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Consolidated "Scenic taxi scam/longhauling - experiences, how to stop" thread

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Consolidated "Scenic taxi scam/longhauling - experiences, how to stop" thread

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Old Jun 8, 2013, 7:25 pm
  #76  
 
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I just google map'd airport to Bellagio. It looks like the shortest way is to go Paradise to E. Flamingo but google maps has it going off Paradise and onto Swenson. Are the streets one way?

Never mind, I zoomed in and they are one way. So by default Google says I 15 but I will tell him Swenson/Paradise to E. Flamingo?
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Old Jun 8, 2013, 9:11 pm
  #77  
 
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Originally Posted by jmsnyc
I just google map'd airport to Bellagio. It looks like the shortest way is to go Paradise to E. Flamingo but google maps has it going off Paradise and onto Swenson. Are the streets one way?

Never mind, I zoomed in and they are one way. So by default Google says I 15 but I will tell him Swenson/Paradise to E. Flamingo?
If it's early enough in the day, going Tropicana to LVB probably would work just as well.. Or Trop to Paradise to Harmon to LVB. Going to Flamingo makes you back track slightly.
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Old Jun 9, 2013, 9:55 am
  #78  
 
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Originally Posted by cogitate
There is very little difference between these two routes. I would simply say "Mandalay Bay please, by way of Tropicana" and leave it at that. I urge a generous tip because this is a low-fare ride for the taxi driver.
Tipping is a personal choice. I would suggest a standard tip, assuming standard service. A 'low-fare' ride is not the passenger's problem. If this was deemed a real issue, it would be covered by a minimum fare, a higher rate, or some sort of short trip scheme (like what exists at ORD, where the driver gets a special card allowing them to bypass the taxi line for their next trip).
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Old Jun 9, 2013, 11:59 am
  #79  
 
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Originally Posted by jmsnyc
I just google map'd airport to Bellagio. It looks like the shortest way is to go Paradise to E. Flamingo but google maps has it going off Paradise and onto Swenson. Are the streets one way?

Never mind, I zoomed in and they are one way. So by default Google says I 15 but I will tell him Swenson/Paradise to E. Flamingo?
Swenson to Harmon to Strip is the typical route as the closest taxi dropoff for Bellagio is off an entrance south of Flamingo.

In any case, as long as you tell the driver not to tunnel, you should be fine.
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Old Jun 9, 2013, 10:45 pm
  #80  
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"XXX Hotel, Swenson and Paradise, no tunnel" or "XXX Hotel, surface streets, no freeway" should both do the trick.
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Old Jun 10, 2013, 12:44 pm
  #81  
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Originally Posted by aamilesslave
Tipping is a personal choice. I would suggest a standard tip, assuming standard service. A 'low-fare' ride is not the passenger's problem. If this was deemed a real issue, it would be covered by a minimum fare, a higher rate, or some sort of short trip scheme (like what exists at ORD, where the driver gets a special card allowing them to bypass the taxi line for their next trip).
I agree regarding the standard tip, and I'm an over-tipper. Las Vegas has both a high "starter fare" and per mile fare. My average trip to the strip is about $13 and I usually tip $3.

Mike
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Old Jun 16, 2013, 2:14 am
  #82  
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Originally Posted by cogitate
There is very little difference between these two routes. I would simply say "Mandalay Bay please, by way of Tropicana" and leave it at that. I urge a generous tip because this is a low-fare ride for the taxi driver.
Route is exactly what I did. In a joking but serious way I said "no tunnel, straight down Tropicana", and he laughed in the kind of way that we thought meant "people are catching on to this all of a sudden". All went well. I think the tip was about $4.
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Old Jun 25, 2013, 11:44 am
  #83  
 
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It's kind of funny reading this -- I'm going to LV first time in 13 years (many times before then lol) and the whole tunnel discussion was even going on back then!

Staying at Flamingo for location due to conference, any specifics I should mention to taxi driver or just the standard 'no tunnel' ? I kind of feel like an LV newbie again
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Old Jun 25, 2013, 11:53 am
  #84  
 
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Originally Posted by SharonLPK
It's kind of funny reading this -- I'm going to LV first time in 13 years (many times before then lol) and the whole tunnel discussion was even going on back then!

Staying at Flamingo for location due to conference, any specifics I should mention to taxi driver or just the standard 'no tunnel' ? I kind of feel like an LV newbie again
Tell them you want to be taken to your hotel via Swenson Avenue
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Old Jun 26, 2013, 11:34 am
  #85  
 
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Thanks very much John
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Old Aug 26, 2013, 8:15 pm
  #86  
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After falling for it too many times to count (including once to the MGM ) I've just started saying "I'm going to x and don't even think about taking the freeway". This is always met with an earnest denial that they'd never have taken me on the freeway. Maybe, maybe not, but I don't like taking chances with my $$
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Old Aug 27, 2013, 12:46 pm
  #87  
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Originally Posted by aamilesslave
About $17 plus tip
Exactly right!!^
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Old Aug 29, 2013, 12:56 am
  #88  
 
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This is correct, ALWAYS say "do not take the tunnel"! If they do after telling them not to, contact the Nevada Taxi Cab Authority at taxi.state.nv.us or
(702) 486-6532. They are testing a new tracking system on some cabs that use GPS to record every move the cab makes in real time (if approved it will be in all cabs in the future.
http://www.reviewjournal.com/busines...n-long-hauling
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Old Sep 2, 2013, 6:41 pm
  #89  
 
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Ripped off by cabbie?

Was at the Venetian and headed to McCarran on Sunday for a 1 PM flight. Shared a cab with some strangers who were dropped off at T1. The meter at that point after the cabbie had insisted on taking the freeway from the Venetian to T1 showed $32. The cabbie then drove and dropped me off at T3 for Virgin, and the meter showed something like $38. Felt like the cabbie ripped us off by insisting on taking the freeway.
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Old Sep 2, 2013, 6:48 pm
  #90  
 
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