Counting the tip my ride back to the airport was in the $40 neighborhood. Despite this, the cab driver outwardly sighed when I whipped out my credit card.
Awesome customer service.
Also, his sigh and the stink eye got my Spider Senses tingling. A quick search of the interwebs revealed this:
It has been about a year and a half now since the city of Boston mandated that all 1,825 of its cabs have credit card machines installed in the back seats — and that drivers must accept those cards when the passenger asks. But all you have to do is bring it up and everyone seems to have a story of what happened last time they or one of their friends tried.
So it looks like I should have complained!
So the next move is for an officer to call the driver of the cab in for a hearing, to get his side of the story. But given that all these transactions leave digital footprints, it’s pretty easy for the police to figure out who is telling the truth.
If you plan a trip to Boston and anticipate the need for cab use be wary. A Bostonian at the airport told me that half the reason the drivers get so bent out of shape when you use plastic is because it’s harder for them to skim from the till. The other advice said Bostonian gave me is this: Ask the hotel or conference if they have a preferred cab company that they work with. Using that company means that if things go sideways you can complain to the hotel who relies on them for good service.
Lastly, if you are visiting a big city and plan to use taxis I’d advise some pre-trip research. Resort to Mr. Google and friends/colleagues who might live in the area.
-BCP
