Tips for Taking a Taxi in the City
Be prepared when Taking a Taxi
I spent 5 days in Chicago last month and had to conquer several of my fears and one of them was Taking a Taxi. If you live in a major city,where taxis are common, this may seem relatively silly. However, I grew up in the suburbs in Michigan and have never taken public transportation. The Metro Detroit area does have taxis and buses but they are not used on a regular basis for most. We do have a bus system but over the years the service has been cut back in the suburbs because most people have cars and use them.
I was not driving into Chicago because of the high cost of parking and had chosen to arrive by train. Traveling by train was an adventure in itself but that is a story for another day. I had done some advance planning and knew that I would need to take a taxi from the train station to the hotel as it was a few miles away. I did have a support system as I was traveling with a friend and we were able to tackle this “First” together.
After Spending 5 days using taxis and venturing out on a bus ride, I have come up with a list of 5 tips to follow when taking a taxi.
10 Tips For Taking a Taxi
- Look for a taxi stand. Many hotels,airports, venues,etc. have a designated taxi area or someone to help hail you a taxi. This saves you from standing in the road trying to wave one down. Also some cities and states do not allow a taxi to stop in the street or jump the taxi line so they must keep on driving even when they see you.
- If you are in a quiet area that is not seeing much traffic,walk to the nearest large intersection or call for a taxi.
- Make sure the car has taxi logo prominently displayed just don’t get in a car because it stops.
- Be prepared to pay cash. Some cities require taxis to take credit cards but the system may be down. I also found using cash saved me the worry of having my credit card information stolen.
- If you want a specific route taken ask them when you get in the car do not wait until you are already on your way.
- If you are stuck in traffic but close to your destination, don’t hesitate to ask to get out and then walk the rest of the way. This will save you money.
- If you want to file a complaint about your cab ride,request a receipt which will have the information you need.
- Remember to Tip!! A tip is a way to show you appreciate the service you received. 15% is a good amount and add $1 or $2 for each bag if they help load them.
- Be aware of taxi fares in the area you are taking a taxi. This ensures you will not get cheated.
- Don’t ever admit you are a tourist or don’t know where you are going. This will allow a dishonest taxi driver to take the “long way” to your destination.
Do you have any tips for Taking a Taxi that you would like to share? Leave a comment below!
Topic: Taking a Taxi
March 22, 2018 @ 12:11 pm
My husband and I are taking a trip into a large city and we are not going to rent a car. I appreciate your advice to make sure we take cash for the taxi service! I had not thought to do this, since I figured that every taxi would have a card payment option, but we’ll make sure to bring cash.
March 26, 2018 @ 10:14 am
It’s good to know that 15% is considered a good amount to tip. I haven’t taken a taxi before, but I’m thinking of utilizing one for my next vacation I have planned. I’ll be sure to tip around the 15% mark plus any additional amount for each bag of luggage they help me with.
April 2, 2018 @ 5:01 pm
I’ve never actually been in a taxi before. Because we’re traveling to New York this summer, I want to know how to take one! I’ll be sure to pack enough cash, like you said, so I can pay for it.
September 26, 2018 @ 9:39 am
Thanks for these tips for taking a taxi. It’s nice to know that you should be ready to give them cash. Perhaps it could also be good to have a general idea of what the rates are like so you know how much cash you need.
November 2, 2018 @ 8:56 pm
I like that you suggested telling the taxi driver your preferred specific route the moment you get in the car. My husband and I are planning to use an airport taxi when we arrive in the country next week. We don’t want to encounter road traffic, so we’d like to make sure that the airport taxi that we will choose can follow our directions so we can get home fast.
November 28, 2018 @ 3:05 pm
Thanks for sharing these tips for taking a taxi, this is very informative and really help a lot while taking a taxi cab. Good Luck for more useful posts.
May 22, 2019 @ 2:08 pm
Amazing tips! I really appreciate your work and this post will really help in taking a taxi service. Thanks for sharing and keep up the amazing work.
September 23, 2019 @ 9:12 am
I never took into account the fact that you can ask to get out of a taxi at any point in time. I need to take a taxi from the airport to a location outside the city tomorrow and I am pretty worried about traffic. I’ll keep these tips in mind so that I can make it to my destination on time.
November 20, 2019 @ 3:46 pm
I really appreciate that you shared these amazing tips with us, these are really helpful in taking a taxi service. Thanks for sharing.
September 18, 2020 @ 10:43 am
I love your idea to research what the normal fares are priced around so that you don’t get ripped off. My brother has a disability so he finds it hard to travel wherever he wants to go. It would be great if our city could improve the paratransit lines so that they are more accessible.
October 23, 2020 @ 3:03 pm
It’s a great point that you can get out of the taxi if you are stuck in traffic but close to the destination. My spouse and I are thinking about getting a holiday trip planned this week. We want to take our family to a new part of the country so we can see some unique places.
January 12, 2022 @ 8:12 am
I have never taken a taxi before. This will be a new experience for me. When I ran across your article I found some of your advice exceptional. For example, I never would have thought to look for a taxi logo that is directly displayed before getting in. I also like that I can get out in a traffic jam and walk the rest of the way. https://asouthmauitaxi.com/taxi_services.html