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Taxi/Shuttle Experience Dec 21-28

Discussion in 'Getting There & Getting Around' started by suebee, Dec 29, 2013.

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  1. suebee

    suebee Low-Roller

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    We just got back from a week at the Monte Carlo and I thought I would share our experiences so that it might help someone else out.

    Of the three times that we took cabs, 2 tried to long haul us. both of these times we got in the cab and the driver said something about how traffic is so backed up on the strip it will take "a half hour or more" to get to Paris and the airport respectively.

    The first cab driver taking us to Paris was going to take the freeway because traffic on the strip was "so backed up" and I told him no, to take the strip, that I had time and that is the way that I wanted to go. Yes, traffic was heavy but it we were moving along so no big deal deal. All of a sudden he turns off before Planet Hollywood and starts talking the back streets to Paris which really ticked me off. When I told him that I said to take the strip he said "I know what I'm doing" to which I replied "you are not taking the route I asked you to take and we both know you can't do that". He then stated that I could just pay what I thought the fare should be - the rate was $9.80, which wasn't unreasonable by any means, but I wanted to take the strip so that I could take in the sights which is why I specified that route. If I didn't have dinner reservations with my family I would have called the Taxi authority but instead I gave him $10.00 and left (I normally would have tipped $4.00 or $5.00 on a $10.00 fare).

    The other cab driver was taking us to the airport and he also wanted to take the freeway. I has asked the Taxi valet guy before we got in the car which way the driver should go and he confirmed LV Blvd. to Tropicana. We get in the car and the driver changes lanes and turns to go the freeway and I asked where he was going, and again, this driver said how the strip is "so backed up" but I made him u-turn and go the other way. He continued to argue about it with me the whole ride, which took 12 minutes and $16.30 and refused to admit that this was right around the average time/amount from the Monte Carlo to the airport. At one point he even said "I need to make a living too: and my response was "not by trying to long haul me". Again, no tip for this guy, paid fare only and told him that next time he shouldn't argue with a lady.

    Having read so much information here before I went I was very aware of the potential of long hauling so we walked and took the trams as much as possible, however it seemed to me that the "strip is so busy/backed up" could be a standard way for some drivers to get you to agree to taking the freeway when it's not necessary.

    Fortunately, those were the only bad experiences we had on our trip and we tipped everyone else a little extra - didn't want to have bad karma following us around!

    Oh, one more thing - we took the Super Shuttle from the airport to our hotel but since we came into Terminal 3 we had to take a shuttle to Terminal 1 to then get the our hotel shuttle. That was my fault for not reading the fine print but just wanted to let everyone else know so you don't make the same mistake we did, it took a lot of extra time.
     
  2. leo21

    leo21 VIP Whale

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    I don't know if I would fault the driver turning off at PH to access Paris. That is the way I would go in a rental car. It's easier to access the roundabout that way. If it was that important to see the strip the whole way, I would have said that and told the driver you didn't care how much extra it cost.
     
  3. suebee

    suebee Low-Roller

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    I told him which way to go and he deviated from that. The Taxi Authority states that Taxicab drivers must obey the passenger’s directions as it relates to route taken. So yes, he was completely at fault.
     
  4. Sinatraatthesands

    Sinatraatthesands Low-Roller

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    I live in Las Vegas and am on the strip every day and take cabs all the time. Before I moved here I flew in to Vegas about 20 times. If the cab took you another route and that's your complaint that's one thing. But YOU WERE NOT LONG HAULED on any of these trips. The price was spot on for the trips and the route was not indirect!
     
  5. smartone

    smartone VIP Whale

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    Wow... you're tough, but I like it! You did your research, knew what you wanted and didn't back off of it. Good for you!
     
  6. suebee

    suebee Low-Roller

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    If you re-read my post I didn't claim to be long hauled and I never claimed that the fares were too high. It was the attempt to long haul me (if I hadn't spoken up and stopped it) and the deviation from my direction that ticked me off. I think that "the strip is so backed up" is being used as an excuse to long haul people and I want to warn others so that they don't spend more than necessary.
     
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