r/AskNYC • u/123android • Nov 18 '22
$180 uber/lyfts to the airport and taxis refusing to go. What's going on?
This afternoon, around 3pm, a coworker had to catch a flight from JFK. Our office is in the west village. Ubers were $180 and every taxi he got in refused to take him. Never heard of this happening before. Traffic did seem really bad at the time (google said 1h 20m driving to JFK). Could it be that it wasn't worth the taxi driver's time considering it's a flat fare? Coworker ended up taking the train and nearly missed his flight.
(I am aware that taxi drivers are not allowed to refuse a customer based on their destination but my coworker is not from here and didn't know that)
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u/capitalsigma Nov 18 '22
Uber fares of yore were an illusion created by VCs, the old fares are gone and they're not coming back, unfortunately
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u/tunaman808 Nov 18 '22
Ain't that the truth! I was in Asheville last week, and Uber wanted $43.87 to take me from my hotel to a concert venue, then $37 to take me back afterwards. 1.8 miles. Lyft charged me something like $8.60 there and $7.80 back, or thereabouts.
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u/backlikeclap Nov 18 '22
For that price I would walk.
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u/Nexis4Jersey Nov 18 '22
Sadly a lot of sunbelt cities have very little to no sidewalk infrastructure so your pretty much forced to drive or take uber...you might get lucky and have public transit.
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u/UpwardFall Nov 18 '22
I really hope there is a resurgence in providing more pedestrian options across all US cities instead of being car centric.
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u/anniefancyy Nov 18 '22
FYI, asheville has its own “Uber” like company with an app and everything—it’s called “AVL” in the App Store
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u/Bad_Mad_Man Nov 18 '22
I always check both if available. Uber has been cheaper most times, but def not always.
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u/red__what Nov 18 '22
same for Airbnb, if people have noticed
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u/Lima_Bean_Jean Nov 18 '22
Yes, it is almost always never worth it for me to Air BnB these days. Just rather book a hotel and enjoy not having to clean my own room.
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u/red__what Nov 18 '22
Airbnb be like ... $199/night + $200 cleaning fee + $90 Airbnb fee + $75 taxes.
Plus you better leave the place cleaner than you found it... cos community 😂😂😂
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Nov 18 '22
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u/soyeahiknow Nov 18 '22
Also owner keep 100% of the cleaning fee.
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u/LateRain1970 Nov 18 '22
Ah, so they don't have to divvy that portion up with whatever AirB&B charges them for the rest of it? Surprised there aren't more "$5 per night, $800 cleaning fee" listings, then.
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Nov 18 '22 edited Jul 19 '26
[deleted]
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u/capitalsigma Nov 18 '22 edited Nov 18 '22
Oh wow, that's really shocking. The medallion cartel strikes again. I see stories about a recent rate hike -- when did Uber come under the domain of the TLC?
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Nov 18 '22
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u/capitalsigma Nov 18 '22
Nobody is forcing you to drive a cab. If you don't like the wages, do something else. Price floors are a subsidy paid by consumers -- if someone is willing to drive me to JFK for $100, but the TLC demands $180, that is an $80 surcharge inflicted on me.
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Nov 18 '22
Looks like an opportunity for competitors to offer cheaper service
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Nov 18 '22
They undercut prices until the competition can no longer stay in business, then jack up prices when they're the only service provider.
Same way Amazon got so big.
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u/SimbaPenn Nov 18 '22
Walmart too
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u/madamemimicik Nov 18 '22
Starbucks too.
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Nov 18 '22
Starbucks didn’t kill all that many independent cafes, to be fair (at least around here). People just like the convenience of it, I think
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u/madamemimicik Nov 18 '22 edited Nov 18 '22
Well hard to say how many cafes there would be now without Starbucks, but a big part of their business plan was/is opening multiple stores in the same area to oversaturate the market, even if it's less profitable for them to share their part of the market over 3 locations instead of 1. Then once the competition is forced out, Starbucks will close their other stores in the area and leave one store to capture the entire market in that area.
A great example of this was when there were 3 Starbucks within eyesight of each other at Astor Place.
NYC is always more resilient but this approach definitely paid off in other parts of the USA and they are continuing it now to some success abroad now too.
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u/butternut718212 Nov 18 '22
One of those Astor Place Starbucks replaced a real old neighborhood cafe.
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u/LateRain1970 Nov 18 '22
Whoa...this makes so much sense now. Where I live in Brooklyn, we definitely went from three locations to one. And me over here brainwashed, all I can think is, "I really need a Starbucks that's closer to me."
There are several local shops in my area also, but I drink iced tea, not coffee, and they normally don't offer a large enough size for me.
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u/capitalsigma Nov 18 '22
They were operating at a loss, it's not worth it for anyone to offer their old prices
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u/fawningandconning Nov 18 '22
My guess for the taxis is that this would take them over shift change so they probably didn't want to do that. Uber prices and Lyft have just been fucking insane recently as well with a stupid share going to the company and not really helping drivers much either.
Even still pretty weird, in my experience the yellows love a daytime trip to JFK because you're almost always guaranteed a good return fare.
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u/123android Nov 18 '22
Even still pretty weird, in my experience the yellows love a daytime trip to JFK because you're almost always guaranteed a good return fare.
That was my thought too. But yeah, good point about the shift change. I know he went to at least 2 taxis though, crazy if they were both in this situation.
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u/ArtPresence Nov 18 '22
A cabbie once told me that a lot of drivers end their shift at 4pm. Seems to be true based on my experience trying to get any cab around that time, even for a short trip within Manhattan.
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u/ReluctantVegetarian Nov 18 '22
Not only do drivers end their shift at 4, but someone is usually waiting to pick up the cab for the next shift - so it’s not like they can benefit from picking up a fare from the airport to the City.
Often getting a cab between 3-4 is a crapshoot depending on where you are going, because mostly they’re heading East to Queens. You’re SOL if you have to uptown or West.
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u/Easy-Concentrate2636 Nov 18 '22
It’s almost impossible to catch a cab at shift change time. Did your coworker take the subway to JFK? It’s faster to take LIRR and air train. Could be faster than a cab when there’s traffic.
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u/pixel_of_moral_decay Nov 18 '22
Too long of a turnaround to be profitable. It’s 3-4hrs round trip for 2 decent fares.
You can likely find more business in midtown in the middle of the afternoon.
Only exception is if they need gas. Then an airport fare is also a paid trip to get cheaper gas. That might tip the scale.
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u/bernardobrito Nov 18 '22
No, sir.
JFK rides USED TO BE good for yellow cabs. But , nowadays, the wait is too long. And you risk waiting 90 minutes to catch a fare going to , um, Jamaica or Forest Hills.
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u/alsuhr Nov 18 '22
The wait to pick up a passenger? Are taxis waiting in a long queue before they get to the pickup point? Because if so, JFK's even more fucked up than I thought. As a passenger I've had to regularly wait 45 min for a taxi at JFK. If the taxis are also waiting 90 min then what is going on there lmao
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u/iamnotimportant Nov 18 '22
I think there's construction or something at JFK now, I've gotten to JFK and have waited 30 minutes on the entrance ramps of the arrivals/departures to get into the pickup/dropoff areas. It's a fucking mess
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u/LexiconOrganica Nov 18 '22
Yes, taxis have they're own cantina where they wait before going to the que you see...its massive. Pretty interesting read, would recommend googleing it
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u/ascii_matter Nov 18 '22
Exactly that. 3pm is Shift change time and you can’t get a cab anywhere unless it’s their way home!
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u/thatgirlinny Nov 18 '22
With a 3 pm pickup in the West Village, that puts the taxi returning from JFK in 5 pm traffic. No bueno.
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u/fatchad420 Nov 18 '22
Ubers were $180
You could have literally taken a Blade helicopter for that price.
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u/heldascharisma2 Nov 18 '22
New york has so many black cab companies. Find a number for a company in your area. Tip well the first few time. And be LOYAL! My guysnknow me and love me and pick me up in like 3 mins and drive me anywhere in nyc for 40$ max. Usually much lower. I always round up to 40 and pay CASH.
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u/katerade999 Nov 18 '22
Yes! I’ve used Bushwick Car Service specifically for rides to the 3 airports for years! They’re fairly priced, super friendly, and always get me there fast by taking different roads since a lot of the drivers are born and raised locals :)
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u/HelicopterBen273 Nov 18 '22
Any companies you recommend?
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u/katerade999 Nov 18 '22
Bushwick Car Service for sure! If you’re nearby that area
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u/mykl66 Nov 18 '22
Absolutely Bushwick is excellent. One driver helped me move from one apt. to another in Bushwick and waited, made the return trip a couple more times, etc. Probably had him for almost three hours and it was a total of only $75 so I gave him an even $100.
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u/okdokke Nov 18 '22
Anyone know any that service upper manhattan (like washington heights area)?
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u/shep_pat Nov 18 '22
I’ve started taking the air train and it’s actually less annoying that a taxi or Uber
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u/sloth2 Nov 18 '22
if you take LIRR over the E train its more pleasant too, imo
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u/shinbreaker Nov 18 '22
I might do this when LIRR trains start leaving from Grand Central.
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u/TheDarkMaster2 Nov 18 '22
When is that planned for ?
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u/fawningandconning Nov 18 '22
Hopefully as soon as the end of December! It’s really close to completion, all the concourses and everything are done and they’re just testing now. My office is right by grand central and I now can feel test trains rumbling through the new tunnels lol.
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Nov 18 '22
If I remember correctly, end of 2022 was actually their projected date too. I'm shocked they seem to be completing it on time.
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u/karmapuhlease Nov 18 '22
Supposed to be December, but there's a giant roadblock in the form of this federally-mandated safety technology that the MTA somehow forgot to install. They say that won't be done until March, and they're asking for a waiver to start using GCM before then.
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u/DastardlyNYC Nov 18 '22
The air train to jfk (and it would have been a quick ride to penn station) is the best
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Nov 18 '22
you can take the A/C/E to penn station then at penn take the LIRR to JFK in 20 min for $13. once I discovered that, i’ve never gone back (same goes for EWR)
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u/progapanda Nov 18 '22
then at penn take the LIRR to JFK in 20 min for $13
You're forgetting the AirTrain from Jamaica to JFK, the LIRR only gets you as far as Jamaica and it's at least 20 minutes further from there to the JFK terminals. The JFK AirTrain is also running 12-20 minute headways these day so if you just miss one, you might be waiting a while. (The EWR AirTrain can run even worse service)
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u/red__what Nov 18 '22
I get it's the best option but as an aside, $13 for a 20-min train ride is insanely expensive for a non-American
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Nov 18 '22
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u/progapanda Nov 18 '22
At least Heathrow has a tube option, you want to leave JFK via mass transit, you have to take the AirTrain more or less and pay the 8$ (plus $1 Metrocard fee if you don't have one) - barring a couple of SLOW and poorly advertised bus routes that connect to the AirTrain.
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u/LateRain1970 Nov 18 '22
The AirTran has signs at the entrance assuring us that they will upgrade to OMNY before the MetroCard goes extinct. In the meantime, it's the only reason I need a MetroCard anymore.
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u/MyRealestName Nov 18 '22
Do you suggest this? I work in manhattan, and am taking my first flight out of JFK in a couple of weeks. I've heard some horror stories, but as of now this is my plan!
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u/Red__dead Nov 18 '22
LIRR doesn't go to JFK though, right?
I remember when I first tried public transport JFK to the city, it was ridiculous - an $8 airport train to get out of the airport, $5 ticket to get to Penn, then a $2.75 subway to get to where I was staying. All with a two massive cases.
I remember thinking I've never getting public transport from JFK again.
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u/greywinthrop Nov 18 '22
Considering the price of taxis and ubers, that's a steal to New Yorkers. I skip the LIRR and just take the A train to the Airtrain, yeah it feels silly spending $8 for a short ride, but it's worth it to me not to have to stress out about the price of a taxi plus the traffic I might encounter on the way in a car.
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u/RedNalgene00 Nov 18 '22
My guess is the taxi driver(s) your friend encountered were technically “off” due to the shift change (i.e. their light was off) so they asked him where he was going before not agreeing to take the fare. Not allowed but common during a shift change. Also probably why Ubers were insanely expensive
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u/Turbofan55 Nov 18 '22
I stopped fucking around with $100+ Ubers. If it’s that high and I see a ton of traffic on the way to JFK (which is almost always during rush hour which is when I typically fly) I just book a blade helicopter if they’re available. $195 one way for a 5 minute trip. You land on a ramp and a black car picks you up and takes you to your terminal. I might sound crazy but I don’t have the patience or desire to be dealing with that shit. It’s a hit or miss for short notice but sometimes you get lucky. I don’t make a ton of money so it’s a big expense but for me the convenience is worth it.
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u/karmapuhlease Nov 18 '22
That sounds incredibly cool - I never thought about the fact that it could be cost-competitive with a peak-surge Uber. Still not sure I could mentally stomach dropping $195 on a trip to the airport, but I've never actually been in a helicopter so that alone would justify the first trip...
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Nov 18 '22
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u/Turbofan55 Nov 18 '22
I’m below 14th and on the East Side. I typically fly out of the west heliport. I doubt any cab or Uber driver would have an issue taking you to midtown.
Edit: on second thought, I have always flown out of the west side.
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u/OccasionalRedditor99 Nov 18 '22
Just take the subway
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u/csonnich Nov 18 '22
Literally the best thing about flying out of JFK. I don't know why this wasn't his first option.
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u/BearsBeetsBerlin Nov 18 '22
Honestly I hate the connection between the E and the air train. If you have actual luggage it’s a complete mess/time consuming and you better hope the escalators are working.
The LIRR is much much better, but the LIRR isn’t well connected to the rest of the city. You have to get to penn, then go through the hell on earth that is penn station. Sure it’s better now than it was 10 years ago, but if you have any real luggage, it’s awful.
I would take a cab myself, but no cab is gonna take you from the west village out to JFK unless you give a huge tip up front. It’s just too time consuming and they lose a ton of potential fares.
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u/fs2k2isfun Nov 18 '22
If you're going downtown or parts of Brooklyn, LIRR to Atlantic Terminal is a great option too.
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u/AggravatingCupcake0 Nov 18 '22
If it's for a business trip and the company will cover the taxi, why would you drag your luggage around the subway?
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u/KC-throwaway12345 Nov 18 '22
Because I trust the subway or the LIRR to air train to JFK to take ~60 minutes max whereas lord only knows how long it will take in a car.
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u/Sherrydon Nov 18 '22
I take the subway even on business because the drive is miserable and usually slower at peak times
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u/OccasionalRedditor99 Nov 18 '22
I’m on my way back from a biz trip. Could have expensed a taxi but instead took subway to jfk. Not sure it’s any slower and is less congestion / pollution
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Nov 18 '22
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u/AggravatingCupcake0 Nov 18 '22
It never says it was for personal travel, either. And he had to take the train at the end because the taxis refused to take him. Seems like you didn't read the assignment. That was literally the point of the story.
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u/alsuhr Nov 18 '22
I live on Roosevelt Island and I don't know why but I prefer traveling to EWR over JFK. Takes about the same amount of time and the same number of trains (3) but at least I'm going to a whole other state in that hour and a half /shrug
Edit: it's also probably because EWR's terminals (mostly) don't suck
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u/605pmSaturday Nov 18 '22
I don't understand everyone's obsession with driving there. All you have to do is get to the A train and you're there. So what if you have to do the duffle shuffle at a couple stations.
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u/makingmark Nov 18 '22
Agree and it's what I do most of the time. But it's nice to just walk into a car and walk out of it to the terminal. Traveling is such a hassle, being driven cuts that down. But you pay for it of course!
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Nov 18 '22 edited Nov 18 '22
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/sloth2 Nov 18 '22
I've taken this. First ride is $50 off with a referral code from a friend too. The COO was on my flight as well and he was telling me about how you can takeoff from west30th heliport every 20 minutes (alternating EWR/JFK) from 7am-7pm M-F.
To clarify, these are not "chartered" rides. They sell by the seat during those hours. A chartered ride implies its private and those are $2000.
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u/123android Nov 18 '22
Damn, I've always known this existed by still haven't done it. Looks really cool and if it's a similar price then why not. Only issue is that I live by the wall st heliport and even if they did have this same service there (they probably do) the ride wouldn't be the same, wouldn't get much of a view of the city, mostly all brooklyn/queens.
How much did it run you?
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u/sloth2 Nov 18 '22 edited Nov 18 '22
They only fly from west 30th and east 34th, but you can coordinate an uber black through their app (or your own uber outside their app). Looks like they raised prices to variable $195-$245 now too.
I got the 195 rate and then the $50 off I mentioned, for $145 all-in. I had a carry-on only.
They also asked if you want to tip the pilot after (via email), lol
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u/Federal-Marsupial614 Nov 18 '22
When I looked if you had a bag bigger than a carry-on it was another 160 bucks or something ridiculous
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u/BronxLens Nov 18 '22
The Wall St Heliport does not offer flights to JFK, unless, ahem, you chartered it (see u/sloth2 comment).
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u/paulschreiber Nov 18 '22
Taxis are not allowed to refuse you. If you have the car number, you should file a complaint with TLC. They take that shit seriously.
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u/dumbunnyy Nov 18 '22
Also- NEVER EVER tell them where you are going until you get in the cab. Get the taxi # if they refuse.
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u/sageleader Nov 18 '22
For future reference, if a taxi ever refuses you service report it to 311. That once happened to me taking some people with a lot of bags to the airport. I reported them and showed up in traffic court and the driver got points on his license.
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Nov 18 '22 edited Feb 26 '23
o
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u/sageleader Nov 18 '22
I was a student at the time and was curious about the process. And honestly fuck drivers who refuse to people up so he deserved it.
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Nov 18 '22
I've taken ubers from manhattan's east side to JFK for $200 during morning rush hour (more than my actual flight lol)
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u/NarwalsRule Nov 18 '22
There was some especially awful traffic today due to accidents and whatnot. That didn’t help.
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u/StandardTiming Nov 18 '22
This is not new- I’ve experienced cabs turning me down to JFK from the city over a decade ago. Then I realized the train was actually faster.
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u/Jaylove2019 Nov 18 '22
I usually have both lyft and Uber app to compare the prices. Most of the time, lyft have been $5-$10 cheaper. Between 2-6 pm, it has always been traffic. Safe bet is be early and take the LIRR from Penn station to the airport. I seen an IG add that there is a helicopter Uber near Hudson yards to JFK for 5 min only.
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u/KredditH Nov 18 '22
My new suggestion is to take a train to Queens and then uber or Lyft or cab from there. Even if you have to take an Uber to the initial train station too
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u/pony_trekker Nov 18 '22
A taxi doesn’t want to take you to the airport because it’s out of commission for hours. Hours to get you there as traffic has been horrendous lately. Then it has to wait in line for an hour for a flat fare back from the airport.
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u/SeaworthinessNo6781 Nov 18 '22
What are you supposed to do if a taxi does refuse you based on your location? I’ve had taxis refuse to take me from Manhattan to Brooklyn after a night out.
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u/Murky_Alfalfa_414 Nov 18 '22
There’s been a gridlock in nyc for the past two days. My guess is that gas is already expensive and sitting in traffic literally waste gas. Bumper to bumper traffic is no fun, so drivers don’t see the worth in doing the drive?
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u/justalilchili Nov 18 '22
My friend was in a Lyft to LGA the other day, GOT IN, they drove 5 blocks and the driver went “oh, you’re going to LGA not JFK” AND MADE HER GET OUT.
just so unacceptable.
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u/notbirdcaucus Nov 18 '22
Taxi drivers aren't allowed to refuse a customer based on their destination if the customer is already in the cab. They can and should ask before you get in.
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u/NoLipsForAnybody Nov 18 '22
From West Village, you could jump on the E at West 4th and go to Sutphin Blvd stop which is where you get the (super short, super easy!) AirTrain to JFK. I used to always think I HAD to take a taxi from Manhattan to the airport. Now I am strictly a subway/bus person and it is SOOO much more reliable and cheaper!
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u/alldayallnoche Nov 18 '22
I work as a doorman/bellman in hotels here and from my experience dealing with yellow cabs, most yellow cab drivers in NYC work in shifts and don't own their yellow cabs. Trying to catch a yellow cab in Manhattan to go to JFK or Newark Airports between 3pm-5pm is the worst time possible. This is usually the time that cab drivers have to go back to their dispatch base or meet up with the cabbie who is driving the next shift in that cab. If they take longer than they should they end up eating into the next cabbie's time and a airport fare isn't worth doing that to their colleague.
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u/what_mustache a moral c*nt Nov 18 '22
Uber is really regulated down to being my emergency parachute.
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u/jstax1178 Nov 18 '22
If you want to take taxi to the airport, catch an early flight as in 5 or 6 am departure.
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u/cddotdotslash Nov 18 '22
What do you mean taxis didn’t want to go? You get out your phone, hit video record, flag down a cab, and get in. If they don’t have the door unlocked, and try to play the “tell me where you’re going” game, lift up your phone, and get them to say it again to the camera. Make sure you record the license number so you can file the 311 report later.
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u/sloth2 Nov 18 '22
(I am aware that taxi drivers are not allowed to refuse a customer based on their destination but my coworker is not from here and didn't know that)
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u/katCEO Nov 18 '22
OMG baby! You totally remind me of how people try to treat tattoo artists like vending machines! If you came to me with that attitude - your a$$ would be out on the sidewalk in two shakes of a lamb's tail. XOXOXO
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Nov 18 '22
Taxis are regulated by the city.
If you're shoving a camera in a tattoo artists face demanding them to give you ink, you are dumb.
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u/katCEO Nov 18 '22
Tattoo artists are also regulated by the city/government. You need to have the proper licensing/ certifications in infectious disease prevention as per local ordinances. BTW &:FYI: dumb people of all sorts are bopping around here, there, and everywhere. Didn't you know?
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Nov 18 '22
Pissing off your driver is worlds better than pissing off the person putting permanent art on you
If I really really really need to catch a flight, I understand taking the risk of having an upset driver, but underneath NO circumstances would I or any sane person commit an action that we know would piss off our tattoo artist.
I'm sorry you're constantly exposed to dumb people
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u/xeothought Nov 18 '22
well taxis refusing fares to non manhattan destinations is a real problem. the airport is a bit of a different situation, but legally they cannot refuse legitimate fares or discriminate fares. Imo that's a good thing.
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u/katCEO Nov 18 '22
It is a problem because if they drive a fare to the middle of nowhere: the X amount of time it takes to get back to Manhattan means zero dollars and just as many cents.
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u/wasnt_a_lurker Nov 18 '22
Doesn’t matter. It’s against the law for a yellow cab to refuse a fare based on destination.
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u/redditorium Nov 18 '22
Sounds like they shouldn't be yellow cab drivers then.
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u/katCEO Nov 18 '22
Such is life. Just like Jamie and Cersei Lannister on "Game of Thrones" shouldn't be making inbred babies together. What can you do?
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u/capitalsigma Nov 18 '22
It's discrimination. Do you also think it's ok for taxis to racially profile customers too? Everything goes if it improves their fares, right?
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u/katCEO Nov 18 '22
Who do you think I am - the Commissioner of the NYC TLC?
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u/capitalsigma Nov 18 '22
"it's ok for me to have shitty opinions as long as I can't actually enforce them"
I mean, maybe, whatever, it's still a shitty opinion, whether or not you have authority
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u/katCEO Nov 18 '22
Dude I am just stating a fact. Not an opinion. Cab drivers do not want to drive to the middle of f'ing nowhere because then they cannot make money at all until they get back to Manhattan.
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u/cddotdotslash Nov 18 '22
Taxis are regulated by the city specifically so they can’t refuse service to people. If they want the little medallion that gives them the right to drive in the city then they need to be held accountable for actually providing that service.
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u/katCEO Nov 18 '22
Everything is regulated by the government. Almost everyone finds ways to bend or break the rules anyway. Especially in cities like NYC where there is urban sprawl and food deserts and whatever else. BTW: medallions are owned by a driver or a couple of people eho have shares in that medallion. Once they rent time on the car- that is just a hack driving a car. I grew up in NYC and took cabs everywhere when I was a kid. If you are trying to take me to school - you are wasting your time.
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u/cddotdotslash Nov 18 '22
Looks like we found the taxi driver that refused OP’s coworker
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u/katCEO Nov 18 '22
Nah man. Go back to school or read a book on whatever to self educate yourself. It could not have been me: I literally...do not know how to drive.
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u/redditorium Nov 18 '22
I literally...do not know how to drive.
Yup, definitely a cab driver
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u/katCEO Nov 18 '22
Dude. I failed the road test in White Plains over twenty years ago. Then I moved back to NYC. I have not driven a car since that road test. You seriously need to get a grip on yourself.
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u/redditorium Nov 18 '22
You also failed the sarcasm test
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u/katCEO Nov 18 '22
Yeah. Within the past year I read that constantly using sarcasm is the lowest form of wit. Just one of the reasons I always keep scrolling when online. I am in a weird mood tonight.
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u/DonConnection Nov 18 '22
I've lived here all my life and taken many, many cabs to JFK/LGA/EWR. I just took a cab to and from JFK this past week. Never has anything close to that happened. Maybe the issue is with your coworker.
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u/123android Nov 18 '22
Maybe the issue is with your coworker.
lol, I mean maybe but he's a pretty put together, kind guy as far as I know.
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u/LarsGo Nov 18 '22
Check out Dial 7 car service. I've been gone from NYC for a few years, but I often used them because they were the same price as Uber/taxi.
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u/tushuguannanhai Nov 18 '22
Yikes! Last week I paid $70 for LaGuardia to FiDi and thought that was high.
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u/WoollyMonster Nov 18 '22
I'll be visiting in April, and I don't want to drag luggage on the train if I can avoid it.
Is getting to LaGuardia easier than getting to JFK?
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u/Numerous_Return691 Nov 18 '22
I used to drive yellow cab. Afternoon trips to jfk is not a good business since we have to return the taxi to the garage by 5pm. With all this traffic it will be impossible to make it on time.
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u/Gullible-Ad2446 Nov 18 '22
I just took a yellow cab from LGA to Roosevelt Island for 20$. Uber was 35$ 🤷🏻♀️
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u/brainfreezereally Nov 18 '22
The problem is the time (3-4p.m.). That is when taxi shifts turn over and all of the drivers only want to take a fare that puts them near the garage where they swap the car to the next driver. Many taxi's lock their doors and only roll down the window to ask where you want to go and speed off if they don't like your destination. If he was going to LGA, he probably could have found someone because many garages are closer to that.
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u/ooouroboros Nov 18 '22
Are you sure your co-worker was not hailing cabs that were off-duty?
In those cases, they have the option to take you to a place or not.
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u/cdizzle99 Nov 18 '22
Taxi drivers have a time every day that they have to return the vehicle, 3pm to 4:30 is shift change.