[LSNN] The taxi industry and how to get scammed

[BertoV]

 

 

THE TAXI INDUSTRY AND HOW TO GET SCAMMED

Ridiculously high fees that can make Taxi become a luxury service

 

 

Despite getting a taxi has never been the cheapest transport system anywhere in the world, is it true that the city always had a healthy Taxi service offer, composed mainly by self-workers and combined with different Taxi companies which operate in the city since a while ago.

 

I remember my first days in Los Santos. I became actually a taxi driver since is an easy job to start knowing the city and to access too, despite I left it behind really soon. These times were hard to be honest, I was a recently arrived citizen and needed quick money to start with. I wasn't the best on it, as my knowledge of the city streets was not big thing, however it helped me and I'm really thankful to it. So is it that I'm a frequent Taxi user, either for going out at nights or for just getting to the office when I don't feel like driving, which are my biggest reasons, being honest. I always use to give good tips as I remember it was often hard to find out customers.

 

However, huge was my surprise when I recently decided to took a cab. I spent last night sleeping away of home but I was brought by a friend, so I couldn't reach my car. And was mandatory to me to get a taxi. I was attended by a self-employee, which name I won't reveal just for respect. He was so friendly, as usual, and asked me where to with such a polite tone. Nothing out of the normal... until I saw his fare: $75 per time space!!! Simply unbelievable.

 

Obviously I stopped him and stepped out of the vehicle. I was at the other edge of the town so I had to go across the whole Los Santos, a city famous by the traffic jams and the huge amount of traffic-lights that you often find out in red when you approach them. With that amount of money being charged, I estimate that the ride would have costed me around 1500 or 2000 bucks. Easily. And counting that the driver indeed took the most direct route, which doesn't happens very often. I remember my days as a driver. The maximum amount we used to charge was around 20. And that for short rides. The longer the drive was, the lower the fare. Just without doing nor happening anything the taxi fare has been increased more than a 300%. And according to the driver's words, some taxi workers can charge up to 100. Wait a second: 100 bucks??!! Are you talking seriously?

 

I'm not trying to say that being a Taxi driver is an easy job, as I do know it is not. Many hours away of home, working a lot, for usually a poor revenue and really exposed to danger, especially when swinging around rough neighborhoods. However the right of transport is a first need right. Anyone can demand a Taxi for going to work, picking somebody up, reaching the airport, and a large etcetera. It simply doesn't make any sense to ask for a luxury-typical price for a service routinely needed and used. To put you an example, the average cost for an air-lift is somewhere between 3000 and 6000. And that's indeed a luxury service. Seriously somebody is thinking someone will pay the same, or even more, for spending a large amount of time, in a cab, having to suffer the issues of the traffic jams, pollution while an helicopter lift can bring you from Del Perro to Richman in less than one minute?

 

Beloved readers, I don't see the reason. If what my driver said is right, somebody simply drove crazy asking a price for a service that definitely doesn't cost that much.

 

 

Berta K. Torres

LSNN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2020 by BertoV