Taxi Cab Surcharge Starts In Oct.

[GREGRIO]

Due to the huricane's impact on fuel prices, a temporary surcharge to cab fares will be added starting in Oct....BUT THEY DON'T SAY HOW MUCH.
Among other rides, make sure if you're cabbing from McCarran to your hotel, you tell your driver NO TUNNEL! (if it applies)

[barfar1]

Thanks for the info GREGRIO :( We will be going October 8th. If you will be using taxi service and if you're back from your trip by then, it would be helpful if you could post what that increase is.

[GREGRIO]

'barfar1'...I'm leaving on Sunday so we'll both find out about the same time.
My guess is about two bucks......why?, I have no idea LOL. When they
added the airport tax a few years ago it was around that....
I cab everywhere...I'll continue to cab everywhere, I just prefer the
door-to-door service.

[fungirl]

Thanks for the tip Greg. It will be interesting to find out how much it actually is. I for one can't stand driving in Vegas (I prefer to drink! LOL) but renting a car is looking better and better as they keep raising taxi fare surcharges and rates!!

[barfar1]

$2 won't be too bad. I know what you both mean...we prefer cabbing it as well. We rented a car the first few times out there but after you've seen Hoover Dam, Lake Meade, Laughlin and the Grand Canyon, cabbing is the way to go. One of the people in the party that we're going with is renting a car (he's going out Wed. with his Mom so needs too) so he said that he'll take us to GVR. Any where else we go we'll do it by shuttle or cab.

[GREGRIO]

There was an article in yesterdays (9/28) RJ on this...I can't
post the link...I got the tip from another board (don't know how to do it)
They wanted to just set a 30 cents per mile hike, but that idea was
rejected by the cab companies saying it must be looked at on a
month to month basis.
This smells like it isn't going away any time soon...just be prepared
for cab rates to flutuate from now until.............(to be announced)

[mturner]

i, too, will be out there next week and due to lack of patience, i always taxi to and from airport ( i don't like the stopping at other hotels that the shuttles do cuz i want to get going! ) that said,, i have stayed up and down the strip, off strip, downtown, and not once has the cab driver taken me thru the tunnel, that i have heard so much about. where does the tunnel take u? does the route take u to the south of the strip to 15 or LVBLVD. i assume the way people talk about it is the long way.

[Steve]

I was surprised that a surcharge didn't come sooner as the price of gas skyrocketed even before the hurricane. Personally, I do not have a problem with the fuel surcharge. ( I have implimented one in my regular business)

I still have a problem with the extra $1.20 cent surcharge that is added to your fare on the trip from the airport!

Steve

[GREGRIO]

The tunnel, 'mturner' is right next to the McCarran. It's a quick in 'n out
for taxi drivers that connects you to I-15. I'd say it takes a cab aprox.
30-45 seconds once they start driving to commit to the tunnel route rather
than to Paradise Road like they should. Once they've got you on I-15, they
can curz up as far as they think they can get away with before they take
an exit and then continue to your destination.

Out of all the trips I've made, I've been LONG HAULED twice...and both times it was my fault. This doesn't pertain to all drivers, but those who think they can get away with it, seem to choose 'newbies', groups who are busy talking and all excited about being in Las Vegas and no clue where their destination is and just accept the drive and pay the fare....if the meter says $25.00,
it must be $25.00.

Drivers are suppose to use Paradise Road for most trips, then hang a right or
left on appropriate cross streets.

My route to the RIO should be up Paradise and then left on either Trop
or Flamingo...fare is aprox. $11.00. When I was LONG HAULED it was very late on a Friday night, I was very tired when I got my cab and just didn't pay any attention when he strarted rollin'. Before I knew it, we were in the tunnel and I BLASTED HIM! He knew he'd been caught...we were at least down to
Sahara before he turned around and headed back. Waaaaaay up ahead
you could see the 'little' RIO in the distance. The meter at that point was just passing $18.00.

He said he'd knock off five bucks!....I told him what I was going to pay him...
...IF I PAYED HIM AT ALL!!! Got to the RIO, got my bag, gave him a ten
and walked......fare should be aprox. $11.00 pluss tip.

The only other time, I called the driver on it before she got too far.
She immediately got on the radio and asked Dispatch what the fare should
be from McCarran to the RIO on I-15. Disptch came back with $11.00.
Man!...she quickly took the next exit and high-tailed it to the RIO.

I've never had a problem with in town, door-to-door trips...(well I have)
but that's another story.

If you're downtown, other outlining properties, the tunnel can be appropriate. If you go thru the tunnel and think you're being LONG HAULED....CALL 'EM ON IT...BE FIRM, they give you all shorts of excuses...IT'S ALL EL TORO CRAPO!

When you KNOW you're a victim....get out, get you bags, ASK FOR A RECIPT
and write down his name, cab company and cab number.
Pay them the correct fare (or your best guess-NO TIP) or don't pay 'em
at all. Protest the charge, tell the driver you're reporting him to the
TAXICAB AUTHORITY...they can loose their license.

MOST OF THE TIME, YOU'LL BE JUST FINE. Always give your driver your
destination and say... "NO TUNNEL, SURFACE STREETS PLAEASE."

[yanxfan]

Gregrio! FABULOUS INFO! We always stay at Rio ourselves and have always insisted that they NOT take the tunnel, as well. However, I don't EVER recall our fare being $11. I believe the least amount we have paid is $14. One time we INSISTED that the driver not take the tunnel, and he did anyway (chuckling as he drove)! We were livid (I think it was about $25), but didn't know how to handle it and have since heard to threaten with the Taxi Authority. We did NOT leave a tip though. I'm going to print out your wonderfully detailed route and bring it with me when we leave next Saturday. Thanks!

[barfar1]

Very good advice Greg. One question: When you take the cab from the airport to the Rio, are you usually solo? We are always at least 4 people...sometimes 5 and I was wondering if we should tip according to the amount of people or luggage?

[mturner]

i must be one of the lucky ones as again, i have never been thru the dreaded tunnel. cab prices are high enough without taking the "scenic" view.

[andrea]

actually, cabs are restricted from using the tunnel unless riders specifically ask to do so. going the tunnel route adds distance to any ride to the strip, although it may cut down on time going to the south end spots. unless you are headed downtown from the airport via I15, don't request the tunnel. you'll pay for it. instead, advise the cabbie to stay on the surface streets parallel to the strip (paradise, koval, on the east; frank sinatra drive and industrial on the west). these roads can easily access all the strip hotels--and some of the near strip ones, too, via their back entrances.

also FYI: I15 has a tendency to back up and slow down all the way from the russell or trop exits all the way to sahara or the 95 pretty regularly. and if there's a fender-bender along the way, it will slow way down due to lane shifts and rubber-neckers.

andrea from las vegas.

[Steve]

NOTE: Pay close attention if the driver asks you, "Is this your first time in Vegas?" If you say yes.......here comes the tunnel :rolleyes:


Eileen and I were taking through the tunnel one time. The first time I told the cab driver I was doing an investigative report on Tunnel Drivers for my newsletter. ;) When we got to Harrah's he told me to pay what we usually pay and said there was too much traffic on the Strip.

I was taken through the tunnel on a solo trip. The driver was not pleasent so I waited till I got to the hotel and notified security about the long haul. They took down all the drivers info and were going to contact the owner of the company and the Nevada Taxi Commission. I paid the fare and gave the driver no tip.

I also learned that if you don't want to confront the driver face to face, just write down his name and the number of his cab, the cab company he works for and the specifics of the ride and call the cab company the first chance you get. You just might get your fare refunded. (Especially if you tell them you are reporting this to the N.T.C.) That said, I think most of the cab drivers in Las Vegas are basically honest.

Steve

[GREGRIO]

...if you just decide NOT TO PAY and the driver is angry,
give him your last name and tell him to tell his Dispatcher
to call you at the hotel.............you'll never get that call.

[CeeJayRocker]

About two or three years ago, we were headed to the Hilton for our annual Memorial Las Vegas Show Tour and Sports Book Extravaganza. Leaving the airport, I noticed the driver merging towards the tunnel. I got out "Don't take the Tunnel!" at least three times before we took the tunnel. I proceeded to detail to the nice man on a visa the error of his ways, and gave him $10 (the usual fare at the time) at the Hilton with $18 on the meter. I looked him dead in the eye and asked "Got any complaints?" . . . .to which he vigorously shook his head "No". Long hauling like that is looked upon with disdain by the authorities, and believe me, complaints are reviewed. The best course of action is to complain to the head bellman (and tip him) at the hotel you arrive at. . . .Mr. Longhaul's cabs will get waived through for a while.

[GREGRIO]

GREAT TIP 'CreeJayRocker'...

'barfar1' in re. to tipping...I don't concider the amount of folks in the
cab an issue, but the amount of bags are. If you driver is hauling them
in 'n out and you've got a bunch...I'd increase you tip.

I always just take one little pull-along and mussel it my self.
I tip three bucks on top of any fare during any Las Vegas destination
during my trips.

[Boston_Bill]

I was surprised that a surcharge didn't come sooner as the price of gas skyrocketed even before the hurricane. Personally, I do not have a problem with the fuel surcharge. ( I have implimented one in my regular business)

I still have a problem with the extra $1.20 cent surcharge that is added to your fare on the trip from the airport!

Steve

I wish they'd change that maze you have to walk through outside of baggage claim at the airport. I waited over 30 minutes on a hot afternoon and was not happy. It felt like some kind of cattle call I suppose its the best they could do for crowd control.

[tweedledee]

Okay everybody now I'm confused. We will be staying at the Gold Coast so which way is actually the best way to get there. I've read both good & bad about going thru the tunnel to get there & the more I read the more confused I get. Actually which way is the cheapest baring you don't hit a wreck or lots of traffic on the way. Last time we went to Orleans & got into a wreck mishap before us & ended up costing about twice as much, but that couldn't be helped, just frustrating.

tweedledee

[CeeJayRocker]

One word . . . Limousine . . . . ;)

[tweedledee]

Hey the limo is good advice if you could only convince my husband.

Tweedledee

[easyeight]

A cabbie told me their cabs used bottled gas(propane?), I don't remember the company. Could this surcharge be another Hurricane excuse to gouge?