this, especially ones who try to change the cost mid-ride. I'll start here: [[Unfortunately I did not get a chance to catch his name or plate number as we got in a bit of a fight.)

Crown Cab [[red and white) # 963

**DetroitPlanner** · February-09-13, 10:41 PM

Make them run the meter or get out. You have a choice. If you are not exercising it, you cannot complain.

**swan** · February-10-13, 11:38 AM

See, it's your own fault J

**j to the jeremy** · February-10-13, 05:18 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Make them run the meter or get out. You have a choice. If you are not exercising it, you cannot complain.

I know this, but yesterday we were in a hurry and already dealt with three other cabs who refused to run it. Choice is sometimes limited by time and money constraints.

Silly me for thinking that this would even be worth posting on here

**Detroitnerd** · February-10-13, 05:26 PM

Originally Posted by j to the jeremy

I know this, but yesterday we were in a hurry and already dealt with three other cabs who refused to run it. Choice is sometimes limited by time and money constraints.

Silly me for thinking that this would even be worth posting on here

I applaud you, J. May their medallion hang on the wall of shame.

**ddaydetroit** · February-10-13, 08:38 PM

When using a taxi I always open the maps on my smart phone and route it first I have had Taxi's try to take me a much longer route to get a few extra bucks

**JBMcB** · February-10-13, 08:39 PM

I've heard that they were having huge problems with this in Las Vegas, so they instituted an on the spot ombudsman you can call on your cell phone [[the number is posted in the cab.) If the cabbie gets more than two or three complaints, their license is pulled pending review. It cleared up most problems pretty quickly.

**313WX** · February-10-13, 10:10 PM

Originally Posted by JBMcB

I've heard that they were having huge problems with this in Las Vegas, so they instituted an on the spot ombudsman you can call on your cell phone [[the number is posted in the cab.) If the cabbie gets more than two or three complaints, their license is pulled pending review. It cleared up most problems pretty quickly.

That's something the next mayor should look into instituting here.

**wolverine** · February-10-13, 11:52 PM

I've avoided taking any taxi on visits to Michigan [[in all towns). I found all of them to be ripoffs. I called out several taxi drivers for intentionally taking long ways. Though I paid fare, I refused to tip.

**KJ5** · February-11-13, 01:03 AM

This thread is a good idea. The other day I had a driver do this, trying to charge me $10 for what I knew was a $5 ride. I was running late to work and ended up giving him $7. Maybe somebody could post a chart of what some common trips should roughly run.

**ddaydetroit** · February-11-13, 08:18 AM

I am Curious with the high gas prices Detroit Cab Companies haven't started to switch over to more fuel efficient cars like the rest of the world and many other US cities. That would probably put an extra 50 dollars a day in there pockets

**CLAUDE G** · February-11-13, 07:03 PM

I had one charge me $20 from Greek town to Comerica Park to get my car at 3AM.

I was clearly ripped off, but way better to pay $20 then get robbed.

**5speedz34** · February-11-13, 07:44 PM

Originally Posted by CLAUDE G

I had one charge me $20 from Greek town to Comerica Park to get my car at 3AM.

I was clearly ripped off, but way better to pay $20 then get robbed.

You really took a cab from Greektown to Comerica Park for fear of being robbed??

I personally have never taken a cab in Detroit but I know that they try to overcharge people. You need to be vigilant and let them know you won't be ripped off. At least this is what I've been told by friends who have taken cabs from downtown before.

**CLAUDE G** · February-11-13, 08:02 PM

Originally Posted by 5speedz34

You really took a cab from Greektown to Comerica Park for fear of being robbed??

I personally have never taken a cab in Detroit but I know that they try to overcharge people. You need to be vigilant and let them know you won't be ripped off. At least this is what I've been told by friends who have taken cabs from downtown before.

It was due to the fact it was so late at night and I would be walking alone.

If there are people on the street I don't mind walking, but its just not safe walking alone late at night downtown.

**hudkina** · February-12-13, 01:06 PM

There is a city ordinance that regulates taxi fares specifically for this reason.

Any trip has a base price of $2.50 and a per mile price of $1.60. A trip from Downtown Detroit to even the furthest point in the city should only cost about $30.

The first thing you should do before getting into a cab with a "broken meter" is plan your route [[everyone has a phone capable of doing this) and figuring out the charge. Let the cab driver know that you know how far the destination is and how much it should cost to get there.

For example, a trip from the Book-Cadillac to the DIA is 2.1 miles. $2.50 + [[$1.60 x 2.1) = $5.86.

**JAYCR** · February-12-13, 04:07 PM

I collect mobile numbers of cabbies that give me good service, program them into my phone and have a fleet of 3 or so that can take me when I need one. Then it's a 2 way street. I tip a little more even on short hauls and they come get me wherever and whenever and provide great service.

**JAYCR** · February-12-13, 04:09 PM

and further...the reason I started this was due to the utter shit service given me by dispatchers in the city.

**DetroitPlanner** · February-12-13, 04:20 PM

Originally Posted by hudkina

There is a city ordinance that regulates taxi fares specifically for this reason.

Any trip has a base price of $2.50 and a per mile price of $1.60. A trip from Downtown Detroit to even the furthest point in the city should only cost about $30.

The first thing you should do before getting into a cab with a "broken meter" is plan your route [[everyone has a phone capable of doing this) and figuring out the charge. Let the cab driver know that you know how far the destination is and how much it should cost to get there.

For example, a trip from the Book-Cadillac to the DIA is 2.1 miles. $2.50 + [[$1.60 x 2.1) = $5.86.

I have not checked but to 5 Points and Grand River by freeway has to be a lot more!

**Wheels** · February-12-13, 04:43 PM

There is also a fuel surcharge and time fees if sitting in traffic. Here is a way to calculate it and hand it to the driver on your phone!

http://www.taxifarefinder.com/main.php?city=Detroit

**hudkina** · February-12-13, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I have not checked but to 5 Points and Grand River by freeway has to be a lot more!

Downtown Detroit to Five Points is about 17 miles.

**KJ5** · February-12-13, 11:24 PM

[[everyone has a phone capable of doing this)
Not everyone has a smart phone. Fortunately I know this city like the back of my hand.

**hudkina** · February-13-13, 09:36 AM

Well, everyone who's willing and able to pay for a taxi and post on a message forum.

**WaCoTS** · February-13-13, 11:43 AM

Originally Posted by j to the jeremy

Crown Cab [[red and white) # 963

posting the number of his car is useless. he may drive a different car every day. you need to look at his Public Vehicle License, which should be hanging visible somewhere by law. if you get in a cab and dont see one [[it should have his picture on it), then get out. unless you dont mind riding in an unlicensed cab...

Originally Posted by ddaydetroit

When using a taxi I always open the maps on my smart phone and route it first I have had Taxi's try to take me a much longer route to get a few extra bucks

the driver may go a certain way for a certain reason, such as areas of heavier traffic or an accident scene he saw earlier, or construction. if youre worried about being swindled, or you want to go a specific route, you should say that up front. otherwise, dont wait to complain afterward. as a former cabbie, i dont give a damn what way somebody's "smart" phone says i should go. but if you wanna go a certain way, tell me up front and ill go any way you want.

Originally Posted by JBMcB

I've heard that they were having huge problems with this in Las Vegas, so they instituted an on the spot ombudsman you can call on your cell phone [[the number is posted in the cab.) If the cabbie gets more than two or three complaints, their license is pulled pending review. It cleared up most problems pretty quickly.

oh great. so now i can lose my livelihood because some serial complainer was feeling grumpy or nitpicky or didnt like my face or something? ON TOP of the fact that being a cabbie is still the most dangerous profession in the city? why would i want to be a cab driver again? you guys are all looking at it from one side of the street. put yourself in our shoes. we're stuck in a car seat for 12hrs+ [[with no ability to recline, since because of the backseat barrier we're rammed all the way forward), and have to deal with the fact that we might make little or literally NO money any given night if we dont get good runs, or if our vehicle breaks down [[which is frequent). and there's an outstanding chance we could get robbed or shot. AND you want us to be cheerful TOO?

sorry, but cab driving aint a real lucrative profession. the reason i got out of it was mainly because of my back and deteriorating physical condition from sitting in a carseat 70hrs per week, and because most of the runs you get are those cheesy $5 trips you guys are talkin about. im sorry, but we dont make money on a run that's les than $5...we LOSE money by giving you that ride. and thats because of the price of gasoline, and the other overhead costs we have. nothing pisses you off more than picking up someone for a $4 run and then hearing some other cabbie get a $20 run while you did that. and yes, the dispatchers play favorites; i have to "tip" my dispatcher in order to get the good runs.

in other cities, like NY, when they drop the flag the meter STARTS at $4.50. here in Detroit, it starts at $2.50.

now tell me how the %$^%$ im supposed to make money like that? you folks got it better than you realize. look at it this way. you can either overpay for a taxi ride, or you can overpay to own your OWN car. viewed over the course of 1yr, the taxi is cheaper every, EVERY time. you wanna live the downtown lifestyle, this is one of the things you have to live with.

oh, and about tips... we NEVER get tipped. unless youre a regular customer, and youve tipped before, i know as soon as you get in my cab that you aint about to tip me nothin. of all the runs i made, less than 1% of them tipped at all--i'd be better off waitressing. like i said, you can usually tell as soon as they get in the car. sorry to be such a grouch, but im just tellin it from my perspective. you want extra-special service? show me some money up front and i'll jump %$#@ curbs to get your ass to that grocery store.

Originally Posted by JAYCR

I collect mobile numbers of cabbies that give me good service, program them into my phone and have a fleet of 3 or so that can take me when I need one. Then it's a 2 way street. I tip a little more even on short hauls and they come get me wherever and whenever and provide great service.

you da man. [[this guy has it figured out).

it is possible to make money as a cab driver. i made over $200/nite on occasion. but some nights, i ended up LOSING money by coming to work. when you consider i gotta front $75 just to rent a cab for my shift, not to mention i got to put gas in the tank...and maybe my car will break down causing me to lose time/money...or i might even get robbed...it's a wonder more cabbies DON'T rip people off to get by.

YES, there are cabbies who will rip you off. but for every one of those, there are 10 cheapskate customers who try to rip off cabbies. if you want better service, then vote to raise the minimum trip charge. think about it...would YOU go to work if you thought there was a chance you might not make any money in a 12hr shift?

**JAYCR** · February-13-13, 02:48 PM

Small wonder that people get shit service if folks in this town don't tip cabbies. I find that surprising as people here are quite generous with bar/waitstaff.

Originally Posted by WaCoTS

posting the number of his car is useless. he may drive a different car every day. you need to look at his Public Vehicle License, which should be hanging visible somewhere by law. if you get in a cab and dont see one [[it should have his picture on it), then get out. unless you dont mind riding in an unlicensed cab...

the driver may go a certain way for a certain reason, such as areas of heavier traffic or an accident scene he saw earlier, or construction. if youre worried about being swindled, or you want to go a specific route, you should say that up front. otherwise, dont wait to complain afterward. as a former cabbie, i dont give a damn what way somebody's "smart" phone says i should go. but if you wanna go a certain way, tell me up front and ill go any way you want.

oh great. so now i can lose my livelihood because some serial complainer was feeling grumpy or nitpicky or didnt like my face or something? ON TOP of the fact that being a cabbie is still the most dangerous profession in the city? why would i want to be a cab driver again? you guys are all looking at it from one side of the street. put yourself in our shoes. we're stuck in a car seat for 12hrs+ [[with no ability to recline, since because of the backseat barrier we're rammed all the way forward), and have to deal with the fact that we might make little or literally NO money any given night if we dont get good runs, or if our vehicle breaks down [[which is frequent). and there's an outstanding chance we could get robbed or shot. AND you want us to be cheerful TOO?

sorry, but cab driving aint a real lucrative profession. the reason i got out of it was mainly because of my back and deteriorating physical condition from sitting in a carseat 70hrs per week, and because most of the runs you get are those cheesy $5 trips you guys are talkin about. im sorry, but we dont make money on a run that's les than $5...we LOSE money by giving you that ride. and thats because of the price of gasoline, and the other overhead costs we have. nothing pisses you off more than picking up someone for a $4 run and then hearing some other cabbie get a $20 run while you did that. and yes, the dispatchers play favorites; i have to "tip" my dispatcher in order to get the good runs.

in other cities, like NY, when they drop the flag the meter STARTS at $4.50. here in Detroit, it starts at $2.50.

now tell me how the %$^%$ im supposed to make money like that? you folks got it better than you realize. look at it this way. you can either overpay for a taxi ride, or you can overpay to own your OWN car. viewed over the course of 1yr, the taxi is cheaper every, EVERY time. you wanna live the downtown lifestyle, this is one of the things you have to live with.

oh, and about tips... we NEVER get tipped. unless youre a regular customer, and youve tipped before, i know as soon as you get in my cab that you aint about to tip me nothin. of all the runs i made, less than 1% of them tipped at all--i'd be better off waitressing. like i said, you can usually tell as soon as they get in the car. sorry to be such a grouch, but im just tellin it from my perspective. you want extra-special service? show me some money up front and i'll jump %$#@ curbs to get your ass to that grocery store.

you da man. [[this guy has it figured out).

it is possible to make money as a cab driver. i made over $200/nite on occasion. but some nights, i ended up LOSING money by coming to work. when you consider i gotta front $75 just to rent a cab for my shift, not to mention i got to put gas in the tank...and maybe my car will break down causing me to lose time/money...or i might even get robbed...it's a wonder more cabbies DON'T rip people off to get by.

YES, there are cabbies who will rip you off. but for every one of those, there are 10 cheapskate customers who try to rip off cabbies. if you want better service, then vote to raise the minimum trip charge. think about it...would YOU go to work if you thought there was a chance you might not make any money in a 12hr shift?

**jeffvezina** · December-27-13, 10:16 PM

My wife and I decided to leave the Wings game early on December 23rd. We took a cab company called cash hash cab. The driver was a bald middle aged man with an accent. He told us it would be $15 to take us to Hard Rock. As we were driving, I asked him why it was so much. He shouted at me that we were told how much it was before we took the cab. A little while later, I asked him why the meter was not running. He became irate and told us he was sick of us arguing with him. He then stopped on the left side of the street and ordered us out of his cab. He said he didn't need our f'in money. We had to walk from there to the Hard Rock. He refused to take us to the curb, but instead made us get out near the median. This was the worst experience I have ever had in a cab. I wish I knew where to complain. I took a picture with my phone of his license but it is hard to see. Any idea on taking this further?