just came back from DC. I was shocked to discover cab drivers are not regulated by anyone. They charge what ever they feel like. We payed 18.00 from the airport to our Hotel, and 25.00 from the hotel to the airport. There are no meters they just make up fares.We got rpped off a couple of times and just used the Metro. You would think in our Nations Capital there would be some regulations. I was also shcoked by the amount of homeless people allowed to freeze on the street. I have been to almost every major City. I think Dc has one of the wort homeless problems I have ever seen. Was surprised at how dirty it was also. We saw alot of amazing thngs and it was a great trip. Probably wouldn't go back.

DC cab fares are charged by zone, not by metered time/mileage. The map should be posted in every cab, along with a phone number to call with complaints.

Here's a link to the taxicab commission and zone maps:

http://dctaxi.dc.gov/dctaxi/cwp/view...7C30625%7C.asp

Since the airports are not in DC itself, the fare TO your hotel was based on VA rates and the fare back to the airport, on DC rates, so it's not surprising that htey would differ.

I think people often find the zone system confusing. In addition to Anonymous's comments there are also extra charges for additional passengers and luggage, etc. For this reason the prices can vary.

There is in fact a DC Taxi Commission

http://dctaxi.dc.gov/dctaxi/site/def...D=&dctaxiNav=|

where you can register a complaint. The taxi drivers all have ID numbers and it is handy to record these on your receipt.

I have lived in the area now for over 3 years, visit DC all the time, always use the taxi service, no issues. Agree, check the zone map in the cab.

As for the homeless, agree, can't believe how many are out. I also have seen, however, the numerous efforts made to get them off the street: from groups of people who encourage them, to a special toll free hotline for anyone to call who notices them and this team will respond to try to encourage them to get out of the cold, to those who don't leave that at least receive food and blankets.

I don't know how much time you spent in DC, but I have been here for 3 years and still haven't seen everything. I love to play tour guide to friends and family and never tire of it!

8-)

I want to know where this clean place with no homeless people where Beth lives?

I agree that the taxis are a bit of a pain, but if you paid $18 on the way from the airport, why didn't you insist on the same price on the way back? Living in the city requires a little assertiveness, and admittedly tourists are not always in the position to be assertive.

As for homelessness, yes it is a problem. Like it is in every large city in America. DC appears to have a disproportionate number because it is a very expensive city with a big gap between rich and poor, it is a city with lots of social services but not as many shelter beds, and--quite frankly--a lot of mentally ill people find their way to DC because the thing there are CIA plots, the president has aggreived them, or because the VA is based here.

If you were bothered by this situation, you should contact your Congressman and encourage more funding for DC from Congress. DC residents pay the same taxes you do, but are denied voting representation in Congress. It is in many ways the last plantation, where Congress and its whims control the fate of the city's finances.

Well yes most people have seen the "zone system" posted in all cabs and since you took cabs from Va to DC, around DC, and DC back to VA I'm sure you saw some of those postings.

But Dirty!! I'm sorry I really can't agree with that as I find Washington DC to be one of the cleanest and prettiest cities in the United States. Perhaps you'd let me know where these areas were that you found so amazingly dirty cause I'm in the city every day and haven't found them yet.

Oh and where do you call home?

"I want to know where this clean place with no homeless people where Beth lives?" - this must be San Francisco

but we don't allow our homeless freeze as we don't allow the thermometers go below 40 at night!

ok, didn't expect everyone to jump down my throat. I live in Florida, which is not perfect. All I mentioned is that the taxi system does not seem very fair.The city was fairly dirty, and the homeless didn't seem to be taken care of as much as they should. Sorry if I offended any of you. I was just surprised. Oh, I did speak to some locals and tourist aren't the only ones that have taxi problems.

Well I live in Boston so I find cabs in DC to be downright cheap! And I have to disagree about the city being dirty....where was it you visited? And the metro is just about the cleanest public transportation there is. DC does have a fairly large homeless population, I agree, but I am really surprised by your reaction to the city overall. Oh well.

People in DC do find the taxicabs frustrating, I will grant you that.

I'm just surprised by the comments about the town being dirty since most tourists have just the opposite reaction; they can't get over how clean everything is.

I also find taxi price structures confusing and inconsistent even within a city, let alone crossing city and state bounderies.

That's one big reason I prefer to take public transit, especially in an area like DC with a superb system ... and I know what the cost will be ahead of time.

I guess I'm a little confused: beth said that the taxi cabs are unregulated in DC and can charge whatever they want. This is false, right? I know that when I was there, we always paid the same fare depending on how many zones we traveled between, and that the fee structure was clearly spelled out in the back of the cab. I don't think correcting a misstatement is "jumping down somebody's throat."

wow, I was just going to ignore this post because I responded to Beth on a restaurant question and she didn't have the courtesy to write back, but since she "can't believe people jumped down her throat," please; I never understood the purpose of this post, let alone two days before Christmas; since we now know were you live guess you don't live in a uptopia either.

D.C. is a pretty special place--and just a tip here, if you are going to trash a place, watch your typos.

Mary

I also noticed that Beth asks many questions and never has the courtesy to respond within the thread, rather she just posts again with some related question.
I go to DC on business 10 or so times a year and it remains one of my favorite places to visit, for business and pleasure.
I have never had a problem with a cab in DC and find the drivers to be unusually friendly and helpful. I have had many interesting conversations with DC drivers!
Great restaurants and shopping, awesome public transportation, dozens upon dozens of things to see and do. Homeless people? Yes, of course.
Dirty? I have honestly never had that impression.
DC is easily one of the best city destinations in the USA.

Ok listen I spent 5 days in DC. The Metro System is very easy to use. We were traveling with another family and the Metro wasn't always an option.I'm well aware of cabs charging by zone. HOWEVER, they don't always abide by that. We took cabs to the same place each day and the fare was always different. We would have 2 cabs one for us and one for the other family, we would both start from the same place and go to the same place and sometimes there was a 5.00 difference. Sorry Mary thought I responded to your post about the restaurants. Don't know why you have a problem with this post being 2 days before Christmas. I'm Jewish so I guess I shouldn't have posted it 2 days before Hanukkah Oh, and sorry for the typos. I guess we all can't be as perfect as you!

So Beth - what parts of the city did you find dirty?

Too bad you had to go to the same place each day. Maybe you should have visited a different place each day?
Also, if you noticed time after time about the fare differences, why did you not discuss it with the cabbie before you left or had your bellman get a more reputable cabbie. The hotels have relationships with these people.
You mention that there were multiple people in the car. It is possible that different drivers view various ages differently. A teenager may be counted as an additional passenger by one cabbie but not by another.
Did it not occur to ask for a breakdown?
I have talked to or read about people who felt they got burned by a cabbie (not in DC, just in general) but you are the first post I have ever seen that says that EVERYTIME you got into a cab this happened.
Really odd... as if you were wearing a sign

Beth--I mentioned that because it was such an "un-holiday" thing to post--no matter which holiday you celebrate; in other words, if you had nothing nice to say, whey say it all? ; again, don't understand your problem--the first time you thought you lost money in a cab, you could have taken the time to look at the zone map and challenged it.

oops, that should be "why" say it all; point remains the same--enough time spent on this!

I've seen the city dirty when there were democrats in the white house....

ha ha ha ha!!!!!

>