With a lot of transportation options nowadays, it can certainly be difficult to pick the right way to transport. In order to help you with your decision making process, we have compiled a list of reasons why hiring a cab may be your best option.

1. Cheap

Hiring a cab is not as expensive as most people think. This thing especially applies if you are heading airport. Since airport parking can be expensive especially when you have to leave your car for many days, it does not really make sense to drive your own car to the airport. And while it’s true that a train ride might be more affordable for a single traveler, it can add up for those travelers that transport in groups.

2. Direct and Reliable 

Cabs provide travelers with a direct and reliable door to door service and this is something that buses and trains cannot do. A cab will make sure that you reach your exact destination. Therefore, there’s no need for you to worry too much about missing your train connection or getting lost especially if you are new to the area.

3. Safe

This is the most important thing that you cannot usually count on when you take public transportation – most especially if you are traveling by yourself, in an unfamiliar place, or at night. On the other hand, when you choose to ride a licensed and professional taxi service, rest assured that you’ll reach your desired destination in the safest manner.

4. Private and Comfortable

All of us certainly know that a taxi ride is a whole lot comfortable compared to any public way of transportation such as taking a train or bus. First and foremost, you are guaranteed a comfortable seat. When you decide to take a taxi ride, you will also be able to experience privacy that you also experience when you drive your own vehicle and when you are not being surrounded by other people.

5. Personal

Choosing to ride a cab is also a personal experience. Once again, getting rid of the crowd in public transportation options is one thing that can make sure that you gain personal experience during your travel. In addition to that, if you are traveling to an area of a country or a city that is not familiar to you, a professional taxi driver El Cajon can certainly give you local recommendations and help you to navigate the area.

6. Night Out

Taking a cab is also considered as the easiest way to ensure that night outs starts and ends hassle free and stress free. Hiring a taxi service means that there’s no need to designate a driver from your circle of friends so that everyone can be able to enjoy their night out without having to worry about drinking alcohol.

7. Round the Clock Service

This often applies to nights out too. A lot of public transportation usually stops operating around 1 in the morning. If you need transportation during the early morning hours, cabs are readily available 24 hours a day and while some may offer you a bit expensive service during these hours, what matters most is that you’ll get home safely.

Every time you ride in a taxi, you surrender the vehicle’s control to the driver. Most of the time, the taxi driver is not familiar to you, which is why you should think carefully about your safety when you ride in a taxi.

However, there are a lot of taxi drivers that are great sources of information about current events, local customs, best entertainment venues and restaurants, and many more. Cab drivers are usually experts about safe and unsafe neighborhoods as well as what threats might lurk at your destination or hotel.

A lot of taxi drivers are also good to talk with as well as it can be a great opportunity to master your language skills especially if you travel to a place that has different language. Still, you should always be careful about over sharing any information about yourself since they might pass the information to other people who might do you harm. Below, you’ll be able to learn the top 10 tips for a safe taxi travel.

1. Make sure to ask ahead for the common price and tipping range.

Your host or the hotel staff can be able to tell you about the typical price range for a taxi ride as well as the appropriate amount when tipping. Have a better understanding about the amount that you have to pay, as well as confirming the price with the taxi driver ahead of time can simply mean less stress and hassle when it is time for you to pay your fare. In addition to that, a lot of dispatchers can also advice you about the typical taxi fare to your destination, so as much as possible, try to get a quote of the price ahead of time.

2. Call for a taxi service instead of hailing one.

Sometimes, independent cab drivers who are not licensed work in partnership with thieves. Most of the time, the scam goes this way – the driver will try to spot something valuable on your belonging such as a mobile device, a camera, jewelry, or money and they will inform the thief through text about the route that you will be taking. Since the thief knows the route and the taxi, they will wait at the stoplight so when the door opens, they can snatch your valuable stuffs.

Ask for the number of the can when you talk to the dispatcher so that you can be able to make sure that you are getting in the right car. In addition to that, make sure that the number of the taxi, or at least the name and contact number of the company is visible on the taxi before you step inside.

3. Never take a cab alone if you are drunk.

If you’re drunk, it might seem like the best decision to take a taxi ride. However, if you are drunk, the taxi ride may lull you to sleep or may put you into a half conscious state. This is certainly not to best situation to defend yourself from any mishap.  As a matter of fact,  helpless drunk passengers have been raped, robbed, beaten and killed after taking a taxi ride so it’s better to take a non drunk friend along with you if you really have to take the cab and try to stay awake during your travel.

Taxicab is probably the most convenient way of transportation in the United States. As a matter of fact, more than 50,000 cabs operate in New York alone. It has also been reported that about 300,000 passengers take a taxi ride in New York every day in order to reach their destination.

Taxi passengers actually have certain rights that they may not completely know about. In this article, we will discuss the rights that all taxi passengers have.

1. Right to Meter

The rights of the taxi passenger include the right to know the present condition of the taxi meter. Taxi drivers are prohibited to ride customers in a cab with defective or broken meter. The meter fare should be visibly clear to the customers. Taxi meter must only be turned on the moment the ride of the passenger starts. Some irresponsible taxi drivers scam their passengers with malfunctioning taxi meters so you should be aware about it as well. Make sure that you only choose a professional and well known taxi service provider. After all, they have a reputation to maintain.

2. Say No to Multiple Hiring 

Once you have already hired the taxi, the driver is not supposed to hire another party. Multiple hiring shouldn’t be accommodated even if the other party might be going to the same location where you are heading. The taxi you hired must give you the complete exclusive service throughout your ride since you hired the cab first.

However, in some cases when a passenger who first hired the cab permits the driver to hire a third party passenger, in that case the cab driver can share the ride with other passengers. However, the condition is that both passengers must be heading in the same direction and both drop off is near around. Each passenger will then be entitled to pay the 75% or less of the taxi meter.

3. Right to Collect Receipt

Taxi drivers must produce official receipt to the passenger as per his or her demand. The driver must also be completely responsible in explanation all the calculation of costs to customer. The official invoice produced by a taxi driver should include these details:

• Accreditation number of the driver
• Taxi number
• Driver’s ABN
• Payment date
• Everything that is included in the total fare
• Total paid amount
• Driver’s signature

4. Right to Sound System

As a taxi passenger, you have the right to ask the cab driver for sound system or to tune in to the radio. It’s completely the passenger’s choice whether he or she wants to converse with the cab driver or not during the passenger’s travel.

5. Right to Select Route

It’s the passenger’s right to make any choices about what route to take in order to reach his or her desired destination. However, the taxi driver can still suggest the passenger with the safest and shortest route possible.

6. Clean Taxi

The taxi must be tidy, neat and clean. It should follow all the neat and clean taxi service standards. In short, the taxi must be roadworthy and the taxi company should make sure that their passengers will be comfortable inside the vehicle during the travel .