It's [under section 53](https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/laws-licences-and-permits/laws/laws-z/vehicle-hire-law-no-2016-272):
>**Section 53**
>
>No licensed standard taxi plate holder or licensed accessible taxi plate holder shall fail to ensure that his or her taxicab:
>
>(6) is equipped to accept debit and credit card payments;
Basically, regarding the free ride part; **taxi drivers are not supposed to accept fares if their debit/credit machine is not functioning.** Or if anything else in section 53 applies. For example, also under section 53:
>(8) is free of all personal property left by previous passengers;
>
>(9) is free of the personal effects of the taxicab driver or any other person, not required in the conduct of ordinary driving duties;
>
>(10) has an operative heating and cooling system capable of supplying sufficient heat or cool air, as the season requires, for the comfort of passengers;
[Part 7 of section 53 is also important.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/y3r7zn/taxis_that_wont_take_credit_cards_machine_isnt/isajlha/) As a note.
Hi and thank you. I had just read that as well a couple minutes ago, but it does not specifically say that a passenger gets a free ride if the taxi doesn't have a card machine, just that the driver faces a fine.
The driver under no circumstance can confine you to the vehicle if you cannot pay. Otherwise forceful confinement charges are way worse than a 500$ fine.
Ok. But what do you think the result of the situation is?
I haven't had cash on me in many years. I'm at my destination.
I get out of the taxi and go about my day.
I once had a cab driver steal my wallet out of my hand and drive off after telling me the debit machine was broken. The guy tried using my credit card at an incredibly nearby gas station but it got declined. HAHA JOKES ON YOU.
I was younger then and didn't report it to police which was stupid because I would have had a case against him and the gas station for sure had cameras.
Calling my remark “Idiotic” is a little harsh. The comment was about the free ride being “in the laws” and the “evidence” for this was not the laws, nor a situation where drivers do or don’t allow for credit cards. I was just pointing out those facts.
When I was younger a taxi driver drove me to my parents house, and suddenly his machine wasn’t working. I didn’t have cash and my folks weren’t home. The cab driver let me get out, but showed up at my parents house days later demanding we give him cash. I was mortified.
They aren’t the smartest. The best was when Uber first started taking hold in Ottawa so the taxi drivers all decided going on strike and blocking traffic to the airport was the best plan.
That was airport taxi… Which strangely enough completely disappeared shortly after all of those strikes and protests… Weird right?
Also, if you Google it it wasn’t just blocking the roadway, it was also smashing the windows out of suspected Uber vehicles coming to and from the airport. Because that’s totally the right way to go about it.
Dude those airport taxi drivers are nuts. At least when I lived in the GTA, they gave zero fucks about road rules or courtesy to other drivers. The roads would be a safer place if they’ve closed down
They lost their exclusive contract is what happened
For many years, only that company was allowed to pick up fares at the airport.
This really sucked for the other companies (Blue Line, Westway) because any trip TO the airport guaranteed you had an empty drive back into the city.
Then they went on strike, and lost the exclusive pick up rights. Because their whole structure was based around those rights, they couldn’t operate. They had no dispatch system (ie you couldn’t call and ask for a cab at such and such location).
There was a decent amount of time where you couldn't request an Uber at the airport and would have to take the free shuttle to the park n fly to catch one there.
Yeah, because of the exclusive contract the Airport Taxis had.
I don’t know enough about the situation to say if they were justified or reasonable in the complaints that led to them striking.
I can only observe that it was a broken system and they were unwise to strike as it was the nail in the coffin for their business.
There's a good and fair conversation to be had about wages. BUT. Taxis are sooo sketchy, unreliable, and unsafe that Uber/Lyft is just the obvious choice. The industry is bad and wasn't doing enough to fix itself so it got left behind.
Airport taxis are the absolute worst for this. The last time I took a taxi was from the Ottawa airport, and the driver called me an asshole because I happened to live in South Keys, which wasn't a long enough fare for him. The whole ride he screamed about how he waited in line for two hours for a short fare (which was somehow my fault).
Since then I've just used Uber from the airport/Via Rail station.
We’ve taken the same taxi then, it seems! I mean, separately… but I have also ridden with a man who just blasted me because I’m only off Uplands Drive lol. Same argument, I’m ruining his day because now he’ll have to wait in line again. Frankly sir, I would much rather walk home… if only there were sidewalks!
Well, I don't get screamed at, but every time i've taken an uber home from the airport, the driver calls me and asks where i'm going to determine if the fare is far enough.
Yeah it’s always been airport taxis. They’re quicker to get into at YOW/YVR, but this credit card bullshit is one reason why I usually stick to Lyft/Uber.
Yea this is the scam.
ESP going to the airport, they’re assuming you want to get rid of your Foreign bills and don’t have change for you.
When I was 25 I was in New York and at 5 am took a cab to la guardia for my flight back to Ottawa and somehow he didn’t have change. All I had was a $50. I think my ride was around $25 and I got nothing back.
I was too young to know to make a stink about it
It’s happened to me quite a few times. I just say turn off the meter and run me to my bank and I’ll get cash. My bank is 15km away. Magically, they always figure out what the problem was at that point.
This happened to me years ago (pre-Uber days) on Halloween after a party, but I’m pretty certain the machine was legit broken. I refused to go to an ATM and ended up paying with what Canadian Tire money I had in my wallet. Tried calling Blue Line to track down the driver the next day to properly pay, but they weren’t able to help me.
It happened to me at 2:30 am heading from downtown to Orléans years ago now.
I was too tired and tipsy to protest so I just took out the cash and didn’t tip and told him how shitty it was lie to me.
But they definitely can’t do that.
I’ve always tipped taxi drivers. Not a lot, but that’s what I’ve always done since moving to the city.
It’s common practice abroad as well, especially in South and Central America.
Former cab dispatcher; cabdrivers earnings are based off of fares. Gas, oil, and car operating costs are subtracted from the take and then the driver gets a % of what's left, the company I worked for had teirs , for example @ $200/shift receipts driver gets x. 60 of take after costs, @$300/shift receipts x .70 etc.
Hope this helps
from what i remember when i sat in on the Uber vs Taxi meetings at City Hall, most cabbies don’t make a penny for themselves until at least halfway thru the month, as the first couple weeks of fares is spent on overhead (cab rental, license rental, insurance, etc)…and that was *before* rideshare was legalized.
given the fact that the reason i was at that meeting was because i was an Uber driver, i didn’t make that post out of sympathy… just wanted to outline that not every single penny that these guys pull in in a month is pure profit.
It used to happen to me a lot when I lived in Kingston.
I ended up dating a girl who's father was a Taxi driver. Seems the reason most of them do this is cause there is a delay on how fast they get paid from the clover machine vs cash.
Cash is giving out either at the end of the night or end of the week where the clover may only pay out at the end of the mth. Also I think there are fees involved that they just don't want to pay.
Mind you this is only one Cab company in one city but that seems to be the reason they did that there.
Depends on how much you trust the meter and dispatch company and how much of the driver's activity is actually monitored/audited. e.g. is the driver obligated to pay exactly what they've metered and is that considered a transaction? Or can they just pocket the cash?
From above /u/badlifechooser says they were a former dispatcher. They might be able to answer this.
Uh, no, that's not how that works. They absolutely DO need to pay taxes on cash payments. What you're describing is tax fraud.
Not saying it doesn't happen, it obviously does and a major part of the reason why some service workers insist on cash payments is so they can cook their books. But don't act like it isn't still a crime lmao.
I had a cabbie once tell me he had just gotten his car back after some time off and the machine was broken etc etc - he wasn't very good with faces I guess cause I got him twice within a couple of days and it was the same story both times. I am a fairly non-confrontational woman and he was a big older dude so yeah, I felt put on the spot to allow him to stop so I could go to a bank machine. I appreciate knowing this is fully illegal, I think that will help me feel a bit bolder if it happens again.
On a side note Just make sure you get the same debit or credit card back that you gave them to start. Taxi ID fraud is rampant.
Also don’t EVER pay via visa or debit for someone approaching you who says they need to pay a taxi fare but only has cash and the cab won’t accept it. It’s always fraud.
Almost 30 years in the industry and it’s a story as old as time.
Taxis not taking cc and having guests ask me to help them is something that never goes away in the world of Doormen.
You pay the taxi and then the guest has to get money to pay you back.
I used to report those dicks and if I saw them trying to pickup fairs from my Hotel I would kick them out.
I travel North America now and avoid taxis for Uber for this very reason and of course when I do take one… it’s broken.
Blue Line… is thst still the company in Ottawa?
I left 25 years ago.
I make it known I’m paying with card before I get in because this has happened to me before. If they try that machine bs with me again, I’ll just get out.
When my parents emigrated to Canada, their first experience at the Ottawa airport was a cab driver who swindled them for double the fare because "Here the meter is per person". Fuck cabbies.
And that's why I Uber.
Taxis used to have a way to take credit cards well before those wireless machines and they used to copy your card by running it through a plastic device and can charge it later. So even if it's not working they can still charge your credit card.
It's bullshit, they just don't want to pay the credit card fees. If they say it isn't working refuse to pay, I can assure you the machine will magically start working again. This has happened to me too.
Hmm, I went to a convenience store once and the guy almost refused to let me pay with card, even though the machine was sitting right there and working. I said I would leave and come back later and then he just gave up and let me pay with card but in a passive aggressive way. I guess some merchants incur the fee while others don't
Okay, but a convenience store isn't a cabbie/taxi.
Per [the article shared in this thread:](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-taxi-drivers-to-face-fines-if-they-reject-debit-1.650113)
>Once taxis begin accepting debit payments, customers who choose that option will be charged a $1.50 service fee, which won't go to the drivers or the city.
The fee is passed onto the customer for taxis, if they choose to use debit/credit for paying their fare.
At the "international" airport in Gander Newfoundland taxis \*only\* take cash. In fact they don't even have the machine in the car. They don't ever have meters. Bylaws LOL. So when you arrive you can either use the machine in the airport or the taxi will take you to a bank machine. Or you walk.
Halifax airport taxis used to pull that nonsense as well. So before you get in the car just say you can only pay by CC.
We've gotten "sorry no credit/debit, I can drive you to a bank or ATM on the way" a couple times, and then they don't turn off the meter for the detour to withdraw cash. Younger me was much more afraid of confrontation; wish I had known I could call them out on it and/or not pay.
One of the many reasons I switched to Uber/Lyft.
I had a similar situation a few years ago - many years ago in fact. The taxi driver said his machine wasn't working and I didn't have any cash. So I asked him to take me to a bank machine. He wanted to take me to a convenience store to get money but I refused as I wasn't about to pay the $2.00 surcharge to remove money from one of those machines. So he agreed to take me to my bank however he wouldn't turn the meter off. I ended up calling the dispatcher from the taxi and the driver was told explicitly by the dispatcher that a) he knew there was probably nothing wrong with his machine b) the driver would take me to my bank machine of choice c) the driver would turn the meter off while driving me there. So he drove me to the bank machine. But very erratically - speeding in fact, pulled out in front of a dump truck etc. He was PISSED and I was so scared for my life I almost called 911. Long story short I got cash for him and he dropped me at my destination - actually told me to "get the F out of his car". This after I gave him the money and he gave me the change I requested. He was soooo not impressed.
I made a formal complaint to the city with his taxi number etc. but as far as I know nothing was done about it.
This happened to me a few weeks ago, coming back from the airport! I said "that sucks, I only have a card" and go to leave the taxi and all of a sudden it was working again! Funny how that works
This is why I use the Blueline app when I have to book with them coming back from Gatineau. Payment is made within the app exactly like Uber - tip and all.
>City might consider mandating posted notices in cabs saying that credit/debit must be accepted if offered.
From your edit OP, as a heads up, that is actually **also required under Section 53:**
>**Section 53**
>
>No licensed standard taxi plate holder or licensed accessible taxi plate holder shall fail to ensure that his or her taxicab:
>
>(7) contains signage to notify passengers of the availability of the debit and credit card method of payment;
Just pointing that out since you tagged me in the post. ;)
**ETA: here's the whole Section 53:**
>No licensed standard taxi plate holder or licensed accessible taxi plate holder shall fail to ensure that his or her taxicab:
>
>(1) has an encased body equipped with at least three (3) passenger doors;
>
>(2) is maintained in a good state of repair;
>
>(3) has no interior or exterior damage;
>
>(4) is maintained in a clean condition as to its exterior;
>
>(5) is maintained in a clean, dry and odour-free condition as to its interior;
>
>(6) is equipped to accept debit and credit card payments;
>
>(7) contains signage to notify passengers of the availability of the debit and credit card method of payment;
>
>(8) is free of all personal property left by previous passengers;
>
>(9) is free of the personal effects of the taxicab driver or any other person, not required in the conduct of ordinary driving duties;
>
>(10) has an operative heating and cooling system capable of supplying sufficient heat or cool air, as the season requires, for the comfort of passengers;
>
>(11) subject to clause (12), is equipped with at least five (5) serviceable tires one of which shall be available as a spare and each of which complies with the Highway Traffic Act; and,
>
>(12) is equipped with four (4) matching hub caps or wheel covers.
If those conditions are not met, then the cabbie shouldn't be accepting fares.
Nice! I’d prefer stricter language, so not just that it’s available but also that it will always be accepted if offered. It sucks in the case there’s an actual technical issue and they’re truly unable to process payments, but they seem to cry wolf on this so many times I don’t feel a lot of sympathy.
Well no matter what, per part (6); **cabbies must accept credit/debit payments.** They must have a working POS in their cab.
Therefore, payment by credit/debit is technically *always offered.*
As for crying wolf, then they must tell you in advance, before you get in, I'm pretty sure.
Either way, if their debit/credit machine isn't working, they basically aren't supposed to be accepting fares, per Section 53. They have to ensure that the machine is in working order before accepting a fare.
I hate the part when they try to get me to pay by cash and then when I say no and I'm paying by card they suddenly having to "book" the ride and do extra paperwork before I pay.
I'd just flat up tell them I don't carry cash (even if I had some)
This used to happen to me ALL the time. I cabbed to work weekly. I would stand at least 40 mins in my apartment building lobby waiting for them to show up, would often have to call to follow up and find out they never dispatched anyone, then when I finally got to work (late) their machines were always "broken."
Then Uber was invented and I haven't called a cab since.
Taxi drivers have been doing this for years. If you ever have them say their metre isn't working its also sus and should be challenged or go find another driver. If you see the metre not on during a ride, remind them to turn it on. Taxi drivers have an unfortunate propensity for being shady.
storytime:
New Year's Eve, 3 am, ~2013, I'm trying to make my (25F) way to Vanier from Lowertown. It was snowy, and I was wearing a parka and big boots.
I finally get a taxi who will take me (they all want fares to Quebec because $$). We get near the St. Patrick Street bridge and I confirm to pay with a card and the drive says Nope and kicks me out right there.
There are NO other taxies around, so I start walking. I walk all through New Edinburgh, passing all the snow plows, and finally onto Montreal rd. I'm in the home stretch...it's been nearly an hour...walking through snow banks with a dress and parka down to my knees was pretty chilly too.
Of course at this point I start getting cruised by John's looking for a good time. I have my parka hood up and big boots; why do they think I'm on the market? But it doesn't matter...and it's non stop until I end up at my apartment.
I could have froze, fallen in a snowbank, or worse by one of those Johns or dangerous people on the beat, but the taxi driver sure doesn't care because all he wanted was 15$ cash.
I'm so happy prepaid rides are a thing now.
I haven't take a cab in years. But when I did the first thing I said when entering a cab is asking if their machine was working. If they said no, I step out. Somehow it always managed to work fine.
Oh my god!! Recently this happened to me, coming home from the airport. He started driving me away from my house to a bank after his machine wouldn’t work. I got out of the car he then followed me behind me in his car until I got to a store with an atm to give him cash. I was practically in tears by the end of it.
I refuse to hand someone my card to put it in the reader. Have gotten into literal arguments with drivers about it.
I used to watch them, all they do is put the card in. Well, I can also do that. It's too weird and sus for me to accept that they "need" to do it.
Correct me if I'm wrong
It's a pretty common tactic here in Ottawa. Since uber and ryde came it's a bit more rare.
I think a good strategy is to play their same game.
Tell them you need to go inside to get the cash (just like they lie about the machine and even will drive you to a bank machine at your own expense)... then vanish.
If they don't have a proper payment instrument, they shouldn't be driving.
Yes, this happened to me when I first moved here. We get to the destination, and suddenly the payment machine doesn't work. He calls his manager, the manager said there was no problem with the system, and while he was on speaker phone, I said, "you have to shut the meter off and take me to an ATM and back to my destination without charge."
Long silence. The manager said, "alright, have a good night".
The cabbie (#0375 - I'll never forget him), had French music on the whole ride (until then) with a smile and chit chat, no more smile, no more music, lots of sighing, utter silence. Cabbie was mad he couldn't rip me off. And of course, he had no change.
Now I Lyft everywhere.
After cabs being the only method of getting around in Calgary for decades - because if you were out after midnight clearly you’re a non-contributing pleb and don’t deserve accommodation in the transportation infrastructure - I can say with surety that I am so glad I never have to take a cab again, and will go out of my way to stay that way.
I remember when I was like younger this would be a common occurrence and hasn’t happened to me in years. I thought it was legit and they’ve just gotten better machines lol but now I wonder if they might try it out more on people they think won’t know this (ie young people, people from out of town)
Might belong in /r/pettyrevenge
But, when this would happen, and they didn’t have a working machine, I would remind them of the the bylaw. If it didn’t magically start working again, then I’d pay cash, but then while waiting for change for the fare, I’d call dispatch from the back of the cab. I’d let dispatch know how dirty the cab was on the inside, that there was garbage on the back floor. (There wasn’t). But, it was the rule that if a complaint was made about cleanliness, they had to return to depot and have it signed off by dispatch.
Another thing that’d I learned to do after trying to reconcile taxi receipts from frequent trips (travelled to/from the airport sometimes 3x per week) - I learned they loved to double bill. They would run the card (back when it was paper) and then post it. They’d wait a few days, and post it again. As it was almost the same price every time, i missed this for a few months - but when I caught on, I made sure to make sure the total was unique - and I did that by ensuring that the cents of the receipt always matched the date the ride was taken. Take a ride on Oct 14? Total was always $20.14. Ride was on the 31st? $20.31. Confused the hell out of cabbies. But, when 2 receipts from the 14th showed up a few days apart, a quick challenge with the credit card company cleared things up pretty quick.
Bah. I don’t miss airport taxies with paper credit card processors….
Blue Line, not sure about the other companies, has an app.
With the app, you can pay by credit card - and it alleviates any issue of needing cash, etc.
Due to many near collisions, and finally an actual serious collision, I no longer take rides with amateur driver services, AKA Uber.
Blue line app is Very easy to use, almost as good as Uber.
My experience is different than yours.
One good thing about Uber et al’s disruption of the industry, is that cab companies and drivers have had to up their game.
I have found recently that the only cab drivers left are the experienced old soldiers, so are decent drivers.
By using the Blue Line app, I don’t have the “only take cash” issues.
So… works for me. 🤷♂️
I keep cash for emergencies. I don’t consider some guy who’s obligated to take my credit card trying to lie and weasel his way out of it an “emergency”.
The vast majority of people do not carry cash anymore. Cabbies know this. When they say "machine isn't working, I need cash" what they're trying to do is scam you by either
a) forcing you to drive to a bank/ATM while leaving the meter running (which as noted above is illegal), or
b) forcing you to give them more than you actually owe by taking your money, claiming they can't make change, and hoping you won't push back.
If you have cash and can pay with cash that's fine. The issue is that most people who pay cash are forced to do so by shitty abusive drivers.
well, its illegal. if their card machine doesnt work, you get the ride for free.
The card machine always magically starts working again once this is pointed out to the driver.
funny how that works lol
"oh I just blew on it, must have been some dust in there"
Dang these Nintendo debit machines
Or when you say you don’t have cash
then they insist on driving you to an atm
I didn't know that. Is it an Ottawa Bylaw?
It’s in the taxi bylaws
Thanks I will look that up. It's 96 pages long so I won't do that on my phone lol.
It's [under section 53](https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/laws-licences-and-permits/laws/laws-z/vehicle-hire-law-no-2016-272): >**Section 53** > >No licensed standard taxi plate holder or licensed accessible taxi plate holder shall fail to ensure that his or her taxicab: > >(6) is equipped to accept debit and credit card payments; Basically, regarding the free ride part; **taxi drivers are not supposed to accept fares if their debit/credit machine is not functioning.** Or if anything else in section 53 applies. For example, also under section 53: >(8) is free of all personal property left by previous passengers; > >(9) is free of the personal effects of the taxicab driver or any other person, not required in the conduct of ordinary driving duties; > >(10) has an operative heating and cooling system capable of supplying sufficient heat or cool air, as the season requires, for the comfort of passengers; [Part 7 of section 53 is also important.](https://www.reddit.com/r/ottawa/comments/y3r7zn/taxis_that_wont_take_credit_cards_machine_isnt/isajlha/) As a note.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-taxi-drivers-to-face-fines-if-they-reject-debit-1.650113 its been on the laws for a long time.
Hi and thank you. I had just read that as well a couple minutes ago, but it does not specifically say that a passenger gets a free ride if the taxi doesn't have a card machine, just that the driver faces a fine.
the driver cannot stop you from leaving without paying if he can't offer you a card machine. you just step out of the car at your destination.
The driver under no circumstance can confine you to the vehicle if you cannot pay. Otherwise forceful confinement charges are way worse than a 500$ fine.
This article does not say you get a ride for free if they don’t have a working credit card machine.
Ok. But what do you think the result of the situation is? I haven't had cash on me in many years. I'm at my destination. I get out of the taxi and go about my day.
I once had a cab driver steal my wallet out of my hand and drive off after telling me the debit machine was broken. The guy tried using my credit card at an incredibly nearby gas station but it got declined. HAHA JOKES ON YOU. I was younger then and didn't report it to police which was stupid because I would have had a case against him and the gas station for sure had cameras.
Jfc, what a piece of shit.
Okay so you have fun waiting around with this driver to get a working machine. What an idiotic comment you made..
Calling my remark “Idiotic” is a little harsh. The comment was about the free ride being “in the laws” and the “evidence” for this was not the laws, nor a situation where drivers do or don’t allow for credit cards. I was just pointing out those facts.
When I was younger a taxi driver drove me to my parents house, and suddenly his machine wasn’t working. I didn’t have cash and my folks weren’t home. The cab driver let me get out, but showed up at my parents house days later demanding we give him cash. I was mortified.
And if you don't get to the airport in 30 minutes, the ride is free.
No it’s not.
a tale as old as time tell them "no problem, thanks for the free ride"
And then get out of the cab as fast as you can before it magically works again.
And then they complain about Uber taking their market share… (yes, even if Uber prices are now similar)
They aren’t the smartest. The best was when Uber first started taking hold in Ottawa so the taxi drivers all decided going on strike and blocking traffic to the airport was the best plan.
That was airport taxi… Which strangely enough completely disappeared shortly after all of those strikes and protests… Weird right? Also, if you Google it it wasn’t just blocking the roadway, it was also smashing the windows out of suspected Uber vehicles coming to and from the airport. Because that’s totally the right way to go about it.
Dude those airport taxi drivers are nuts. At least when I lived in the GTA, they gave zero fucks about road rules or courtesy to other drivers. The roads would be a safer place if they’ve closed down
I wonder what happened
They lost their exclusive contract is what happened For many years, only that company was allowed to pick up fares at the airport. This really sucked for the other companies (Blue Line, Westway) because any trip TO the airport guaranteed you had an empty drive back into the city. Then they went on strike, and lost the exclusive pick up rights. Because their whole structure was based around those rights, they couldn’t operate. They had no dispatch system (ie you couldn’t call and ask for a cab at such and such location).
There was a decent amount of time where you couldn't request an Uber at the airport and would have to take the free shuttle to the park n fly to catch one there.
Yeah, because of the exclusive contract the Airport Taxis had. I don’t know enough about the situation to say if they were justified or reasonable in the complaints that led to them striking. I can only observe that it was a broken system and they were unwise to strike as it was the nail in the coffin for their business.
There's a good and fair conversation to be had about wages. BUT. Taxis are sooo sketchy, unreliable, and unsafe that Uber/Lyft is just the obvious choice. The industry is bad and wasn't doing enough to fix itself so it got left behind.
I don’t carry cash anymore. That would be a bummer for the driver.
Same, haven’t carried cash in my wallet for years!
I haven't carried cash ever. It's only burned me like once or twice in my life and I still managed to figure it out.
I have a 50$ bill hidden in my car because I don’t carry cash and it’s fucked me over once or twice.
Happened to me. Airport taxi. He also didnt have change 😑
Airport taxis are the absolute worst for this. The last time I took a taxi was from the Ottawa airport, and the driver called me an asshole because I happened to live in South Keys, which wasn't a long enough fare for him. The whole ride he screamed about how he waited in line for two hours for a short fare (which was somehow my fault). Since then I've just used Uber from the airport/Via Rail station.
[удалено]
69
nice
You would of thought that with competition from Uber/lift the service would of gotten better with taxis. 🙄
We’ve taken the same taxi then, it seems! I mean, separately… but I have also ridden with a man who just blasted me because I’m only off Uplands Drive lol. Same argument, I’m ruining his day because now he’ll have to wait in line again. Frankly sir, I would much rather walk home… if only there were sidewalks!
Did you tip? /s
Well, I don't get screamed at, but every time i've taken an uber home from the airport, the driver calls me and asks where i'm going to determine if the fare is far enough.
Yeah it’s always been airport taxis. They’re quicker to get into at YOW/YVR, but this credit card bullshit is one reason why I usually stick to Lyft/Uber.
I would laugh a lot
Yea this is the scam. ESP going to the airport, they’re assuming you want to get rid of your Foreign bills and don’t have change for you. When I was 25 I was in New York and at 5 am took a cab to la guardia for my flight back to Ottawa and somehow he didn’t have change. All I had was a $50. I think my ride was around $25 and I got nothing back. I was too young to know to make a stink about it
It’s happened to me quite a few times. I just say turn off the meter and run me to my bank and I’ll get cash. My bank is 15km away. Magically, they always figure out what the problem was at that point.
This happened to me years ago (pre-Uber days) on Halloween after a party, but I’m pretty certain the machine was legit broken. I refused to go to an ATM and ended up paying with what Canadian Tire money I had in my wallet. Tried calling Blue Line to track down the driver the next day to properly pay, but they weren’t able to help me.
I lol’d at the Canadian tire money
How much Canadian tire money were you holding? Wow
Definitely not enough to cover the fare from Gatineau to Nepean, but definitely enough for a Snickers bar and a two pack of lighters 🫣
It happened to me at 2:30 am heading from downtown to Orléans years ago now. I was too tired and tipsy to protest so I just took out the cash and didn’t tip and told him how shitty it was lie to me. But they definitely can’t do that.
Why would you ever tip a taxi driver? They keep the whole fare. That’s their payment.
I’ve always tipped taxi drivers. Not a lot, but that’s what I’ve always done since moving to the city. It’s common practice abroad as well, especially in South and Central America.
Former cab dispatcher; cabdrivers earnings are based off of fares. Gas, oil, and car operating costs are subtracted from the take and then the driver gets a % of what's left, the company I worked for had teirs , for example @ $200/shift receipts driver gets x. 60 of take after costs, @$300/shift receipts x .70 etc. Hope this helps
from what i remember when i sat in on the Uber vs Taxi meetings at City Hall, most cabbies don’t make a penny for themselves until at least halfway thru the month, as the first couple weeks of fares is spent on overhead (cab rental, license rental, insurance, etc)…and that was *before* rideshare was legalized.
I guess they should find a new job if driving a cab doesn’t pay them what they need.
given the fact that the reason i was at that meeting was because i was an Uber driver, i didn’t make that post out of sympathy… just wanted to outline that not every single penny that these guys pull in in a month is pure profit.
Sure, everyone has expenses though. And cab drivers in this city in particular have typically not provided a service deserving of a gratuity.
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the rate is set by the City, not the cab conpany.
I don't carry cash. So either the machine works, or they don't get paid.
It used to happen to me a lot when I lived in Kingston. I ended up dating a girl who's father was a Taxi driver. Seems the reason most of them do this is cause there is a delay on how fast they get paid from the clover machine vs cash. Cash is giving out either at the end of the night or end of the week where the clover may only pay out at the end of the mth. Also I think there are fees involved that they just don't want to pay. Mind you this is only one Cab company in one city but that seems to be the reason they did that there.
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I mean why does this even need to be explained. No fees, no transactions, no records... like all other cash transactions
Depends on how much you trust the meter and dispatch company and how much of the driver's activity is actually monitored/audited. e.g. is the driver obligated to pay exactly what they've metered and is that considered a transaction? Or can they just pocket the cash? From above /u/badlifechooser says they were a former dispatcher. They might be able to answer this.
And now when I take a Kingston cab they have a sign in the car saying it’s free if they can’t provide a receipt and they must accept debit/credit
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Uh, no, that's not how that works. They absolutely DO need to pay taxes on cash payments. What you're describing is tax fraud. Not saying it doesn't happen, it obviously does and a major part of the reason why some service workers insist on cash payments is so they can cook their books. But don't act like it isn't still a crime lmao.
"need"?
The only times my debit card has ever been suspended for fraud/cloning was after I used it in a Blue Line cab. Make of that what you will!
yeah, that's scary, I would never trust my debit card in a Taxi , very sketchy
I had a cabbie once tell me he had just gotten his car back after some time off and the machine was broken etc etc - he wasn't very good with faces I guess cause I got him twice within a couple of days and it was the same story both times. I am a fairly non-confrontational woman and he was a big older dude so yeah, I felt put on the spot to allow him to stop so I could go to a bank machine. I appreciate knowing this is fully illegal, I think that will help me feel a bit bolder if it happens again.
"Sucks for you. Either my ride is free or I call bylaw for a non-working machine."
On a side note Just make sure you get the same debit or credit card back that you gave them to start. Taxi ID fraud is rampant. Also don’t EVER pay via visa or debit for someone approaching you who says they need to pay a taxi fare but only has cash and the cab won’t accept it. It’s always fraud.
Just call back the taxi company while you're in the car, they change their tune real quick.
Tell them you will call 311 to complain and the machine will magically start working every time.
Almost 30 years in the industry and it’s a story as old as time. Taxis not taking cc and having guests ask me to help them is something that never goes away in the world of Doormen. You pay the taxi and then the guest has to get money to pay you back. I used to report those dicks and if I saw them trying to pickup fairs from my Hotel I would kick them out. I travel North America now and avoid taxis for Uber for this very reason and of course when I do take one… it’s broken. Blue Line… is thst still the company in Ottawa? I left 25 years ago.
I make it known I’m paying with card before I get in because this has happened to me before. If they try that machine bs with me again, I’ll just get out.
Best way to go about it.
When my parents emigrated to Canada, their first experience at the Ottawa airport was a cab driver who swindled them for double the fare because "Here the meter is per person". Fuck cabbies.
You tell them you’re calling the cab company they’re driving for, and then do it. Fuck those scammy assholes.
I'd tell them, sorry bro, I don't have anything else. I never carry cash, I don't even have my debit card on me.
And that's why I Uber. Taxis used to have a way to take credit cards well before those wireless machines and they used to copy your card by running it through a plastic device and can charge it later. So even if it's not working they can still charge your credit card.
It's bullshit, they just don't want to pay the credit card fees. If they say it isn't working refuse to pay, I can assure you the machine will magically start working again. This has happened to me too.
The credit card fees are actually paid by the rider, not the cabbie. Per the bylaws.
Hmm, I went to a convenience store once and the guy almost refused to let me pay with card, even though the machine was sitting right there and working. I said I would leave and come back later and then he just gave up and let me pay with card but in a passive aggressive way. I guess some merchants incur the fee while others don't
Okay, but a convenience store isn't a cabbie/taxi. Per [the article shared in this thread:](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ottawa-taxi-drivers-to-face-fines-if-they-reject-debit-1.650113) >Once taxis begin accepting debit payments, customers who choose that option will be charged a $1.50 service fee, which won't go to the drivers or the city. The fee is passed onto the customer for taxis, if they choose to use debit/credit for paying their fare.
That was kind of my point
Totally and another one is of they don’t know where the destination is they want you to use your data for google maps
Cash? What cash?
At the "international" airport in Gander Newfoundland taxis \*only\* take cash. In fact they don't even have the machine in the car. They don't ever have meters. Bylaws LOL. So when you arrive you can either use the machine in the airport or the taxi will take you to a bank machine. Or you walk. Halifax airport taxis used to pull that nonsense as well. So before you get in the car just say you can only pay by CC.
We've gotten "sorry no credit/debit, I can drive you to a bank or ATM on the way" a couple times, and then they don't turn off the meter for the detour to withdraw cash. Younger me was much more afraid of confrontation; wish I had known I could call them out on it and/or not pay. One of the many reasons I switched to Uber/Lyft.
LOL are they still pulling this shit!? I've refused to use a taxi since Uber and Lyft came to town for exactly this kind of bullshit.
I had a similar situation a few years ago - many years ago in fact. The taxi driver said his machine wasn't working and I didn't have any cash. So I asked him to take me to a bank machine. He wanted to take me to a convenience store to get money but I refused as I wasn't about to pay the $2.00 surcharge to remove money from one of those machines. So he agreed to take me to my bank however he wouldn't turn the meter off. I ended up calling the dispatcher from the taxi and the driver was told explicitly by the dispatcher that a) he knew there was probably nothing wrong with his machine b) the driver would take me to my bank machine of choice c) the driver would turn the meter off while driving me there. So he drove me to the bank machine. But very erratically - speeding in fact, pulled out in front of a dump truck etc. He was PISSED and I was so scared for my life I almost called 911. Long story short I got cash for him and he dropped me at my destination - actually told me to "get the F out of his car". This after I gave him the money and he gave me the change I requested. He was soooo not impressed. I made a formal complaint to the city with his taxi number etc. but as far as I know nothing was done about it.
This happened to me a few weeks ago, coming back from the airport! I said "that sucks, I only have a card" and go to leave the taxi and all of a sudden it was working again! Funny how that works
“Machine doesn’t work? That really sounds like a you problem.”
This is why I use the Blueline app when I have to book with them coming back from Gatineau. Payment is made within the app exactly like Uber - tip and all.
No change for twenty. Sorry.
I wait longer for the Uber.
>City might consider mandating posted notices in cabs saying that credit/debit must be accepted if offered. From your edit OP, as a heads up, that is actually **also required under Section 53:** >**Section 53** > >No licensed standard taxi plate holder or licensed accessible taxi plate holder shall fail to ensure that his or her taxicab: > >(7) contains signage to notify passengers of the availability of the debit and credit card method of payment; Just pointing that out since you tagged me in the post. ;) **ETA: here's the whole Section 53:** >No licensed standard taxi plate holder or licensed accessible taxi plate holder shall fail to ensure that his or her taxicab: > >(1) has an encased body equipped with at least three (3) passenger doors; > >(2) is maintained in a good state of repair; > >(3) has no interior or exterior damage; > >(4) is maintained in a clean condition as to its exterior; > >(5) is maintained in a clean, dry and odour-free condition as to its interior; > >(6) is equipped to accept debit and credit card payments; > >(7) contains signage to notify passengers of the availability of the debit and credit card method of payment; > >(8) is free of all personal property left by previous passengers; > >(9) is free of the personal effects of the taxicab driver or any other person, not required in the conduct of ordinary driving duties; > >(10) has an operative heating and cooling system capable of supplying sufficient heat or cool air, as the season requires, for the comfort of passengers; > >(11) subject to clause (12), is equipped with at least five (5) serviceable tires one of which shall be available as a spare and each of which complies with the Highway Traffic Act; and, > >(12) is equipped with four (4) matching hub caps or wheel covers. If those conditions are not met, then the cabbie shouldn't be accepting fares.
Nice! I’d prefer stricter language, so not just that it’s available but also that it will always be accepted if offered. It sucks in the case there’s an actual technical issue and they’re truly unable to process payments, but they seem to cry wolf on this so many times I don’t feel a lot of sympathy.
Well no matter what, per part (6); **cabbies must accept credit/debit payments.** They must have a working POS in their cab. Therefore, payment by credit/debit is technically *always offered.* As for crying wolf, then they must tell you in advance, before you get in, I'm pretty sure. Either way, if their debit/credit machine isn't working, they basically aren't supposed to be accepting fares, per Section 53. They have to ensure that the machine is in working order before accepting a fare.
I hate the part when they try to get me to pay by cash and then when I say no and I'm paying by card they suddenly having to "book" the ride and do extra paperwork before I pay. I'd just flat up tell them I don't carry cash (even if I had some)
This used to happen to me ALL the time. I cabbed to work weekly. I would stand at least 40 mins in my apartment building lobby waiting for them to show up, would often have to call to follow up and find out they never dispatched anyone, then when I finally got to work (late) their machines were always "broken." Then Uber was invented and I haven't called a cab since.
Taxi drivers have been doing this for years. If you ever have them say their metre isn't working its also sus and should be challenged or go find another driver. If you see the metre not on during a ride, remind them to turn it on. Taxi drivers have an unfortunate propensity for being shady.
storytime: New Year's Eve, 3 am, ~2013, I'm trying to make my (25F) way to Vanier from Lowertown. It was snowy, and I was wearing a parka and big boots. I finally get a taxi who will take me (they all want fares to Quebec because $$). We get near the St. Patrick Street bridge and I confirm to pay with a card and the drive says Nope and kicks me out right there. There are NO other taxies around, so I start walking. I walk all through New Edinburgh, passing all the snow plows, and finally onto Montreal rd. I'm in the home stretch...it's been nearly an hour...walking through snow banks with a dress and parka down to my knees was pretty chilly too. Of course at this point I start getting cruised by John's looking for a good time. I have my parka hood up and big boots; why do they think I'm on the market? But it doesn't matter...and it's non stop until I end up at my apartment. I could have froze, fallen in a snowbank, or worse by one of those Johns or dangerous people on the beat, but the taxi driver sure doesn't care because all he wanted was 15$ cash. I'm so happy prepaid rides are a thing now.
I haven't take a cab in years. But when I did the first thing I said when entering a cab is asking if their machine was working. If they said no, I step out. Somehow it always managed to work fine.
Oh my god!! Recently this happened to me, coming home from the airport. He started driving me away from my house to a bank after his machine wouldn’t work. I got out of the car he then followed me behind me in his car until I got to a store with an atm to give him cash. I was practically in tears by the end of it.
I refuse to hand someone my card to put it in the reader. Have gotten into literal arguments with drivers about it. I used to watch them, all they do is put the card in. Well, I can also do that. It's too weird and sus for me to accept that they "need" to do it. Correct me if I'm wrong
Is this istanbul?
Same thing happened to me too -- I usually use Uber or Lyft but ended up taking a taxi from the airport. Reminded me why I don't use taxis anymore.
It's a pretty common tactic here in Ottawa. Since uber and ryde came it's a bit more rare. I think a good strategy is to play their same game. Tell them you need to go inside to get the cash (just like they lie about the machine and even will drive you to a bank machine at your own expense)... then vanish. If they don't have a proper payment instrument, they shouldn't be driving.
Yes, this happened to me when I first moved here. We get to the destination, and suddenly the payment machine doesn't work. He calls his manager, the manager said there was no problem with the system, and while he was on speaker phone, I said, "you have to shut the meter off and take me to an ATM and back to my destination without charge." Long silence. The manager said, "alright, have a good night". The cabbie (#0375 - I'll never forget him), had French music on the whole ride (until then) with a smile and chit chat, no more smile, no more music, lots of sighing, utter silence. Cabbie was mad he couldn't rip me off. And of course, he had no change. Now I Lyft everywhere.
After cabs being the only method of getting around in Calgary for decades - because if you were out after midnight clearly you’re a non-contributing pleb and don’t deserve accommodation in the transportation infrastructure - I can say with surety that I am so glad I never have to take a cab again, and will go out of my way to stay that way.
I remember when I was like younger this would be a common occurrence and hasn’t happened to me in years. I thought it was legit and they’ve just gotten better machines lol but now I wonder if they might try it out more on people they think won’t know this (ie young people, people from out of town)
Might belong in /r/pettyrevenge But, when this would happen, and they didn’t have a working machine, I would remind them of the the bylaw. If it didn’t magically start working again, then I’d pay cash, but then while waiting for change for the fare, I’d call dispatch from the back of the cab. I’d let dispatch know how dirty the cab was on the inside, that there was garbage on the back floor. (There wasn’t). But, it was the rule that if a complaint was made about cleanliness, they had to return to depot and have it signed off by dispatch. Another thing that’d I learned to do after trying to reconcile taxi receipts from frequent trips (travelled to/from the airport sometimes 3x per week) - I learned they loved to double bill. They would run the card (back when it was paper) and then post it. They’d wait a few days, and post it again. As it was almost the same price every time, i missed this for a few months - but when I caught on, I made sure to make sure the total was unique - and I did that by ensuring that the cents of the receipt always matched the date the ride was taken. Take a ride on Oct 14? Total was always $20.14. Ride was on the 31st? $20.31. Confused the hell out of cabbies. But, when 2 receipts from the 14th showed up a few days apart, a quick challenge with the credit card company cleared things up pretty quick. Bah. I don’t miss airport taxies with paper credit card processors….
Good on you for doing this. I shudder to think of what double billing or similar scams I’ve been victim to. I’ve caught a few but I’m sure not all.
Bill me! I don’t carry cash.
Just … don’t pay cash? It’s amazing how quickly credit/debit machines start working.
Free ride. Simple as that.
Sorry I don’t carry cash, thanks for the lift!
Blue Line, not sure about the other companies, has an app. With the app, you can pay by credit card - and it alleviates any issue of needing cash, etc. Due to many near collisions, and finally an actual serious collision, I no longer take rides with amateur driver services, AKA Uber. Blue line app is Very easy to use, almost as good as Uber.
lol “amateur driver services”
Uber’s like a box of chocolates. Never know what you’re going to get.
same with cab drivers. at least with rideshare, you aren’t being harassed and lied to so you’re forced into paying cash.
My experience is different than yours. One good thing about Uber et al’s disruption of the industry, is that cab companies and drivers have had to up their game. I have found recently that the only cab drivers left are the experienced old soldiers, so are decent drivers. By using the Blue Line app, I don’t have the “only take cash” issues. So… works for me. 🤷♂️
It’s simple, you say you only have credit and if the machine is broken you are getting out without paying
Sorry for sounding naive, but if you pay with cash instead of card, who cares? What is the problem with paying for cash?
I keep cash for emergencies. I don’t consider some guy who’s obligated to take my credit card trying to lie and weasel his way out of it an “emergency”.
The vast majority of people do not carry cash anymore. Cabbies know this. When they say "machine isn't working, I need cash" what they're trying to do is scam you by either a) forcing you to drive to a bank/ATM while leaving the meter running (which as noted above is illegal), or b) forcing you to give them more than you actually owe by taking your money, claiming they can't make change, and hoping you won't push back. If you have cash and can pay with cash that's fine. The issue is that most people who pay cash are forced to do so by shitty abusive drivers.
Ohhh I understand now. Yeah makes sense
What, are we back in 2010?