[fma]

One of my first trips in Vegas...I took a taxi from the airport to MGM, I believe. It's pretty near by. I get in the taxi, and the driver asks if I want to take the highway because it's faster. Of course...I said sure...everyone wants faster right?

I found out later in Las Vegas, the taxi drivers are required to take the shortest route unless the passenger requests for another route.

Well played, sir.

[gogopuppygogo]

Stories like this are exactly why the taxi cartels were decimated by ride sharing companies.

[farnsworth]

I love when the driver pretends that the credit card machine is broken then glares at me when I try to explain that I'm not carrying $65 in cash, then suddenly the credit card machine starts working again, and just paying for the damn thing is a 10 minute ordeal that nearly has me fearing for my life.

[dawnerd]

Yep been there too in SF. I told the driver I would be more than happy to have the police come and suddenly the machine worked. Those drivers get 0 tip.

[ncallaway]

I asked one cab driver when I got in the cab if I could pay with card and informed them I didn't have cash on me. They said "ok".

When we got near the destination, the machine was broken. I said, no problem, stop the meter drive me to my bank's nearest atm so I don't have to pay fees (10 minutes out of the way), or stop the car and let me out here.

The machine started working again, all of a sudden.

[speedgoose]

In Paris they will drive you to an ATM.

[RegnisGnaw]

Better not be on the meter.

[Scoundreller]

In Paris, the trip to get to you is on the meter.

[RegnisGnaw]

I mean the trip to the ATM.

[dencodev]

I took a taxi once in my life. He deliberately missed an exit to add 10 minutes to trip. I told him I was going to the hospital to meet my partner who had just been taken there by ambulance. I'm glad taxis are dying.

[dheera]

And also why I have zero sympathy for taxi drivers in the rideshare app revolution. As a rideshare customer I'm extremely happy that the price is stated upfront and I don't have to haggle, I only have to decide whether or not I want it at the presented price.

I've had enough share of rigged taxi meters that clock faster than normal, getting the runaround to a longer route, and lots of other tricks they have.

[johnchristopher]

I like that too. Not having to haggle an not having to calculate price and “fair” tipping.

But I noticed the other day that takeaway.com, one of the major delivery food service in my country, is now adding a ”would you like to tip the delivery man ? +1 +5 +10” question after I have already paid. In a country with a better social protection than the US and better low-wages too. I don't like this trend, it has to be fought back.

[vladvasiliu]

In France, "a country with better social protection than the US", apps ask for a tip too.

In the Uber app it shows up after the trip / rating. I think the options are +1, +2, +5. Maybe there's a custom, I don't remember.

However, what surprises me, is that for example on Uber Eats, they ask for the tip before the delivery, at the end of the order. The way I see it, even in the US, the tip is supposed to at least take into account the quality of service. How can you judge that before you've been served?

[xzel]

I just had that experience tonight. Uber projected delivery at 8:15. They couldn’t get a driver until 9. I had already tipped. But since that money should/is going to the delivery driver, that wouldn’t have been his fault. He was assigned the delivery until 9. The whole process is screwed up based on the traditional model of one company providing most of the service and tips are, at least some what, shared.

Anyways they just need to get rid of tipping and bake it into the price already. I think the whole world is tired of it.

[dheera]

I totally agree. In the US they're just using it to hide some of the delivery costs from you, to present a screen where the total is a smaller number than what you will pay before you commit.

It's disingenuous, and I hate it. I'd MUCH rather they have a delivery fee of $6 (or whatever it needs to be to pay the driver fairly) and no tip instead of advertising $2 delivery and then come running back post-order asking for tip.

[MrMember]

The same thing happened to me. It's illegal but they still do it.