It’s almost like clockwork. Every time my friends and I decide to cab it to Hollywood or Sunset we get ripped off on the trip back home. It’ll be $14 or $15 for the trip there and then $25 on the way back. I often try to figure out what goes through their minds…don’t they realize that I took a cab out there and know how much it cost to get there? Sure they do. You see, it’s all a numbers game and they’re basically taking a risk.
Why Do They Do It?
It’s actually very simple. You’re drunk and they think that you’ll never notice. And if you do notice and mention it to them, they’ll reply with something along the lines of, "I don’t know" or "My meter is broken". Unfortunately, some drivers aren’t too bright and they get greedy…so instead of being suave about it and making $2-3 extra dollars on a trip, they really go for it.
How Do They Do It?
Well there are two ways that cab drivers can rip you off:
- They set their meters to operate at 1.5 or 2 times the rate. This is illegal and they go out of their way to find a shop that can tweak their meter. It’s activated by pressing a combination of buttons, and once the meter is turned on, the rate per mile is increased.
- Some cab drivers have a little clicker that they keep in their pockets. These devices can resemble a car alarm and it basically causes the rate to jump by $0.35 (or whatever the rate is) once the button is clicked.
Which Companies Do It?
Over the years I’ve been ripped off by almost every cab company in Los Angeles. But out of all the Taxi Companies in Los Angeles, Checker Cab Company is the absolute worst.
Checker Cab Company (Blue & Yellow)
I can’t remember a time when I got into a Checker Cab from Sunset or Hollywood and wasn’t ripped off. There are actually two different types of Checker Cabs and both won’t hesitate to rip you off:
1st Unit: These Checker Cabs are numbered in the 3xxxx’s and have a round Los Angeles County Seal on the driver side and front passenger door. Don’t let the seal fool you…they'll still rip you off.
2nd Unit: These are also Checker Cabs and are numbered in the 7xxx’s. They DO NOT have an LA County seal but they DO have a West Hollywood permit. This means that they can pick up passengers from West Hollywood…that includes Sunset Blvd. You’ll see tons of them on Sunset and they will always try to rip you off.
How Do You Know If You’re Being Ripped Off?
The easiest way to tell if you’re being ripped off is when you get back home for twice the amount it cost to get there. Also, try to keep your eyes on the meter. If the rate says $0.35 per 1/7th of a mile and it jumped twice in a span of a block…you’re being ripped off. If you see the meter jump, it’s likely they have some kind of clicking device.
What Can You Do About It?
The first thing that’ll go through your mind is to call the company and complain about the driver. I did that at first and their response was that the car number doesn’t belong to them and that I got into a "bandit cab". In reality, it wasn’t a bandit cab…they were just covering for their own.
So the next time you find yourself a victim of a scummy cab driver, here are a few things you can do:
- Go to Google Maps and figure out how many miles the bar/club is from your home. The new rate for most cab company’s (which was increased in 2007) is $0.35 for every 1/7th of a mile. This comes out to $2.45/mile. So in my example, I live 5 miles from the Sunset Strip…which comes out to $12.25. Add a few dollars for the wait time (which is $0.20 to $0.35/30 seconds) and a 15 minute cab ride shouldn’t cost more than $16 - $17…and that’s being generous.
- If you feel like you’re being ripped off, wait until you arrive at your destination and ask the cab driver for a receipt. The receipt should have his name, cab number, pick up location, and drop off location. There is absolutely no reason why they wouldn’t provide you with a receipt.
- Once you get the receipt, tell them that the rate is too high and that you got to the same place for $$ amount less. If they refuse to lower the rate or tell you that you don’t know what you’re talking about, simply tell them that you aren’t particularly good with math and that you would like the police to help sort it out. If you mention the police, and have a receipt in hand, 10 times out of 10 the driver will tell you to pay whatever you want. Most won’t argue because they will lose their permit and will not be able to operate a taxi in Los Angeles if they’re caught.
The Solution
Although it’s still not completely full-proof, the best way to ensure that you won’t be ripped off is to order a cab over the phone. This way they have a record of which driver picked you up and where you were picked up from. With this information readily available, most cab drivers won’t take the chance.