Trouble with Cabs (San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond: credit card, purchases, taxis)

[Isebiel]

San Francisco taxi drivers routinely flout the law by refusing rides, declining to take credit cards, charging unauthorized fees, speeding, smoking, and talking and texting on cellphones while driving, according to a year’s worth of passenger complaints reviewed by The Bay Citizen.

Taxis infested with bed bugs, drivers falling asleep at the wheel, rude behavior and difficulty getting a cab also were among the complaints. One patron reported that a cab driver allegedly stole his credit card number and used it to make purchases in Brazil. And two friends were upset when a driver offered them a 10 percent discount if they made out in front of him.

http://www.baycitizen.org/transporta...san-francisco/

Well, I guess I'm glad it's not just me...? But this is ridiculous.

[bmw335xi]

Cabs now have credit card readers in the back of the car for passengers and don't charge fees. I've never had problems taking taxis in 3-4 years.

[Isebiel]

I never have trouble going to and from the airport, but hailing one anywhere else and it's a huge negotiation if they'll agree to take me all the way out to Lower Pac Heights ( Fillmore is right there, dudes, you'll get another fare.)

A good number of them are smoking and/or playing with their phones. A few can't find my incredibly easy to locate address. Muni is easier and more reliable...

But I haven't had to deal with some of the more outrageous complaints mentioned in that article. Possibly because I've always had my husband with me.

[mdwstrnkid]

Originally Posted by Isebiel

I never have trouble going to and from the airport, but hailing one anywhere else and it's a huge negotiation if they'll agree to take me all the way out to Lower Pac Heights ( Fillmore is right there, dudes, you'll get another fare.)

I've never had any issues getting a cab to go to Lower Pac Heights.

[Isebiel]

Oh, they always agree, unlike the poor folks going to Richmond. But the fact that I have to sell it to them as a reasonable destination...

[mayorhaggar]

I've never had a problem hailing a cab in SF, I don't get why people on this board complain about it. I've hailed a cab in the Outer Sunset, and I've gotten on on New Year's at 2AM in the Mission. There are always cabs roaming around downtown, and generally on major streets like Van Ness. They tend to hover around places where there are a lot of bars and restaurants, and on streets that get a lot of foot and auto traffic. In the burbs there's often a cab stand with a few cabs at BART stations. And you can always call for a cab if you're somewhere out of the way.

[jade408]

I haven't found it super easy to hail a cab in SF. They aren't always around when I want one. I have run into the credit card issue. And the talking on the phone issue.

Oddly, Oakland killed a lot of cab stands. There used to be more downtown.

[sav858]

I've had trouble hailing cabs and some of them refusing credit cards too. Compared to other cities and for a city so dense the cab situation sucks in SF.

[Hard8]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

I've never had a problem hailing a cab in SF, I don't get why people on this board complain about it. I've hailed a cab in the Outer Sunset, and I've gotten on on New Year's at 2AM in the Mission. There are always cabs roaming around downtown, and generally on major streets like Van Ness. They tend to hover around places where there are a lot of bars and restaurants, and on streets that get a lot of foot and auto traffic. In the burbs there's often a cab stand with a few cabs at BART stations. And you can always call for a cab if you're somewhere out of the way.

Honestly, sounds like you've just been lucky. On a couple of times I've tried for at least 20 minutes to grab a cab from the Mission on a Friday night before giving up and catching the bus. There will be about 10 people on each corner trying to flag down a cab. Its a hopeless situation.

I get asked where I'm going all the time before cabs pick me up. They aren't supposed to be doing that - but it happens all the time. I was in the Haight recently and the guy refused to take me to Grant and Green in North Beach. North Beach! As if he couldn't pick up another fare there.

The easy common-sense solution to this is to just let the free market work. End this ridiculous stranglehold on medallions and allow as many cab drivers as the market will bear. Of course, common sense does not always prevail when it comes to City policy - which is why I absolutely love that companies like Uber are filling the void.

[rkwalton]

I do think cabs in San Francisco are a problem, especially if you're not in one of the more touristy areas. When I lived in Hayes Valley years ago, I'd just do my best to hail one but that sometimes meant walking blocks away. Getting one to drop me off usually wasn't an issue but I be in areas like North Beach or the Castro where they're all over the place. When I lived briefly in the Outer Richmond before moving to NYC, forget it.

If I'm taking a short ride from lets say the Ferry Building area to Union Square, no problem. However, the ratio of taxis on the street to people who need them is a problem in San Francisco. I'm happy for services like Uber (over-priced, no doubt but worth it at certain times), Lyft, Flywheel and Sidecar. I just checked each app and they can all get me transport and all but one could get me a car. After the problems I've had calling a cab in the past, my first choice will be to use one of these services.