Ok, I know what a taxi is, but I feel completely clueless so that I might as well NOT. Where I live, the only time you take a taxi is when you're going to the airport, your car broke down, or someone's had too much to drink So I realized that I have planned my visit around taking Muni during the day,and taxi's at night. But I haven't a clue how to get a taxi unless you call it in yourself, or go to a hotel. It seems however, that perhaps SF is like NY, in that there are other ways to do this? Do you hail taxis? (and the question being, how is that done?)

Goodness, am I a novice. Thanks for your patience and assistance

Just stand on the corner and when you see a cab approaching, put your arm up.

In some areas it is easier to go to a hotel and have the doorman hail a cab for you (you have to factor in the tip for the doorman then).

Actually in San Francisco you don't hail a cab like you would in New York City. If you try to hail a cab in SF, you'll have your arm in the air for quite a while. SF is a rather small city and it does not have a lot of cabs. Therefore you are better off calling for one yourself. The only places where cabs can generally be found waiting for passengers in SF are hotels, hospitals, and theaters.

Actually, I'm glad you asked this, Branv, because I expect to be taking cabs more than usual in S.F. Does anyone prefer one company over another?

I hail cabs all the time in San Francisco. The only places I call a cab is when I am in residential neighborhoods or am going to the airport. Downtown--Union Square, Chinatown, Financial District, the Marina, the Mission, the Castro--I get cabs by standing on the corner and putting my arm up. This is at night however--cabs are abundent. Maybe the day is a problem (I drive so I don't know how it is then). The cabbies know where people are and they are always there.

The only place I thought you might have a problem is the Wharf. I used to work a night shift down there a few summers ago and if I needed a cab I had to walk to the Sheraton and have them hail one.

I'd stand by my original comment: stand on the curb, put your arm up when a cab is approaching and they will pull over and pick you up.

Really kikahead? Everytime I am in downtown SF I never seem to be able to hail a cab and always have to end up calling for one, sometimes having to wait 15 minutes or more. I guess you must have some vey good luck.

I am a 5'8" woman in my 20's. Maybe that helps ;-)

kikahead, I don't even want to know what you do for a living???

You guys are both very funny, really. However, what does a cab really cost? Does anyone know if it is comparable to NY? If I have two adults and four kids with me and want to go about a mile or so a couple of times on my brief SF stay, am I better off with cab or public trans?
Thanks
Ken

Kendu - from what I've read on Fodors and in other websites. After Sept. 1, the cost for Muni is $1.25/adult and .35/youths, cable car $3/adult & youth, children under 5 are free. Depending on the length of a BART trip, it could range anywhere from $1.10-$6.90/person.

And for taxis, straight from Fodors:
"Taxis in San Francisco charge $2.50 for the first of a mile, $1.80 for each additional mile, and 40? per minute in stalled traffic."

Public transit is really the way to go - if the "to" and "from" places are close to Muni. Most of the touristy spots can be reached via muni or some short walks from muni.

While the busses can sometimes be (hmmm... shall we say) skanky - the light rail cars are excellent - especially the underground that runs the length of Market Street. I was taking Italian classes last year at night. Class got out at 9pm and I always felt safe walking to the underground and waiting for a train - which come along quite often, even at night.

If you're going to be using public transportation a lot, you should purchase a Muni Pass.

Check here for details:

http://www.transitinfo.org/Muni/

Does the muni pass include weekends? I will need one for just the weekend. If so, is it for every time of bus, cable car, train, etc?
Thanks
Ken

There are different passes you can buy - the website will have all the info you need. There are passes - 1,3,and 7(?) day passes that are good on all Muni, buses, and cable cars. They are good for whatever consecutive days you specify.

J Correa and others, the website was super helpful.
Thanks
Ken

KENDU
2 adults & 4 kids? You may have to call a van!!!

In my experience SF cabs are much more expensive than those in NYC and not as easy to get on the street especially at certain times of the day and particularly outside of downtown. It is extremely difficult to hail a cab downtown at 5:00p.m., for example and I never seem to be able to flag one down in the Civic Center during the day near the courthouse. There are just not as many cabs on the streets as in NYC and the drivers don't seem to hustle for rides as much, many preferring to hang out at hotels trying to get that $35 ride to the airport. But I don't unsually have any problem at night in areas where there are lots of restaurants and bars, for example Union Street, Folsom.

SAB, and others, would you say that if I had a car rental that I am better off on Nob Hill with free parking and just pay to park the car each time or am I better off at Hyatt embracadero paying cabs to go to Wharf and other attractions ?
Thanks
Ken

Tough question to definitively answer, but there are some facts you can take into consideration. First there is no need to take a cab from the Hyatt to the Wharf as the F street car which stops in front of the Hyatt goes to the Wharf and really, it's not that far to walk. Second parking at the Wharf can be a hassle. Third, pretty much any place you would want to go during the day, can be reached safely via public transportation. Fourth, you do not NEED to car to get around in SF but if paying for parking is not an issue, yes, having a car is more convenient especially in the evening, after all that is how the vast majority of us get around. For what it is worth, I take public transportation all the time during the week to and from downtown until around 8 p.m. but I do drive to engagements at night because it is more convenient. Finally, my post was not intended to discourage your cab usage but to respond to your question as to whether taking cabs in SF was like doing the same in NYC, which it is not because in NYC you can't spit w/o hitting a cab.

SF taxi fares as cribbed from the yellowcab website:

SAN FRANCISCO TAXICAB RATES OF FARE


SECTION 1135 San Francisco Municipal Police Code


First 1/6th mile or flag - $2.85
Each additional 1/5th mile or fraction thereof - $.45 (2.25/Mile)
Each minute of waiting, or traffic time delay - $.45
Airport Exit Surcharge - $2.00

Unlike NYC, SF does not have gypsy cabs, so do not be afraid of cabs that are not yellow. I personally find that if you have to call for a cab, that I've had the best experience with LUXOR cabs actually showing up.

When hailing a cab, it's helpful to look and see if it's trolling or passengers or already hired. On the roof is a small light above the sign that says TAXI. If it's on, the cab is free, if it's off, it's hired. The problem is that many cabs have these triangular shaped ad spaces on the roof that are lit at night, making it tough to see if the cab is actually free or not.

In well travelled areas, with good traffic flow, it's not hard to get a cab. SF does have a cab shortage and it is hard to get a ride sometimes. The fares add up quickly. Expect to pay in the neighborhood of $15- $25 for a cross town ride.