katya_NY

I feel I have to post a note about the experience I had last week in NC.

I was starting to lose hope for my week long business trip- I had a cab driver who refused to turn on a meter, claiming to have "set rates" in the Chapel Hill-Durham area... $27 for a 4-5 minute ride(?).

I asked around later and found out he had scammed me... I felt like a real travel rookie, and that this trip was going to be unpleasant.

After the cabbie scam, I asked someone for another cab company name,called & scheduled a pick up for 30 minutes later... and waited for about 45 minutes past that time... no cab.

It was POURING down rain outside, and I felt awful- and that I would NEVER get back to my hotel.

I finally asked a passer-by for the name of the two cross streets, so as to re-call the cab company, and the sweet woman took pity on me... and actually offered me a ride home!! Her daughter and the daughter's boyfriend gave me a ride back to the hotel.

I have to admit, I would probably NEVER offer a perfect stranger a ride anywhere- in New York it is just not done, but maybe more common in the South?

So thanks to the sweet family for renewing my belief in Southern hospitality and general human kindness.

Subway_Scoundrel

Yep...it's a good thing. Not as much of it around as there use to be, but you can still find it. Pass it on !!

wsoxrebel

Most (all?) cities have licensing boards for their cabs. If you happened to get the company name, license plate, description of driver plus other details, you should file a complaint.

jorr

When I was stationed in San Antonio a friend of mine was assigned to test cab drivers who picked up solo traveling soldiers from the airport to Fort Sam Houston.

He found that some cab drivers were driving all over the area to increase the fare.

annesherrod

Never scammed here in the US. In fact I rec'd a city tour in OK City from the best cabbbie in the world. I learned more than if I read a a book. I did have him take me to the memorial etc, but it was about a dollar more.

In Rome,....30 bucks to go a couple of blocks. I was fuming

Stephanie

Charlotte is becoming, or has become completely, a Northern transplant city - that is the problem.

girlonthego

As a stranger in any city, you are most often a target for jacked up fares and such.
Kindess is also found all over the country. That lady was very nice to offer you a ride.

As far as the note about northern transplants, I am a northern transplant to the south. I have found that southerners are more superficially friendly and true southerners do not like Yankees. Simple fact. Northerners are not a typical outwardly friendly bunch, but most would be very helpful when a neighbor needs it. Many of my friends in the south are yankee transplants. I do have some truly southern friends too. I have no true Richmonder friends. They smile, wave and turn away....This is just my experience.

BayouGal

OMG, are back in the civil war, folks? ;-) I am a true Southerner and have "Yankees" in my immediate family who I love dearly. Differences add spice to life . . . what a boring world we'd have without them.

BayouGal

Oops, that was supposed to be "are WE back...." Sorry!

Judyrem

I love most Southerners and miss them terribly here in S FLA. My best friend is a member of the Daughters of the Confederacy and she is about as southern as you can get.....WONDERFUL PEOPLE.

girlonthego

Didn't mean to insult anyone. I have just found that locals stick to their own group. They are nice, but don't really want to get to know you. Maybe that is the same for everywhere to outsiders.
I have a friend that married into the true Richmond family and they were not very accepting of her being a Jersey girl. They are still rather chilly to her today after 20 years of marraige.

BayouGal

Understood, but please don't judge us all by the poor behavior of one family or some lousy cab drivers.

ncgrrl

A as native of Chapel Hill, I would like to apologize for the way the cabbies treated you.

If you arranged the bad cabbies through your hotel, I would tell the management there about your treatment. No hotel would want other guests to go through what you went through.

I hope you come back and see the area and not let the bad people get to you. If you drive, I would rent a car, if possible, and not deal with cabbies.

katya_NY

Thanks to ncgrrl for the response! I actually was generally quite impressed with how nice people in the area were, and I wish I had more time to enjoy the area. The cab drivers were less than impressive, but our arranged transportation for the conference was done by "Gold Coach", who I would highly recommend.

I wouldn't discount an area due to some less than honest cabbies, I really wrote to tell people that southern hospitality does still exist.