February 13, 2008
More Cabbie Credit Card Horror Stories!
Photo: Sherri Jackson
"He put his face into the plexiglass separation, the section that is left open, and screamed 'You f------ b----!' and spit at me, which I could feel spray all over my face. I screamed the loudest I have ever screamed in my life: 'Let me out of this cab!'" So ended a ride home to the Upper West Side for 24-year-old Sarah Snedeker, who claims her driver became irate when she insisted on paying by credit card, locking her in the cab for five minutes while they argued.
Earlier this month an East Village woman claimed a cab driver punched her in the face after refusing to accept her credit card payment; now more people are coming forward with stories of abusive cabbies. Michael Blumenthal, 28, tells the News how he narrowly escaped his driver’s wrath: The driver claimed his credit card machine was broken and during the ensuing argument he threatened to drive Blumenthal back to Manhattan.
Then Blumenthal attempted to get out of the car, opening the door at two red lights. Each time, the cabbie hit the gas. He finally got out of the cab at a red light in Long Island City."He then jumps out to come after me and I start to run," Blumenthal said. "He ran back to his cab and threw it in reverse. I run into an alley and he stops to go in after me with the car." Blumenthal said the cabbie couldn't catch him because the taxi got stuck behind a street-cleaning truck.
Neither Snedeker or Blumenthal took note of the cabs’ license plates or medallion numbers. Drivers have been trying to dissuade passengers from paying with plastic because they lose up to 5% of the fare on transaction fees. An undercover sting operation last month resulted in 93 summonses and calculated that cabbies refuse the cards about 7% of the time.
But judging by the anecdotal chatter we're hearing, hacks have been refusing plastic much more than that. Have you tried paying the fare with plastic lately?
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Man, makes me want to start paying by credit card out of spite!
Some of these people come from parts of the world where honor killings and gang-rape is accepted and commonplace. Some UES bitch thinks she's gonna get one over one one of these filthy animals? She's lucky she just got spat on.
That photo is fantastic!
I'm glad that cabs now accept credit cards because sometimes I look in my wallet and, uh oh, there's no money there.
That said, I've never used my credit card in a cab because I'd rather the money go to the driver instead of a credit card company. I guess I feel bad for the drivers.
But spitting in peoples faces is crazy, clearly.
One more reason to stick with the subway.
i always ask beforehand. i guess i've been lucky with my last three trips out of the office - 2 out of 3 isn't bad i guess...the drivers have been pretty nice about accepting cc too, so maybe the cops made them turn a little bit
Dear pot, er I mean HughGass, I'm so happy that you are speaking out against misogynists. By the way, I wanted to mention how lovely your vocabulary and avatar both are.
add this to the list of taxi ride turn-offs:
- the repugnent smell
- distracted, cell-phone chattering drivers
- sagging, uncomfortable seats
- occasional rements of cigarette smoke (?)
Honor killing by definition is a family matter. I'm not defending it in any way, but your argument is simply ignorant, not to mention racist. But we all already know that you're an ignorant racist, so I'm just wasting my keystrokes here.
That aside, all I can say to the people coming forward is you are idiots for not getting the medallion number. Also, people who were physically threatened are idiots for not calling the cops (I know the lady who was punched did call the police). If a cabbie locks you in the car, fucking dial 911 and tell them you're being kidnapped.
don't bother me, cabs are a luxury and always has been.
It is so important to look at the medallion number and driver's name each time you get into a taxi.
There is no screening test for antisocial behavior when a cabbie goes for his license. So, if you are the victim of a crime committed by a cabbie, or, if your cabbie fails to give you the level of service you deserve, a call to your local precinct and the TLC will result in action against your rogue driver.
I'll never forget my experience with the driver of taxi 4C33 a few years back: convinced that the devil was after him, he veered from corner to corner and refused to let me out when I sensed danger in that cab. Ultimately, he let me out a few blocks from my destination and a call to TLC resulted in an investigation of my complaint.
a cabby locks you into your cab and the first thing you DON"T do is look @ the big freaking sign that shows the cab # and the drivers name??!! i've got to call bs on these reports, how could you NOT get the # of the cab after the driver started to pull kidnapping and assult nonetheless NOT call 911?!
I'm curious as to why these people didn't Dial 911 on there Cell phone.
If a driver threatened me, That's what I'd do.
There is a taxi passenger "bill of rights" posted right there on the partition or driver's seat.
Driver talking on his cell phone? Call TLC.
Driver smells like a locker room? Call TLC.
Driver refuses credit card? Call TLC.
Driver fails to take most direct route...you got the routine. Get his medallion number and name (and license number). Remember: the medallions are often rented and one medallion can be shared by several drivers, so the name and license number is important.
I don't understand why you would wait ten minutes trying to hail a cab and sit in a stinky taxi with a guy that doesn't speak english, is obnoxious and rude and stinks and pay 10-25 bucks to travel 10-15 minutes in the city and pollute the environment and increase traffic. If it's late at night or you go to the airport, it's one thing, but you can just walk a couple of blocks to a subway. Taxi's are so wasteful. it's not more convenient most of the time. It's just percieved as more convenient
Speaking as a person who was verbally and physically assaulted on the subway, I think you guys need to cut some of the victims a break here.
When your mind is going a thousand miles a minute and your heart even faster, sometimes you can forget your own name, much less have the wherewithal to document the pertinent facts.
They were scared as hell. Fight or flight is a power thing.
Speaking as a person who was verbally and physically assaulted on the subway, I think you guys need to cut some of the victims a break here.
When your mind is going a thousand miles a minute and your heart even faster, sometimes you can forget your own name, much less have the wherewithal to document the pertinent facts.
They were scared as hell. Fight or flight is a powerful thing.
Last week I decided to take my chances and use a credit car for a ride from the UWS to midtown. I only had $6 on me and made sure that the cab had the equipment.
When I got to my destination, I just pushed the credit card option on the screen and proceeded with the transaction while the cabbie insisted that his machine was broken and that it wouldn't work. He got flustered, saying, "No, no, no." I told him that I didn't have the cash, so it was either the credit card or nothing. I ran my card. It worked, and said, "Well, look at that. It went through. I'd like my receipt." He was mad, but not threatening.
Basically, I was prepared to walk away from the cab without paying and was in midtown with people around.
i always ask beforehand too. out of the cabs with machines, they still say no half the time.
i asked one driver with the machine why i couldn't use a card if the light was on and it appeared to be working...he said they get charged a $5 fee for every time its used and my fare was only about $6.
That sounds like a lot of bullshit to me.
If a cabbie ever spit on me i would kill him right there.
Maybe the TLC should charge that extra 5% to the cardholder in order to relieve the drivers of that fee. And of their tantrums, too. Cabs are luxuries in a city with an extensive subway line. Pay up if you use cabs and want to use your card, too.
Man, xenophobia runs rampant on Gothamist today...
I'm not excusing rude, threatening or especially violent behavior. But, if I were a cabbie I'd be really pissed at the credit card thing. Other small businesses can choose whether or not to accept credit cards, and many of the ones that do have that $10 or $15 minimum rule (which, technically, their not allowed to do, but nobody calls them out on). So why should cabbies be FORCED to accept them? And accept them on a $5.00 fare where a huge chunk is taken out by the credit card companies.
It shouldn't come as any surprise that these problems are arising.
Plus, here's a tip that will avoid conflicts, pay with card and tell the driver you'll tip in cash. (Tipping in cash when you pay by card also gets you really good service at bars, bartenders love you for it...)
I pay with credit cards in cabs whenever possible, which these days is about 90% of the time (very few cabs are left without functioning credit card machines). Since the beginning of 2008 I've found drivers to be much less resistant to my paying with a credit card.
I feel mildly bad about the cabbies losing 5% of the fare, but I'm generally a good tipper and they agreed to accept credit cards in exchange for the fare hike a couple years ago, so it's hard to feel too bad for them. Plus I like paying with plastic because (1) I get rewards on my card (especially with the current Chase promo that pays me $10 for every $150 I spend on cabs), (2) I don't have to carry so much cash (I hate cash) and (3) it makes it easier for me to keep track of my rides and get reimbursed by work for those late-night rides home.
Note that with some of the credit card systems (there are three different types), there is a button the driver can push to clear the fare after the ride. If the driver pushes that button before you've finished your credit card transaction, it won't go through. You should therefore warn the driver you're going to pay with a credit card a block or two before the end of the trip. If the driver pushes the button and you still want to pay with a card, you can simply have them start a new fare and then tip the difference between the new fare and what you were going to pay them.
And REMEMBER, almost all cabs are now required to have functional credit card machines. If the machine won't accept credit cards, it is illegal for them to pick you up unless they've filed a report AND they tell you the credit card machine doesn't work BEFORE ENGAGING THE METER. Once they turn on the meter, they are agreeing that you can pay them with a credit card. See Section 2-32(a) on pp.28-29 of the TLC's Driver Rules.
A cab driver is not a small business. He is an employee, unless he owns the medallion, which almost none do. The driver dont own the medallion. If they dont like it they can get a new job.
Unlike many non-union small businesses, cab drivers must be licensed and therefore comply with regulations from the TLC.
Regardless of business size, credit card minimums are illegal.
Given what cab drivers actually earn 0.75 for every fare does add up. But there are a few questions cab drivers and the TLC need to ask:
What percent of people are now paying by credit card?
Have taxis seen any increase in overall business because you can use credit cards, and does that increase compensate for the 5% fee?
Now don't get your panties in a bunch. But it also may be that given the number of English as a second language speaking cabbies, and the propensity of their union leader to try and twist everything the TLC does into pure evil that the cab drivers aren't 100% clear on the actual fee and how it affects their income (e.g. that they might be able to increase their business by accepting credit cards).
I got trapped in a cab once when the driver wouldn't take way out of the way and wouldn't let me out when I asked. I had the presence of mind to note the medallion and filed a complaint. I showed up for the hearing and the driver got a small cash fine and two points on his license.
Now, if I feel the least bit uncomfortable with a driver, I take out my camera phone and photograph the medallion number.
But that's a good point about letting the driver know you intend to pay with a CC.
I got trapped in a cab once when the driver wouldn't take way out of the way and wouldn't let me out when I asked. I had the presence of mind to note the medallion and filed a complaint. I showed up for the hearing and the driver got a small cash fine and two points on his license.
Now, if I feel the least bit uncomfortable with a driver, I take out my camera phone and photograph the medallion number.
But that's a good point about letting the driver know you intend to pay with a CC.
"Maybe the TLC should charge that extra 5% to the cardholder in order to relieve the drivers of that fee."
Credit card agreements prohibit this. The reason why they don't go after businesses with minimums is because they know they would lose the war.
*Maybe the TLC should charge that extra 5% to the cardholder*
I do not believe that is legal. maybe a minimum is what is needed here restaurants and bars have a minimum before you're allowed to use card, but they never pass the cost of the fee to the cardholder.
con ed charges a fee on their payment by cards on the phone or internet while all cell and cable carriers do not, but hey, that's con ed, they're cheaper than dirt.
I think it balances out - when gas prices went up they jacked up the fares but when the gas prices go back down and they get a hybrid cab which saves even more fuel costs that does not lower the fare - so we have the ability to pay by credit card and show them how tacked on fees feel.
I tried to use a card once and the driver asked me to add on an extra 5% because of the fee. Another time the driver kept resetting the machine when I tried to use my card and saying "it broke, it broke". I was in a rush so I paid in cash.
I've been abused by cabbies for much less! There are some cabbies out there that just can't stand to be asked a single question, they just flip and go nuts.
TLC needs to get on top of these people, who obviously need anger management treatments. They are terrifying, and when you're trapped in a cab with them, it's devastating to your wits.
It's got so I will take the subway rather than take a cab, especially at night when I'm tired and going home alone. I'd rather avoid the conflict and chance the subway, where I'm just surrounded by other tired people most of the time.
Let's hear it for mass transportation! Forget the cabs! Take the subway. Let them feel the pressure of indifference.
I've been abused by cabbies for much less! There are some cabbies out there that just can't stand to be asked a single question, they just flip and go nuts.
TLC needs to get on top of these people, who obviously need anger management treatments. They are terrifying, and when you're trapped in a cab with them, it's devastating to your wits.
It's got so I will take the subway rather than take a cab, especially at night when I'm tired and going home alone. I'd rather avoid the conflict and chance the subway, where I'm just surrounded by other tired people most of the time.
Let's hear it for mass transportation! Forget the cabs! Take the subway. Let them feel the pressure of indifference.
The problem here is that the cabbies are forced to bear the entire surcharge on CC transactions. Why the medallion holder doesn't pay half of this transaction fee is just another example of how the TLC works for the owners, not the drivers. TLC should be working for both.
Eliminate the monopoly that medallion owners enjoy, open up cab ownership to more drivers, and you will eliminate most of these complaints from riders.
When a medallion costs $500,000, you can see how the drivers must be frustrated at the prospect of never being able to own their own business. And being forced to prop up the business of the medallion owners.
This is a prime example of a managed economy, albeit on a small scale.
@Linkman
"I pay with credit cards in cabs whenever possible...I feel mildly bad about the cabbies losing 5% of the fare, but ... I get rewards on my card, ...."
You, sir, are an asshole, and are probably exactly the reason cabbies spit on people who use plastic. You know how much a cabbie fucking makes in a year? And you're more concerned with getting a couple of damn miles on your card? You suck. I hope the next time you pay with a card the driver punches you right in the crotch.
If you've got no cash, you've got no cash and plastic's better than nothing. But for god sake's people, if you've got the green, use it already. I mean, damn - it's not like it puts you out any to give a guy (or gal) a hand by saving them from that surcharge, especially if you make more than they do (which, presumably, you do or else how could you afford to jet around town in a cab?).
Hey if I don't have enough cash and the cab takes CCs, then the cabbie's getting paid via CC. I've only had one guy seem even mildly bummed when I paid with the card. He mentioned the 5% thing after the fact, otherwise I would've bumped up my tip 5% to cover it.
It's too bad the city regulates the rates that the cabs charge, because cabbies could offer discounted fares for cash passengers to sweeten the deal.
Hey if I don't have enough cash and the cab takes CCs, then the cabbie's getting paid via CC. I've only had one guy seem even mildly bummed when I paid with the card. He mentioned the 5% thing after the fact, otherwise I would've bumped up my tip 5% to cover it.
It's too bad the city regulates the rates that the cabs charge, because cabbies could offer discounted fares for cash passengers to sweeten the deal.
While I can empathize with the driver's wish to have everyone pay cash that is obviously no excuse to threaten or argue with customers who are going to pay with a credit card. If a cabby has locked the doors and will not let you out of the cab tell him you are calling the cops and call 911.
Write down his license number and name if you get a chance. Also, the commenter who mentioned taking a cell phone picture of their license has a good point.
In both these stories the riders who were intimidated were women, is this a gender bias thing? I wonder if that premise was tested in the sting operation. Would that have affected the % quoted?
sandradayoconnor - Not too angry, huh?
Whatever happened to the customer is always right?!?! Bottom line is this is legal and if the cabbie doesn't like it, they're sol. I personally don't give a shit how much a cabbie makes; if their job is so horrible they should find a new one. The problem is with the employers, not the customers, who are just trying to take advantage of the best deal.
#34 - No. I don't want to pay with cash. I don't pay cash at the grocery store, I don't pay cash at the movies, I don't buy my metrocard with cash and I don't want to pay cash for a goddamn cab.
There is no reason for me to carry cash around anymore. Plastic is a better way of paying.
What the hell is your problem, Sandy O', to fling such bile at someone merely stating his preference to use card? You, madam, needs to take that 3 foot metal rod out of your ass sometimes and take up meditation or something.
I actually just paid for a cab with a credit card the other night. Hearing these stories didn't scare me, but they did make me wonder what would happen when I said I was paying with plastic.
Fortunately enough, I had a nice driver who even politely explained to me how to use my card once I told him that was my method of payment...
when is the end of the World coming?
Not soon enough.
I don't understand why the cabbies are so against this. The 5% fee is more than offset by the "recommended" tips the monitors automatically suggest when you swipe your card. On a recent $10 fare, the system offered to add a $2, $2.50 and $3.00 tip. I've never given a 20%-30% tip when paying cash! Granted, I could have chosen "another amount" and entered in a new tip but I wasn't going to spend the time.
I don't know how the heck you can ride in a taxi and come up with something close to a $5 fare. You don't feel like walking one block or something? In that case a credit card wouldn't make sense. But for the prices the taxis charge, I think I should be allowed to use my credit card for $5 and above.
Yeah, Sandra, I don't think anyone deserves to be spit upon for desiring reward points on a credit card.
Guess what? Being a cabbie is not the ideal profession! If I get asked to do something I don't like in the course of my job, I'm not going to spit on someone like a rabid dog, or try to run them down in an alley... Subhuman behavior like that doesn't exactly endear me to the cause of the sad cabbie...
@sandradayoconner: No really, Don't hold back: Using a LEGAL method of payment Definitely makes one an Asshole.
Especially loved the "the driver punches you right in the crotch." comment! Classy!
don't you love how sandradayoconnor edited out the most important part of linkman's post:
they agreed to accept credit cards in exchange for the fare hike a couple years ago
Reminds me, what's the status of that "undercover" cabbie investigation that was posted a while ago? I think we really need it!!
i recently saw taxi c/c machine with masking tape over the swipe. written on the tape was, "sorry, broken." i thought of all these stories and knew it was bullshit. the city should do something about this before someone gets killed. (seriously.)
Always cash, never plastic. Cabs = cash, simple. They are a luxury. Take the train
CaptainBlackout: The story of the person being chased is actually from a man: Michael Blumenthal.
This is ridiculous! We're supposed to feel safe in cabs!