A video shows a heated exchange between a woman and cab driver, arguing over the fare and the route he took. Generally speaking, I think a taxi driver who cheats you does not deserve even a small portion of the fare. But was that the case here?
Taxi Driver Holds Woman’s Luggage Hostage In New York After Fare Dispute
An exchange captured on video in Manhattan shows a woman struggling with a taxi driver for her luggage. The cabbie was holding it until she paid her fare, but she claimed she did not owe him any money.
Based on how I interpret the video, the following went down:
- Traffic is notoriously bad in Manhattan…I usually find it is quicker to walk than take a car
- The woman was upset that her driver refused to use GPS to reach their destination
- She claimed, “He took me on a ride around the whole city and double-charged me!”
- As a result of the extended journey, she missed her bus
- She asked him to let her off three blocks before he did, and he refused
- As a result, she refused to pay him
- And as a result of that, he held her luggage hostage
- Eventually, a peacemaker paid her fare, allowing her to get her luggage and leave
A few thoughts. First, the douschebag filming who keeps saying with that annoying New York accent, “You gotta pay the fare!” is a dotard who should have remained silent. At that early point in the conflict, he had no idea.
Second, the main issue is a bit more complicated. In my experience, GPS directions are often very poor in New York City. A good cabbie may well know “shortcuts” that even Waze does not. It’s not inconceivable that he was justified in refusing to use navigation. Furthermore, this woman may have been a “Karen” looking for a way to skirt paying an expensive cab fare. Finally, it’s not always safe to let someone out when they demand it.
On the other hand, I’ve dealt with far too many crooked cabbies over the years…taking customers “for a ride” is a common fraudulent move and if he did refuse to let her out the moment she asked, assuming it was safe to do so, then I believe he is not owed a penny. Rather, he should lose his license.
Pragmatically, I would have paid what I felt appropriate (I’ve resorted to that approach in many situations…) rather than nothing at all, but holding the luggage hostage was the only leverage he had.
Ultimately, I believe the woman when she said the taxi driver would not let her out of the car. And if that is true, it strikes me as much more conceivable that he also took a deliberately circuitous route in order to run up the meter.
CONCLUSION
Folks, I look forward to the day when driverless cars replace every last cab and rideshare driver. But until that happens, you can protect yourself by keeping your bag next to you in the car and standing up for yourself (even calling the police if necessary) if a cab driver tries to extort or swindle you.
I may be wrong, but I’m siding with the woman here.
What about you?
image: screengrabs from @newyorkmadness1 / Instagram
Kidnapping charges?
False imprisonment.
If using metered cabs I started years ago entering the destination on Google Maps and turning on the volume. It allows me to see if the driver is following a reasonably close route and lets him know I’m monitoring. Never had an issue after this.
Here’s my bone to pick with your wish that driverless cars replace cab drivers.. If I need to get from midtown to LGA in 30 minutes at 4 pm, a driverless car isn’t going to skirt all the traffic laws to make it happen like a cab driver will.
Matthew,
I agree with your outrage at this incident but I disagree with your conclusion. When driverless cars replace taxi drivers, we will have to call the customer support line of some giant faceless corporation to dispute the fare or to even be let out of the vehicle.
Hard to take this too seriously. Cheers to the ‘peacemaker’ but wish these games did not happen, including the silly filming of everything for internet clout. I will say, I did enjoy your use of ‘dotard’… Personally, I was hoping someone would shout: “SHAT AAP THA BOTHA YAAS!!” like from when Homer visits NYC in The Simpsons.
New York is the kind of place where every time I get in a hired car, I regret it; and this is yet another classic tale of why nobody likes cab drivers. Hopefully once Mamdani is done making busses fast and free, he can take the Q10 over to JFK and get rid of all the “taxi drivers” hounding people at international arrivals in T8 trying to rip them off.
You are legally required to pay your metered fare in NYC. Section 116.25.
Driverless ride shares will fully be rolled out in ten years.
Why didn’t you leave earlier? Never blame a driver on traffic it’s not their fault you’re running late. That’s a shmucky thing to do.
She claimed he would not let him out.
You have a couple of typos in the title (“frivolous”has been given an extra i) and first sentence (“fare” missing the e)
Agree on siding with the woman in principle, I’ve had too many taxi drivers trying to overcharge me. I dont look forward to driverless though, if every cab is metered and tracked, it gets the same result but with intervention if needed.
How scary it is to be in a cab and driven all over and then not let out!
The cab driver should be charged with kidnapping. How many other women has he done this to?
The Abdul ver. of D. Edwards.
DC in olden times operated on the zone system. Every zone added to the final fare. Many traveling got a tour rather than an efficient taxi ride. Accusations against the mafia taxi commission occurred for many years before they accepted meters. I am sure the unwanted ” tours ” still exist. ( I use a private driver now ) but in the end , I’ve never encountered a driver I could not cajole for my best interest. Always know where you are going and how you want to get there no matter where your travel delivers you.
Cabbies at Sydney airport are notorious assholes, so much so that the state government is about to set a fixed fare for trips into the city centre. They’ve also just opened a dedicated area for people to wait for their Uber, etc. Of course the taxi industry is outraged, but this is what you get for years of ripping people off, refusing shorter trips, and generally acting like the super-douches that so many of them seem to be these days.