Taxis Scams from Airport

[JackR]

Hi All,

I just wanted to post my experience after arriving to McCarren to Mandalay Bay. The taxi driver drove me around the strip on the freeway and proceeded to loopback to Mandalay. Later I found out I paid $10 more than I should have. FYI all you first timers ask the hotels in advance what the cab rate sould be and tell the cabbie not to take the scenic route.

[d360]

Hey Jack,

Thanks for visiting our forum and the advice.

Safe Travels,
Dan

[VegasEd]

The theory is that it's quicker...which it can be depending on the time of arrival...what they do is spin you through "THE TUNNEL" to 215 and then exit on LVBlvd via the highway..

to avoid it tell them NOT TO TAKE THE TUNNEL, but go down Tropicana and then cut over...you can save even a few more minutes if you tell them to cut left on Koval and go the back way, avoid the Strip's busiest intersection (Trop and LVB)...

if you arrive around the time of a big event a t MGM Grand (fight concert, etc), the TUNNEL may actually be the best route to avoid the gridlock around MGM...

Hope that helps!
VE!

This just happened to us in April - we've been going almost 3x/yr for the last 9 yrs and never had a problem w/being long-hauled. Always stay at the Sahara and know that it will cost about $15, give or take a buck. Get in the cab and notice right away driver takes the wrong turn, so we say 'don't take the tunnel'. Well of course, he's foreign and pretends to not understand us. I begin demanding he turn around and he gets on the expressway, so at this point I'm furious and I'm telling him 'you call your dispatch right now, you are long-hauling us'. He's totally ignoring us and I'm telling my husband to give me his phone so I can call Taxi Authority number that's listed. As I'm dialing I'm telling this driver he's ripping us off and I can't believe it, thinking he's gonna be scared and turn around, but he continues driving as we see the entire strip passing us by.
Taxi Authority gets all the info, cab #, name, etc....says when we get to Sahara to not pay the driver and wait for authorities to show up.
Well we get there and bill is almost $30, and I tell the driver we are not paying. Now I'm mad, cuz this has never happened and it's a bad start to our otherwise wonderful trip. Plus I think it's a felony when you are cutting into my 'bloody mary' drinking time and gambling.
Police & Taxi authority get there - rip him a new a*&hole, write him a bunch of tickets. We have to sign an affadavit so he gets taken to court. Come to find out his radio is not even working and he gets fined for that. Idiot. But the authorities were super cool to us and thanked us for handling it right then and there. Said there's too many people that want to register a complaint when they get back from their trip and it's too little, too late.
Worked out fine for us, free cab ride so money ahead to start, but I was worried the whole trip that we'd get in this driver's cab by mistake and he'd drive us right out to the desert. Haha.

[joe]

Originally Posted by kimmer

Plus I think it's a felony when you are cutting into my 'bloody mary' drinking time and gambling...

That's some good stuff right there...and thanks for the helpful story. Hopefully it will enable a few others to avoid problems like the one you had.

[d360]

Hi Kimmer,

Like you I've been to Vegas many times and never had a problem most the Taxi drivers are friendly and helpful a bit like a concierge on wheels. Just one bad seed every once in a while.

Thanks for your story it helps put it into perspective and great to hear someone put their foot down I just paid and cussed about it later.

[VegasEd]

recent article on this topic in the R-J

excerpts:
"If you want to take the shortest route, the cabby must comply...They have to comply. It's actually a Nevada law...Section 706.8846 of the Nevada Revised Statutes, the state's book of laws, it says a driver shall not "take a longer route to the passenger's destination than is necessary, unless specifically requested so to do by the passenger (or) fail to comply with the reasonable and lawful requests of the passenger as to speed of travel and route to be taken."

"If you think you've been screwed by a cabby's actions, you can file a complaint with the Taxicab Authority by calling (702) 486-6532 or going online to www.taxi.state.nv.us. Be sure to have handy the names and license numbers for the cab and its driver, along with time and place info."

[Conti]

You definitely have to watch out for taxi scams anywhere you go. If it's obvious you don't know the area you run the chance of paying more than you should.

[meddy23]

We try to avoid taxis if at all possible. One thing we've found it that the shuttles are better. Go to the end of the airport and take the shuttle from the company that has all the limos. Get a round trip fair. 95% of the time they will pick you up from your hotel in a limo!