Originally Posted by
VolFanDave
No, the extras part of the meter never budged from the $1.50 that was keyed in when we boarded the cab. When we got to LGA, the driver pressed the buttons to combine the fare + the extras which resulted in the $26.80 fare. He did have an EZ Pass on his windshield.
On our trip from LGA into the city on Friday, the driver didn't have an EZ Pass but paid the toll in cash, then keyed it into the meter. I knew that was also unusual as the links here in FT note that all taxis are supposed to have an EZ Pass, but from the same links know that tolls are paid by the passenger and it was properly noted on the meter. That's why I paid the extra $5-I felt like I was responsible for it, knowing we had passed through a tolled tunnel and didn't feel comfortable taking advantage of a "mistake," even though now I know it may have not been a mistake at all.
Well, my view is that you did the right thing. I've had my share of bad experiences with NYC cab drivers but, in my experience, the vast majority are honest and provide far better service than you find in most other cities around the world (it's not at London level, but it's far better than, say, Boston, where I spend a considerable amount of time; the "attempted larceny" rate among Boston cabbies, for example by taking a longer route, is far higher than in NYC). These guys work incredibly hard for low pay; I'm not looking for reasons not to tip them. (I would have been pissed at the cabbie who didn't have an EZ Pass, which might have affected the level of my tip, but I still would have tipped, and probably still would have tipped as much or more than most other passengers.)