best cab companies in the area?? (Pittsburgh, Penn Hills: lease, hotel, home)

[horrorlover84]

Hey, i just wanted to ask what is the best cab company in the Pittsburgh area to go with? When i say best i am also referring to most affordable. Some website claimed that People's cab was the best, but i'm not sure if that's true.

I'd like to go see a movie in Oakmont and that is about 35-40 minutes away from my place in Carnegie so i'm hoping to save as much as i can on cab fare. I plan on taking the bus there, but the movie runs too late to take the bus home as well. It will run til about midnight.

Any help you could provide with this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

[ddietrich]

Lol at getting cabs to come out of the city to get you and take you to another suburb.

For whatever reason, Pittsburgh's cab system is horrendous, regardless of the company you chose. I've been in very poor countries that have better cab service than Pittsburgh.

Cabs in general are rarely thought of as cheap transportation. Around here, you should be more concerned about actually getting one to pick you up when you schedule it.

[Hopes]

Is therer more than one cab company? I always catch whichever one is in line at a hotel downtown. I've never noticed the company. Always assumed it was yellow.

You can't schedule a time to have one pick you up at home. Making a movie would be tough. Oakland to Carnegie will cost you around $30-$50 depending on traffic each way.

You'd do better to rent a zip car.

[JoeLeaphorn]

Originally Posted by ddietrich

Lol at getting cabs to come out of the city to get you and take you to another suburb.

I agree although the current model is better than the old one. Under the old system (I drove a cab for awhile as a second job), you had to pay the cab companies for one out of every two miles driven. There was no incentive to go out the suburbs at night because there was no chance of getting a fare back into the city.

Under the current system, the cabbies lease their cabs. In theory this should mean that the more miles you drive, the more you make. In practice, however, everyone wants the juicy daytime business with no night duty.

There used to be groups of cabbies who would run their own dispatch using cellphones or other wireless devices and if you had one of their cards, you were golden. But I haven't seen these around, for years.

[raubre]

Pittsburgh is not a cab city. They seem to take forever if you call for one.

[PeterRabbit]

Two years ago my car broke down in Oakmont. I had just bought groceries. I called Yellow Cab every half hour for 3 or 4 hours and they never came.

I had a neighbor in Penn Hills who sent his daughter to a private school. I think it was People's Cab who picked her up every morning.

If a cab driver happens to be in your area when you call they'll pick you up. That's a good distance you'll be traveling so they might be interested. There's a surcharge of $10 or so for being picked up in a suburb. If you call ahead and ask if it would be a problem they'll likely lie and say no.

I've used jitney services before. They were cheap and some of the drivers will share their bottle of whiskey with you. I had one drive me around all day once when I was looking for a new car. I asked what I owed at the end of the day and he said nothing. "I told the salesman I brought you there and he paid me a finder's fee." Rocky's Shopper Service is the name of one I used to use. It was based in Homewood.

[horrorlover84]

Okay, thanks for the info guys! That helps me out.

[bostonguy1960]

I had no idea how to get a last-minute ride from Upper St. Clair to the airport. Searched online and took a chance on People's Cab. Couldn't tell if it served a large suburban area locally or would need to come from Pittsburgh.

They arrived on time, and the cost was about $35-$40 one way. Pleasant driver.

[Blackbeauty212]

I notice this week since I've been home, that there are alot of cab around the city, more then what I'm used to seeing before....I was on Carson Street last night sitting outside the S Bar and noticed almost every 3mins a Cab going past....When I was downtown today, cabs all over the place, went to the Strip and L'ville yep cabs up and down Butler and Penn....

Wonder if there a new company or some type of push to increase cab useage in the Burgh....

Even on Weekend nights in the past, you be lucky to even see one cab....Now I almost felt like I was NY (exaggerating ofcourse) for minute there....

[Hopes]

Maybe the cab drivers are learning that they make more money driving around the hot spots instead of just sitting at a hotel waiting for an airport run. One can only hope.