Taxi Ripoffs

[Gipse]

My personal experience with cabs in BA is 97.5% positive. Over multiple trips with many cabs, I have had two bad experiences.

One was an obviously fast meter. The fare was twice the usual. I paid the cabbie the standard fare and exited the cab. The second incident was a minor one. When the cabbie dropped me at the airport, he asked me to pay for the tolls also. I said the deal was all inclusive paid him the agreed fare and walked away.

My female friends on the other had tell me many stories of bad cabbies in BA. I guess the sight of a foreign female brings out the greed.

On a positive note, on one ride half way to my destination I noticed the meter was off. Upon being reminded the driver immediately turned it on and started cursing himself. At the destination when I asked him what was the total fare, he pointed to the meter which read $4 something. I gave him $8 which was the fare of my previous trip.

[Member #3320]

I have mixed view of the cabbies of BA. I used about 60~80 odd cabs during my stay. I would say that almost 80% of them were very likable, pleasant, welcomed me as a foreigner, chatted with me with great interest about my life and in all offered a great ride to my destination.

However, 20% of them were very mediocre in their jobs, didn't have a clue on the BA routes, deliberately tried to increase the fare by taking longer routes, absolutely non cooperative at times, rude, sulky, unpleasant.

Overall, having used taxis in 50 odd countries in last 10 years, in my consensus purely, I would rate BA taxi drivers as much safer and less corrupt as compared to drivers of many 3rd world countries or even some of the other Central or South American countries. I never felt scared hailing a cab at 3 am in the morning on the streets of BA, I never felt scared going to a unknown place with a new cab driver at 2 am in the night. It speaks a lot about the safety the BA cabs provide to non-Spanish speaking tourists.

Being a well traveled person, I can vouch that their are some really rogue taxis in some of famous world cities. So, 3 cheers to BA cabs from me.

[El Queso]

I see two (or maybe three) faces of cab drivers here.

For the most part, like Doggboy says, they are business like and get the job done with no muss or fuss. In the two years I've lived here, I've had one taxi driver ask for too much after he forgot to turn on the meter (and I gave him about half what he asked for) two taxi drivers that were obviously running with bad meters (I paid them what I knew the trip was worth) and one taxi driver that took me and two buddies too far to a place where we knew we were going and tried to argue with us (and we paid him what the trip was worth)

I have been in cabs with foreign visitors who have tried to be "fierce" with a cabbie and ensure that the cabbie is not ripping him off. I have seen these people try to tell the cabby the names of the streets and give directions they want to go in a fashion that even I had a hard time understanding and get angry at the cabby and accuse him of not understanding on purpose. (I'm not naming any names here)

I once saw a cab driver purposefully bump a school gril who crossed in front of him as the light was changing - he actually hit her backpack and quite on purpose. I was in the cab (forgot to list this with the issues above) and got out immediately and refused to pay the prick a dime.

I agree with Argento 100% too - cab drivers are the biggest problem of traffic on small streets and trying to get around the city in busy places because of the way the trawl for their fares to the exclusion of other people being able to get around them, and they are the absolute worst drivers because they couldn't give a rat's ass about ANYONE else on the road, whether it be another cabby or a private driver.

And lastly, I know of two women who have been raped by cab drivers late at night.

The cab drivers are far from angels, although I have to say that I personally, when I ride in cabs, have had an extremely small percentage of issues, but I'm a reasonably big guy and probably make most of them think twice before trying anything too outre.

[Argento]

I noticed there haven't been any posts here for a long time, which probably says a lot about the taxi drivers in Argentina. I can't say much about the airport drivers, but I found the drivers in BA to be the best I've ever encountered. Always used the meter, were polite and often talkative, never drove me out of the way and gave change. I only used radio or official taxis and paid with small bills.

We obviously live on another planet. And especially if you drive here. They are the most indifferent, selfish drivers in existence. Sin excepcion. And cause mayhem to other drivers by their gutter-crawling driving technique. The reason there are few posts is that words fail us!

Argento

[El Perro]

You are defending the Taxi scum, not the poor, uneducated woman!

I like the BA cabbies. There's a few bad apples, but IMHO 95% or more are reliable. As I have reported previously, head on up to Mexico City if you want to experience bad cabbies.

[El Perro]

A foreign woman, a first time visitor was charged $400 from EZE to Recoleta! Keep your guard up!

Anybody that stupid deserves it. Let me know when she is next in town and I'll pick her up.

[Msch912]

I noticed there haven't been any posts here for a long time, which probably says a lot about the taxi drivers in Argentina. I can't say much about the airport drivers, but I found the drivers in BA to be the best I've ever encountered. Always used the meter, were polite and often talkative, never drove me out of the way and gave change. I only used radio or official taxis and paid with small bills.

[Smuler]

One night going from Sudestada (Fitzroy and Guatemala) to Salome, I hailed a taxi.

The first warning sign to me was that his windshield was smashed.

I should have waived him by, but I was already in the taxi.

He refused to put the meter on, and was constantly looking in his rear view mirror, and circling around. Even I know he was driving in circles.

I was feeling increasingly edgy and screamed at him - " Stop the cab Mother Fucker! What do you think I'm fucking stupid! He asked for 5 Pesos, I threw him a 2 and told him to get the fuck out of there.

You had to see his face when I went to the back of the cab and took his plate #. It was precious!

Be aware.

Smuler

[Bairespirata]

Taxidrivers can not only rob you, they can kill you. I read below that the man who's dangerous probably was the driver trying to kill me on 7July 2006.

It was to a large extend my own fault, since he picked me at Lavalle / Pellegrino with bags from the shoppingmalls at Florida.

I had just recommended site members not to do this. But then I bought a book and read it for a couple of hour, then it had became completly dark, so the just time passed away at this café at Pelligrino 500.

He drove me to place empty of people. Then started to stab me with a screwdriver. I was alert and put up my arm as a shield, took some hits, but quickly got out of the taxi with my things. Had he been intelligent he would have set up a meeeting with his-partners-but he probably doesn't have any since is a-social rude guy. The majority of the taxudrivers are good people and enjoy talking. Many of them are well educated but have to work as taxistas since the stagnation of the economy since 1974.

After that incident I always use "Llamenos".

Finally I also recommend single foreigners to buy a stillett, pepper-spray, tear-gas, el-chock device. I feel bad about it, but I only have ONE life and don't want to be killed for maybe the 100 pesos I wear in my wallet.

[Paco Luna]

One scam I encountered on arrival at the airport is: cabbie takes your money, looks at it, claims its counterfeit, and gives it back. Whereupon you give him another good bill. What he really is doing is putting your good money in his pocket and giving you back the same denomination bill from his stash which really is counterfeit. He knows you're in a hurry, don't know the currency well, can't see what he's doing in the darkness and in the front seat, and therefore are in a poor situation to challenge him or even notice. When I got into the airport to change back to dollars the changer pointed out to me how amateurish the argentine counterfeit money was. I suppose one solution is to mark or note a number on the bill you hand over so you know the counterfeit bill he gives you back is not the one you gave him.

[Sportsman]

Plan ahead, always, always save your last 10P /20P bill for the taxi ride. Never, never give a taxi driver a 100P bill and ask for change.

[The Hunter]

Speaking of Rip off around here,

I did get ripped off once taking a taxi, it happened when me & my buddy partied (we're in our 20's) our nights away in the famous Pacha club on the side of the river. My buddy didnt have a change and I didnt want to break my 100p bill - it was stupid in my part to use that in a taxi later on as it was already 7ish am after the whole night of partying we just wanted to go home. Knowing it would cost 20p for the fare, and 70p, we took the ride and the driver told us he has a change. Ok then, my buddy had a friendly chat with him while I was sitting on the back, when we arrived to our destination, he pulled a stack of cash, and started to pull one 20 and one 10 ok, that was weird mentally and my subconscious mind tried to dismiss the weird part while he pull another stack of bill to pick the 50 bill while he can get it on the first stack. It was dumb in my part for not recognizing the tactic and he gave me the bills and I lifted it and check the watermark - ok it's there, and I got out again, having a sense being duped and hand it to my buddy for confirmation as I had a strange feeling I got ripped off. Later on I cursed for getting ripped of 50p, that could have been a great hour in rio bamba privado lol.

But I think most drivers are honest and you do get once in a while the shady ones.

So taxi takers- beware

[Jaimito Cartero]

Taxi from Airport to Hotel?

Am I better off hiring a car service or just getting in a taxi, I have heard they might take you off the beaten path and rob you, I am sure you will all get a laugh about the question but I honestly heard that today.

If you use the taxi booth outside the arrivals hall, you'll pay a flat fee (58 or 59 pesos) to the downtown area. This includes tolls and everything. I've used these taxi's many times, without any problems. From the city to the airport is 47 pesos.

Mo and Ana Luna provide the same service, for a little more if I recall.

The BA taxis do have a tendency to not stay in one lane, but other than that, they're far better than other latin america taxis. (Lima stands out as some of the worst taxi drivers I've ever had)

[Thomaso276]

Call Anna Luna. Do a search for her services and feedback on the board.

[Webcams]

Taxi from Airport to Hotel?

Am I better off hiring a car service or just getting in a taxi, I have heard they might take you off the beaten path and rob you, I am sure you will all get a laugh about the question but I honestly heard that today.

I also heard of how poor they drive scares people to death.

Appreciate any feedback guys thanks.