"beating the system" tip#40: case study: taking a taxi from JFK to Manhattan
 

No cab drivers in the world are so determined and expert at overcharging their passengers than those on the route from JFK into Manhattan. After years of experience, I can just about manage to avoid paying for pre-existing time on the meter and, when there are other passangers, for more than my proportionate share of the proper mileage charge. If I'm extraordinarily vigilant, I can even prevent the driver from going to Manhattan via Philadelphia. However, I'm almost never able to get a New York cabby to take the shortest, cheapest route I want him to take.

To New York cab drivers, the only legitimate route from the New York airports to midtown or downtown Manhattan is by way ot the Tappenzee Bridge. Even those with the most elementary knowledge of geometry can see with one look at the map that the Tappenzee Bridge is not the shortest route to midtown or downtown Manhattan. The shortest route between two points is, miracle of miracles, not the curved line but the straight line, the Long Island Expressway.

Now, I'm sure the average New York cab driver is unlikely to have read much Euclid. And I'm certain there are some who are so ignorant that they are simply unaware of any alternative route (these are the ones who, when finally make it to 41st street in Manhattan, require detailed directions on how to get to 42nd). Most, though, have simply realized that the Tappenzee Bridge is the longest route they can take to the city which will not get them in trouble with the New York Taxi and Limousine Commission for overcharging.

When you try to get a New York cab driver to take alternative route, he will resist in several ways.

One way is to argue that at that time of the day the Long Island Expressway or Midtown Tunnel is jammed up. Needless to say, it doesn't matter what the time of day is. I've had te argument put to me at two o'clock in the morning on a Tuesday.

How these guys know the Long Island Expressway or Midtown Tunnel is jammed up is a mystery to me. Especially since they never seem to know when the Tappenzee Bridge is jammed up.

It's certainly possible that because of the number of cars or counter-rush-hour lane restrictions, the midtown route is more jammed up. But the way I see it, it has to be twice as jammed up as the Tappenzee Bridge route in order to justify covering twice the distance to avoid it.

If by some miracle, you're able to get a New York cab driver to agree to take you on the midtown route, do not assume that the battle is over. He probably doesn't understand. I mean, so few New York cab drivers today speak english. Who knows what the words, "Midtown Tunnel route," mean in Ukrainian? You're probably lucky not to be sodomized with a large cabbage at the first exit.

Even if your cabby does understand, he is likely to take a broad interpretation of your intent. This is tha cabby who takes you to the Midtown Tunnel via the Tappenzee Bridge - or, at the very least, via the "great circle route" that passes by La Guardia.

Or your cabby may "accidentally" miss the relevant turnoff for the Long Island Expressway and end up at the Tappenzee Bridge that way.

This is a tough one to defend against. You've got to keep an eye on the road and continually warn the driver about upcoming exits without appearing too pushy. If you appear too pushy, then the driver is likely to respond by stopping at each exit along the road and asking you sarcastically wether he should take it.

"This one's to New England," he'll say. "That's somewhere near Manhattan, isn't it?"

Even if the driver eventually takes the fastest route, his stopping every quarter-mile to ask you directions will have turned it into the slowest route.

The ultimate defense New York cab drivers have against taking other than the Tappenzee Bridge route is to get "lost". Once they've got you off the beaten track, your skeletal rent-a-car-map and skimpy knowledge of the topography of Queens is of no use. You're lost, too.

You could try a few plaintive cries of, "You've been a cab driver for forty-two years and can't find your way from the airport to the city?" but it's unlikely to do any good.

It's best just to resign yourself to having been beaten, sit back and wait for the Tappenzee Bridge to come into view.

The overpriced cab ride is one reason I avoid JFK and LAG airports. (I pay 22 bucks from EWR to my house in "Shuttle Billy" or if its
at night "Shuttle Bruce" or "Shuttle Wolf!"

New York City law says the cabbies can only charge a maximum of 35 dollars (Let me double check on this, but I'm sure that's the law.) Plus one thing that bugs me... charging a dollar per bag of luggage (AT EWR I blew a fuse when they wanted to charge me a dollar for my carryone briefcase. I refused to give the driver a tip.)

There are alternate sources if you have few bags. I know Rudi takes the bus to the subway to Manhattan. Supershuttle is also finally in NYC with their flat rates, as well as GreyLine and other bus shuttle services (cheaper than the taxis but can take longer with their several stops.)

If I have to fly in/out of JFK or LAG, I take a local car service back to Jersey. It costs 42 bucks but the fleet's mainly cadillacs, drivers are friendly and know the route and
they never leave me waiting at the baggage carousel.

ALl I can to anyone flying in or out of LAG
and JFK... take some asprin or something stronger and a deep breath! CATMAN

The Greyline got us from EWR to The World Trade Center with ease...a few minutes wait, but only $10. Since there were two of us, I guess a cab would have been about the same price. Anyone know how to retrieve a lost camera that my girlfriend left in one of the NYC cabs?

Aubie... you got a very good deal with the Grey Line Shuttle from EWR to the World Trade Center. By taxi, including tolls and this and that... a ride between those two places can run as much as 30-35 dollars. ANd probably nicer service.

If you did not have much luggage, you could have taken the AirLink shuttle from EWR to Newark Penn Station, connecting to either the Path train to WTC (one dollar) or to midtown
by Path (one dollar) or NJ transit (about 3.50.)

I will e-mail you the number for the Taxi and Limousine Commission shortly and post it here
once I get this "important" letter from work.
CATMAN

Aubie (and everyone else:) The number for lost items in NYC Taxis is to call the Taxi
and Limousine Commission (212) 302-8294.
You hit *1* on the prompter and they will
direct you to lost and found. BE PREPARED TO WAIT ON THE PHONE FOR AWHILE. ALSO: THE ODDS
YOUR ITEM IS STILL THERE ARE 50-50. I lost my friend's camera with her brother's pictures
of Xena/Lucy Lawless when she was Grease on
Broadway in a cab. It was never found, and she still won't let me forget it!

There's a second number for the T-L-C: 212
840-4734, but I think it's the administrative
offices.

Their customer service is said to be improving a bit under MAYOR RUDY (that's with
a "Y" not an "I" like our FLyerTalk member!)

Good luck and let us know what happens. CATMAN

A cab ride from JFK to anywhere in Manhattan is now a flat fee of $30 (plus tolls). It is ILLEGAL for a NYC cab to charge extra for luggage - no matter how much you have, if your cabbie actually helps with your bags, you may want to tip extra.

I'm confused though by the reference to the Tappenzee Bridge. That's no way/no how on the way to Manhattan from JFK, do you mean the Triboro? The Tappenzee is over the Hudson River, not the East River.

------------------
I wish I were 1,000 miles away

Redhead is right,its a flat fee of $30 jfk to manhattan. Its posted at all the cab stands so theres no reason to pay more, I do think they can charge for more than 1 bag but ask the dispatcher before you leave to be sure. So the driver can go any way he wants,the passenger must pay the tolls for 1 direction ONLY.

If any cab driver is taking you into Manhattan from JFK via the Tappan Zee then you are certainly going hours out of your way (The Tappan Zee is way north of the George Washington bridge on teh west side). If you mean via the Tri Borough, then they are probably taking the route of least resistance, it's allmost always the better choice then the tunnels are.

How do they know? There are traffic reports every three minutes on the radio in New York, so they grab one of them every hour or so, and it will say how far the backups are in the tunnels and bridges. If they say the midtown has a 45 minute backup, then you know it will be at least an hour before you consider it again (stations - 1010 on the 1's, 880 on the 8's, and 1350 on the 5's)

(edited to correct times of traffic reports)

[This message has been edited by cordelli (edited 12-22-2000).]

Redhead: Why are you bringing back to the top this 2-year old thread of outdated, incorrect and (I believe) facetious information by the acknowledged alter-ego of Rudi.

Edited/Added P.S. I now see that Rudi himself resurrected this thread (by reference) in a post on The Buzz. But my comments are still appropriate.




[This message has been edited by kappa (edited 12-22-2000).]

FWIW, I found this thread entertaining, now as well as originally, and it does serve to put the unwary visitor on notice that vigilance is always a good policy when dealing with NYC taxi drivers.

(And even I didn't know about the traffic reports on 1350 on the "5's". I have to check to see if my car radio tunes up that high. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif)

The flat $30 fee is only from JFK to Manhattan and not from Manhattan to JFK. Therefore, beware when heading to JFK. Pricewise, you can't beat the subway (A train) and free shuttle deal but you have to be patient and not in a rush. There should be a high speed rail link in a couple of years. Maybe someone will bring this thread back to the top in 2003. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by NYC1 (edited 12-23-2000).]

Construction of the new rail link to the subway and Jamaica train station (Long Island Railroad) has brought traffic to a standstill, particularly on the Van Wyck Expressway. I was driving to JFK on December 10 -- a Sunday night -- and thought I might miss my flight because I did not allow enough time.

The new rail link to the subway should open next year. The extension to Jamaica is set to open in 2002, I believe.

Bruce

1350 is Bloomberg, your AM radio goes from 530 or so to 1600 or so, so it should be fine. I may have the 1350 wrong, but it's bloomberg someplace in the 1300 area.

"AM?" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I've been avoiding "amplitude modulated" signals now for approximately 35 years! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

Except, of course, when passing thru such fringe areas as the Holland or Linclon Tunnels! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif

It's actually funny you say that, the way that the FM has gone in New York City, sometimes you find yourself listening to the news 2,3,4 times a day (it's a joke, most people won't get it, but some will) all back to back because the FM is so bad if you happen to be driving into the city. And more then once those traffic reports have been saviors on the last decision of which way to go.