Do taxis rip off tourists??

Hi all,

Im leaving for New york on the 29th, I am flying to JFK and staying at the Sheraton Towers on 7th Avenue i think?? Im looking to take a cab however do they take advantage of people who have never been before like adding on extra charges or taking longer routes? Do they charge extra over x-mas and new year? Im just a little worried of being ripped off?

Do taxis rip off tourists??

do taxis rip off tourists in your country?

are Americans more prone to be thieves or something? LOL.

Do taxis rip off tourists??

No - taxis don%26#39;t charge extra or take longer routes. They also don%26#39;t charge differently on holidays. If you are taking a taxi from JFK to the Sheraton - it is a flat fare plus tolls and tip.

Some drivers will rip off tourists by taking a long way round, but it%26#39;s impossible to do on the route from JFK into Manhattan. It%26#39;s a flat fare of $45 plus toll (~$4.50). There%26#39;s an extra night charge of $.50 (50 cents). Tip should be 15-20% of the $45.

I hope you%26#39;re not paying a lot of money for the Sheraton. That would be a bigger rip off.

I think they do rip you off, especially if you%26#39;re not used to tipping.

I%26#39;ve never yet paid the %26#39;flat fare%26#39; when taking a cab either to or from a New York airport.

Last time we were in NYC we pre-booked a car to take us from Manhattan to JFK and were quoted a price on the phone, confirmed it with the driver but when we were dropped off the price had mysteriously increased. When questioned, he said it was because of tips. (Americans should be paid better wages, rather than relying on handouts from strangers.)

As the original poster is from the UK he should add an extra 25% onto the meter fare, just to be on the safe side.

And don%26#39;t even think about getting the driver to explain all the mysterious rules and regulations, many of them don%26#39;t speak English.

sc-Uk - you booked a gypsy cab, not a regular yellow taxi. They have a lot more leeway. Yellow taxi%26#39;s have set rates based on distance and time, not flat fares.

It was booked via the Concierge at the NY Hilton, so that doesn%26#39;t surprise me! It wasn%26#39;t a yellow cab, it was a black limo (which we didn%26#39;t ask for... we%26#39;re not trailer trash!)

Official New York City taxis, licensed by the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), are yellow, with the rates printed on the door and a light with a medallion number on the roof. You can hail a taxi on any street. Never accept a ride from any other car except an official city yellow cab (private livery cars are not allowed to pick up fares on the street).

If you get in an unlicensed taxi or limo - good luck to you! You will certainly get ripped off.

You will not - 99% of the time - if you use a licensed Yellow Taxi. And JFK to Manhattan is always a flat rate of $45.00 plus toll and tip.

This is why I prefer using regular yellow NYC taxis from the taxi stand (queue) at the airports. Wait in line with everyone else, and the dispatcher gets you a cab.

Never take a ride from anyone who offers you a taxi in the terminal building. Only take a metered yellow cab with the hack license number on the roof light and a ';medallion'; (saucer-sized metal plaque) nailed to the front hood.

Here is a nice website that explains the difference between licensed taxi cabs, livery cabs, ';black cars';, and limos for hire.

www.schallerconsult.com/taxi/newfb/defin.htm

Fun fact - there are 12,487 licensed yellow taxis in NYC, but amazingly they are all invisible in the rain, and between the hours of 5 and 7pm!

From a page in the above mentioned website:

www.schallerconsult.com/taxi/fb/fb2.htm#_103

Driver rudeness and traffic violations lead the list of passenger complaints (Note that many complaints involve more than one rule violation.):

路 In fiscal year 2003, of the 11,913 customer complaints filed, 4,389 complaints involved driver rudeness.

路 3,888 complaints were for traffic violations.

路 2,742 complaints were for service refusals.

路 1,679 complaints were for abusive behavior by the driver.

路 Complaints in each category increased by 18% to 44% from fiscal year 2002, but in each case are below the number of complaints filed in fiscal year 2001.

There were 1,225 overcharge complaints. Overcharge figure is for 2002; the 2003 figure is not yet published.

Amazingly, subway AND taxi customer satisfaction rates hover around a 7, on a scale from 0 (worst) -10 (best). Gosh, we have such low expectations...

You say you are staying at the Sheraton Towers, YOU THINK, well I hope you know before you get to the City!

Flat rate from JFK to midtown, posted on the rear (facing back seat pasengers) of the front seat of the cab.

Lots of luck, you%26#39;ll need it; how about a little trust of your fellow man/woman!!

good for enlarged pores