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Message |
    
Spry
Citizen
Username: Spry
Post Number: 3
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 4:22 pm: |     |
Yesterday afternoon, I had a troubling experience with Maplewood Taxi. I called a taxi at 4:30 p.m. for a car 15 minutes later. For various reasons, I kept the car waiting five minutes, and was ready to board, with my toddlers and teenage niece, at 4:50 p.m. The driver announced that, in addition to the $6 charge, I would have to pay an extra $3 for the waiting time. I told him that I had never, in my three years in Maplewood, using the taxi service, been charged $3 for five minutes waiting time. I told my children to get out of the car. The driver (a young, muscular man)then got out of his car, followed me up my driveway, and told me that if I didn't pay him $6, he would call the police. I tried to find my cell phone to call his dispatcher, but didn't have it in my bag, and asked him if I could use his phone. He said there was no way he'd let me use his phone. I realized that if I didn't take the taxi, my children wouldn't make it to their event, so reluctantly got back in the car with them. After a five minute ride across our little town, we were there, and I paid him the $9. He lingered in front of the house for a few minutes (and thus most likely did not have another ride scheduled immediately afterwards, for which I might have been making him late). I called his dispatcher, who told me that the charge indeed was $3 for every five minutes waiting time. I told him that I had never been charged for waiting time before, or informed of a waiting time charge. I asked him whether I would be refunded $3 if his car had kept me waiting five minutes. He said that in his years as dispatcher, his cars had never been late, except if stuck in traffic (something like that) or had had a breakdown. (Which, of course, is a bunch of ... ).
Questions: was I liable for a waiting charge, if I didn't know about it in advance? If the driver had called the police, would I have been arrested or fined? Has anyone reading this post had to pay $3 for five minutes waiting time, $6 for 10 minutes waiting time, etc.?
A more fundamental question: can anyone, please, recommend a good alternative to Maplewood Taxi? I've had it with this company!
Thanks. |
mellie
Citizen
Username: Mellie
Post Number: 253
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 17, 2003 - 8:07 pm: | |
1. report this to the police - loitering with intent
2. union taxi are fine |
Spry
Citizen
Username: Spry
Post Number: 4
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 11:23 am: | |
Thank you, Mellie, for answering my e-mail and for your recommendation of Union Taxi!
Spry |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 1595
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 18, 2003 - 12:02 pm: | |
Spry,
Time is money! The $3.00 charge for waiting is legal and certainly appropriate, however, in your case it wasn't a smart business decision by the driver or Maplewood Taxi. A smile, some concern, and with a little understanding you probably would have given him a tip for a least that much.
IMHO, neither of you handled the problem very well. In this day and age, $3.00 is not worth making a public issue over, especially where young children would be positioned in the middle of a dispute with a young, muscular man... Better luck next time.
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malone
Citizen
Username: Malone
Post Number: 242
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 - 9:03 pm: | |
I once left my keys in a Maplewood Taxi. They went to the trouble of hunting me down and giving me a call about them. There wasn't any ID on the keys or anything. They just went through their old ride manafest and called until they found the right person. Not a bad service if you ask me.
Keep in mind that following 9/11 and the recession, their businss has been way way down. They're probably trying to make it up where they can. |
flugermongers
Citizen
Username: Flugermongers
Post Number: 50
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 12:31 am: | |
I was charged a bunch of money for waiting time. They did tell me it would be $3 per 5 mins extra in advance though. I have been kept waiting by Maplewood Taxi on NUMEROUS occasions, they have even forgotten that I've called, and sent someone out at the last minute (I missed my train and had to go an hour later. They did drive me back to my house and back to the station again, but it still wasted 2 hours of my life).
Though their drivers are usually pleasant, I do not like using Maplewood Taxi, [which is also Millburn Taxi, and the surrounding areas, they have a monopoly on all the towns, but just call their company different names for different towns (not sure if that includes Union, might though)], they are unreliable, and outrageously priced. It will cost you $8 + tip (and I always tip, 'cause it's not the driver's fault) to go from Ridgewood Rd. in Maplewood, to the same Ridgewood Rd. in SO. And for the record, they were priced too high before the events of September 11th.
It is ridiculous however, that they charged you for waiting outside your house for 5 mins. That is to be expected at times, especially when getting children ready. Also, they never specified that to you. I paid when I asked them to stop someplace. Fine, charge me extra if you've got to run into a store, but not for picking you up!
Furthermore, I would report the driver to the police, file a complaint about the company as well. I feel bad for your poor children. Next time, if there is ever a next time, don't get into a car with an angry and irrational person. He was threatening you, and by following you on to your property, trespassing, and physically threatening you. All in front of your children! Press charges against them both. Write to the Daily-Record.
I know that especially after reading this story, I will never use Maplewood/Millburn/Whatever Taxi "Service" again.
Thank you for spreading your word, Spry.
--flugermongers |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 1613
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 10:05 am: | |
Flugermongers,
"It is ridiculous however, that they charged you for waiting outside your house for 5 mins. That is to be expected at times, especially when getting children ready."
Please!!! I like the way you just dismiss 5 minutes as no big deal. To anyone in the service business from doctors to taxi drivers, keeping appointments means time and money lost.
If the world ran on "That is to be expected at times" time, how would anyone ever be able to make up time schedules for trains, planes, buses, and every other business that also requires an appointment book, yes, that includes taxi cabs? |
Mplwdladee
Citizen
Username: Mplwdladee
Post Number: 11
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 10:17 am: | |
Well I stopped using Maplewood Taxi a long time ago...I called on my cell for a car..I had just found out the train was not stopping in maplewood only south orange...the train people change their minds and announced they would indeed stop in mplwd. so being courteous (I thought) I cancelled the car. The dispatcher said he would charge me the entire fare, I said I thought I was doing the right thing to cancel instead of just not showing up, plus well how are you going to do that since Im never using your services again (I was tired of their nasty attitude in the past but at the time they were the only gig in town) We didnt hang up peacefully. So when I got home the dispatcher called my home (dont know how they got the number since I originally called on the cell) to continue the discussion. who are they to call me at home this is border harassment.}} So I called the owner. he apologized and I never called those ba*?%rds again.
Try another mplwd company 973.275.0660 }they have the yellow signs in the car forgot the name. They are always nice and don't harass me either!
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woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 263
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 12:24 pm: | |
ajc,
While I respect your opinion on this, and agree to some extent, those same people you say should be able to charge for customer's delays do not credit us back for their own delays.
If the cab had been 10 minutes late, would they have taken $6 off the meter? What if I was going to a meeting and missed my train because they were late, costing me thousands in business? What of the doctors who double and triple book patients, causing over an hour of wait time?
What of the train schedules you mention - I don't get a credit on my monthly pass if NJT is late getting to Penn Station (or Hoboken). And I certainly don't get a credit when my plane is delayed 3 hours due to "mechanical problems," meaning the pilot couldn't be bothered to get out of bed on time.
People get fed up with these little fees and annoyances because they're a one-way street. Customers are supposed to understand that the service provider is running a business? How about the service provider recognizing that their customers ALSO have businesses to run or lives to lead?
I'm not saying service providers are wrong to try to recoup costs. But their needs to be reason and balance.
And yes, I do agree that it's ridiculous to charge for a 5-minute wait outside. Build the first x minutes of wait time into your cost structure. Then when someone doesn't make you wait, it's gravy.
Waiting For The Electrician, Or Someone Like Him |
Mr. Reingold
Citizen
Username: Noglider
Post Number: 273
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 12:32 pm: | |
The phone company doesn't refund you your lost business for the time your service is down. Instead, they refund the time you paid for. That's why you don't share your profits for using their service.
Waiting time is explicitly stated on the rate table on the doors of NYC taxis. So I assume other taxi companies are entitled to be paid for waiting time.
I agree with ajc that both parties handled this badly.
I agree with the principle of charging for waiting time, but I also feel that the cab driver was rude and pushy.
And yes, if you refused to pay, that is called theft of services. And that's despite the fact that the driver could have generated a lot of good will by forgiving it or by being nicer in general.
Tom Reingold
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woodstock
Citizen
Username: Woodstock
Post Number: 264
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 12:53 pm: | |
Mr. Reingold (Tom),
The phone company is one of the few companies that will reimburse you for their failure to provide service (most regulated utilities do). I do agree that it was handled poorly by both sides. My beef was more with the assertion that
quote:To anyone in the service business from doctors to taxi drivers, keeping appointments means time and money lost.
That time and money can be lost by either party. If the vendor expects compensation for their lost opportunity, then the customer should be due the same. And yes, I do realize that is an idealistic viewpoint. I really don't expect the cab company to give me $3 for every 5 minutes that they're late. I'd think maybe the $3 charge for 5 miuntes should start after the first 5 minutes of waiting, though.
Waiting For The Electrician, Or Someone Like Him |
nur
Citizen
Username: Nur
Post Number: 160
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 24, 2003 - 5:46 pm: | |
You should pay the $6 + $3 but no tip. IMHO |
ajc
Citizen
Username: Ajc
Post Number: 1616
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 25, 2003 - 12:26 am: | |
"those same people you say should be able to charge for customer's delays do not credit us back for their own delays."
This is true guys... however, the customer always holds the ultimate trump card in these incidents. They get to take their business elsewhere. They also get to complain and turn other customers away from the merchant, service provider, or professional.
What goes around, comes around. I’ve learned about enough businesses on line that because of something stupid, have lost a lot of business. For only three dollars, this driver cost his boss thousands, and probably a decent tip for himself. Stupid, is as stupid does! |
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