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Taxi - tunnel

Discussion in 'Getting There & Getting Around' started by VegasNewb007, Apr 24, 2016.

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  1. VegasNewb007

    VegasNewb007 Tourist

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    Hi

    Whats the most polite way to say to the Flamingo and no tunnel? Is there a certain road to ask for?

    Also, can you negotiate price first? and if you dont like it go to the next cab down the line?
     
  2. eaglejohn

    eaglejohn VIP Whale

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    I think most on here will say, skip the cab and use uber or lyft
     
  3. Suekel

    Suekel VIP Whale

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    You cannot negotiate price, there are attendants at the airport who direct you to a cab, and that's the one you get. Price is per the meter. You can say "Flamingo, please use Swenson/Paradise", which is less rude than "no tunnel!"
     
  4. merlin

    merlin MIA

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    YOU are the customer, his job is to take you where you're going, the way you want to go if stated. Saying no tunnel is not rude, nor is asking specific routes, Flamingo via paradise /swenson is perfect.
     
  5. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

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    Bearing in mind that Flamingo is the name of the street, as well, I would say something along the lines of, "You'll take Swenson to Flamingo, right?" That's along the lines of what I usually do (though I don't specifically stay at Flamingo), because it both signals to the driver that you want to take surface streets and not the tunnel, and also gives him the opportunity to correct your route if you're a bit off.
     
  6. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    "Flamingo, take Paradise." This tells him that you know the destination and the correct route without p*ssing him off with "no tunnel" or something.

    I've never seen a negotiated price. It's always meter + tip.
     
  7. Film-Noir

    Film-Noir High-Roller

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    oo

    To prevent tunneling
    Options:

    1. Take a picture of their Posted License, and tell them "Don't tunnel me Bro"
    (make it obvious your taking a pic of their posted license, to report to the Nevada Taxi Authotity)
    http://taxi.nv.gov/Complaints/Complaints/
    The Long Haul report form:
    http://taxi.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/taxinvgov/content/Complaints/complaint_form/LongRouteForm_Interactive.pdf
    Dishonest Taxi drivers will excuse this Illegal practice, and blame the long route on "Traffic"-this is incorrect.
    According to the regulation, the only way they are legally allowed to take this longer route, is if you ask for it.

    2. Take Uber of Lift

    3. Have freedom, and get a rent-a-car at McCarran car rental center,
    (our preference) Will never taxi again, & enjoy the freedom! :thumbsup:

    4. Say nothing, get Tunneled & pay $30-$35 for a simple 2 to 3-1/2 mile trip for most of the strip, into a 6-8 Mile "Tunneling" Ordeal
    Maps Courtesy of Googlemaps
    Short route to MGM Grand https://www.google.com/maps/dir/McCarran+International+Airport,+5757+Wayne+Newton+Boulevard,+Las+Vegas,+NV+89119/MGM+Grand,+3799+South+Las+Vegas+Boulevard,+Las+Vegas,+NV+89109/@36.0933049,-115.166827,15z/data=!3m2!4b1!5s0x80c8c5cc93820bd3:0x6c1168e3473cbd5b!4m14!4m13!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c8c59f1f049c5d:0x471359241ec41e1e!2m2!1d-115.1537389!2d36.0839998!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c8c5cc93820e25:0x9dd94505bd76107f!2m2!1d-115.1702533!2d36.102576!3e0
    Long Haulled: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/McCarran+International+Airport,+5757+Wayne+Newton+Boulevard,+Las+Vegas,+NV+89119/MGM+Grand,+3799+South+Las+Vegas+Boulevard,+Las+Vegas,+NV+89109/@36.0932866,-115.1755818,14z/data=!3m1!5s0x80c8c5cc93820bd3:0x6c1168e3473cbd5b!4m24!4m23!1m15!1m1!1s0x80c8c59f1f049c5d:0x471359241ec41e1e!2m2!1d-115.1537389!2d36.0839998!3m4!1m2!1d-115.1835909!2d36.0806975!3s0x80c8c5de3e0d7707:0x199fb9a32968a46e!3m4!1m2!1d-115.1684706!2d36.1005396!3s0x80c8c5cbae72ec73:0x101c149462380795!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c8c5cc93820e25:0x9dd94505bd76107f!2m2!1d-115.1702533!2d36.102576!3e0

    Tunneled:
    Definitions: Sometimes called being "long Haulled"
    If anytime during your Las Vegas Taxi ride from McCarran Airport to the Las Vegas Strip, you go through the Tunnel, (Under the Airport on Paradise Road) the driver is racking up mileage,
    in an effort to make a $20 cab ride into a $35+ Tunneling event.

    What tunneling looks like, Coutesy of Googlemaps:
    https://www.google.com/maps/@36.07948,-115.1434995,3a,75y,186.8h,88.69t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sBMLUnMpT-xFQwVQ8ozZuCQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

    Some Taxi drivers are quite professional and are polite, courteous & take the short route,
    it's just a few "bad eggs" that give the rest a bad name, or "Tunneling" would not be a thing!
     
  8. Mrs. K.

    Mrs. K. Low-Roller

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    Tell them Swenson and make sure they know (or think) that you come to Vegas all the time.
     
  9. Aces and Eights

    Aces and Eights VIP Whale

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    I don't take the taxi often, but last time I was with friends so we took a cab to PH. I noticed that the driver tunneled us. After he did that, I said to my friends in the back seat (I was in the front), "Last time it only cost around $17 to the hotel, I'll get the cab fare." as I pulled out a twenty and a couple of ones making sure the cab driver saw. When he pulled into PH, it was $23. I made sure my friends got out of the car first, and said to the cab driver, "Wow, it's a lot more this time. All I have with me until I hit the ATM is $24." I gave him the $24, although I had a lot more with me.
     
  10. fudd

    fudd Tourist

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    why do the drivers from Uber or lyft not try to long haul or tunnel? Don't they use the same metered system that the taxis use? I've never used either of them yet.
     
  11. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    I just took my first Uber ride a couple of weeks ago.

    Drivers rate riders and riders rate drivers.
     
  12. fudd

    fudd Tourist

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    Ahh that makes sense.
     
  13. vegasnutt

    vegasnutt Tourist

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    My assumption is that Uber and Lyft drivers follow the route given to them on their apps instead of navigating by memory. Maybe this prevents long hauling.
     
  14. Multifarious5

    Multifarious5 VIP Whale

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    How many people are you going with? Taxis are the one part of my trip I never like, as I'm always watching the ticker. (It's not the money, it's the principle. I'd rather give a good tip versus pay more on a long haul.)

    This trip we're going to try bell limo share. It's around $28 per person ROUND TRIP....flat rate (plus fuel tax, which is low). If you have more than 2 people in your group it's not a bargain, but for two or less? That's $56 total round trip for two people, plus tip.... and flamingo is north enough it might actually be a wash on price differnce. Plus you're in a nicer car, flat rate, so no stress. They won't book more than two parties to a limo from what I've read.

    Again, I haven't done it yet, but am absolutely doing it this trip, and it's had really good reviews!

    Uber/lift might be cheaper...but on taxis alone, I think bell limo share is worth checking out....
     
  15. dmr

    dmr Registered Abuser

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    For the ride I took (I was a guest) it actually WAS the long way to the final stop. They dropped me off at my hotel before going to their apartment.

    My impression was that the price was about the same as a taxi. The rider is informed of who the driver is and the driver is informed of who the rider is. Apparently the driver can accept or decline the ride when it appears on the screen.

    The only down side is that it took maybe 10-15 minutes for the car to arrive. I know I could have hailed a taxi in that time. We could actually see on the map where the car was as they were coming to pick us up.
     
  16. dernsky

    dernsky Low-Roller

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    have given up on taxis, way to many problems. usually go by myself so i take the shuttle for $8(i think ) dont mind the little extra sight seeing or time.
     
  17. vegasboundsoon

    vegasboundsoon Tourist

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    I've said no tunnel. I've heard the explanation that there's a back up on Swenson. I said Are you telling me that there is no alternate to Swenson that doesn't involve the tunnel. He found one. The back up wasn't that bad.
     
  18. crm1310

    crm1310 Low-Roller

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    On my recent trip we took the taxi to and from the airport to Monte Carlo, both cab drivers were pleasant and that shocked both of us. We were expecting to be long hauled but the first cab driver asked us do you want the shortest route or fastest. We said cheapest and he took us on a route that did not include the tunnel and cost $21. On the way back we just said Terminal for AA and he takes off. The cost was $18. We were pleased with both. I think it is the lucky of the draw, we must have used our luck up on the cab drivers because we had no luck on the strip....
     
  19. NJS24

    NJS24 Voice of Reason

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    Always request to your driver, "Can you please take the tunnel sir, I'll tip more"

    Everyone should experience the tunnel once in their lifetime.
     
  20. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    My still favorite tunneling was to the Rio... me & my son get in the cab & tell the driver "Rio...no tunnel, ok?"
    Driver says - "But the tunnel is the cheapest route."
    I chuckle & tell him, "Well - let me put it to you this way - I'll pay you $20 total for this trip. If you want to take the tunnel for $20 total, that's up to you."
    Surprisingly, he did... meter read just over $20. He said when we arrived, "Well, a deal's a deal. Looks like you were right."
     
    Annual Spring Trip!
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