Ms. Vera

I recently took a trip to Chicago for a journalism conference and one thing I learned very quickly is the way to get around is by taxi...

While I did do a bit of walking (I like to walk) and even took a couple of buses to get to the Oprah Store (yeah, sure did)

most of my travels to and from the conference were done by taxi. Well, there's some things to know about taking a taxi in a big city:

1. If you find a good cab driver, HIRE him!!: Boy, if I knew that the first night, I would've kept the driver who took me to my hotel. So, I get off the bus (I rode the Mega Bus for $10!! can you believe that??) and flagged down a cab driver. He was very nice and talkative. He asked me where I was from, I told him St. Louis but said that I had been to Chicago many times (well, I've been a few times) just so he would think I knew where I was going.
Well, I didn't have to fake it with him. I noticed that he took me the route I knew as the quickest route to the hotel. Thank goodness! And I enjoyed his conversation! We got there in like 6 minutes, I paid him plus a tip. He asked, "do you need a driver while you're here." I said, "oh no thank you. I'll be fine! THanks alot!" My mistake. It leads to my next point:

2. ALL CAB DRIVERS ARE NOT CREATED EQUALLY: not that I thought they would be but I had no idea they would be so different!! I went from rude, to barely english, to mad if you told them there was a quicker way.
On my second day, one cab driver tried to get over on me...I told him where the conference was and he headed towards the hotel. Well, it was a huge conference and there was a sign outside for parking for taxis. This driver decided he was going to circle the building. When I said, "you can stop right here," he made up some excuse saying no, he had to go around to the back way, I said no," that's the sign right there, that's where I'm going."
So he acts like he's going to turn around! No! I told him "pull over right here." I got out, paid him without a tip! Geez. He thought I was dumb.

Another guy talked and talked to me and my friend as he got on the highway to go somewhere I KNEW wasn't that far away! It costs us $13.00 to get there but only $9.00 to get back with another driver, who went through the city...charged it to the game.

3. CAB DRIVERS HATE CREDIT CARDS: Oh my goodness...you should've seen the look on some of thier faces when me and my friend would pay for the taxi with a credit card. You see, going back and forth from the conference for my friend was "expensible." That means the company paid for the transportation because my friend was working the conference. Well, we got the dirties looks when ever the credit card came out. And I don't blame them....credit card company charges them like 5 %. I might be a little ticked off too! But don't take it out on the customers. And we heard it all. "You no have cash?" "My Card machine not plugged in" "I don't have any receipt paper." The list goes on and on...
And them most of them who were paid by credit card asked: "are you going to give a tip?" And they didn't ask in a nice way either. By the end of the trip, I wasn't tipping anyone who was bold enough to ask. Hey, call me wrong, but tipping is "TO INSURE PROMPTNESS", not compensate you for a form of payment you're required to take in the city of Chicago.
I don't make the rules.

Anyway, it was just interesting to see all the different dynamics, and here the stories, see how they think they can get away with charging more, and see ALLL the different people were just trying to make thier everyday living. Some were talkative. Others didn't speak a work other letting me know it was time to pay. It's an interesting experience....that I don't entirely look forward to again. Next time I'll keep the first nice guy I find.