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Sunday, June 10, 2018

A Viewer Writes: Taxi service in Salisbury

Dear Mr Culver,

The taxis in Salisbury are horrible. The drivers, for the most part, are inappropriate if you are female. Many of them rip you off from the quoted fare. I have had bad experiences with all the cabs.

Last week, Salisbury Taxi sent me a driver who was an amputee. That would be fine except he didn't have a prosthetic leg and was driving with one foot. The vehicle was not equipped with any devices for a driver with his disability. That's dangerous. Not to mention he was flirtatious and inappropriate. He spoke in a racist and inappropriate manner to my neighbor who is African American.

I have copd and am on supplemental oxygen. Even if you request a non smoking cab, they seem to think non smoking means they put out their cigarette when you get in the car. It's terrible.

Complaining about these practices to these companies is an exercise in futility.

Is there anything that can be done?

Those of us who rely on public transportation would be grateful for anything that can be done.

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

Is there anything that can be done? Yes, find other transportation

Anonymous said...

Markets correct themselves. It's up to people like you NOT to support these companies who hire unscrupulous people. It's unfortunate, but that's why Uber and Lyft have become so popular. Entrepreneurs took a risk and the risk paid off.
If you can, try using one of the other services. If more people do that, these low end cabbies will die off.

Anonymous said...

Buy a car

Anonymous said...

1) You are trained to drive with one foot
2) All newer model cabs come with a leg in the truck) ask for a newer cab next time
3) Don't bring your hot African American friends with you next time
4) Non Smoking means that you cant smoke in the car or, (again) ask for a newer model that doesn't smoke


I hope that helps you with your transportation problems

Anonymous said...

Use Uber instead. Way better. They require clean, smoke-free cars and screen their drivers. Drivers also have ratings that you can read and review and they are typically less expensive than taxi cabs. (on a side note, unless you're a race car driver or driving a manual, you only need 1 foot).

Anonymous said...

Use Uber or Lyft.

Anonymous said...

Try Uber or lyft

Anonymous said...

UBER

Anonymous said...

Hey Boy Mayor - step up and provide some insight!

Anonymous said...

Keep in mind most taxi drivers are ex-cons and make less than min wage.

Anonymous said...

yup uber!lyft!

Anonymous said...

Don't know about you but if I'm in an auto I only use one foot for the pedals...

I'd suggest uber if you don't like the cabs. What do you expect in a city like Salisbury? The companies know that you have no other choice

Anonymous said...

You should use Lyft or Uber. The drivers I have had are great, and the price is the price. You can rank every driver after you ride. If you rank them low you will never be paired with them again.

Anonymous said...

You need to download the Uber App and request an Uber Driver - they are all background checked and I know they have a strict no-smoking policy, plus you are allowed to rate your driver so when you choose one stay away from the low rated drivers.

Anonymous said...

Use Lyft or Uber.. nicer and cheaper!!!

Anonymous said...

The person forgot to mention how horrible they drive. How they commit moving violations constantly. They also did not mention the condition of the vehicles and what a hazard they pose to everyone in their vicinity.

KCSr said...

So many of them do not have a taxi permit but the law doesn't bother them. Look at the cabs most have numerous safety problems but are never stopped or inspected for violations. Bad tires and brakes.

Anonymous said...

Try Uber. I would say record it on your camera phone, but that might be illegal. Also, I only use one foot to drive with, too. I doubt a cab would have manual transmission.

Anonymous said...

Use UBER

Anonymous said...

Does the county regulate taxis? I thought that it was the city.

Anonymous said...

UBER

Anonymous said...

The bikes are for rent !

Anonymous said...

Uber checks out their drivers at least...Not 100 percent safe but better than ex-con cabbies.

Anonymous said...

Another idiot asking for more burdensome government regulation. Complaining about a driver with one foot when every driver with an auto transmission drives with one foot exposes you as the whining sniveling compainer that you are. I bet you find a problem with every person you deal with. See 12:50.

Anonymous said...

where else will you buy your crack?

Anonymous said...

yeah uber then you can be molested on your way home! ask pamela anderson!

Anonymous said...

From the look of responses Uber is the area's largest employer. Way to go losers!

Anonymous said...

Good Grief, I can't believe these comments. Not everyone can drive, wants to drive or can afford a car and insurance. To use Uber or Lyft, you have to have a smartphone and download an app. Again, not everyone in society has a smartphone and the ability to do this. This includes a lot of elderly folks who need transportation. Also for Uber or Lyft, you must use a credit card for payment. That's another issue for those who don't have a credit card or want to use credit.

Anonymous said...

I didnt realize Uber or Lyft was that popular in this area as I live in the county but work in the downtown Salisbury area and have never seen one.

I am frequently out through down running errands throughout the day and early evening hours and havent seen any.

Whst I have seen alot of tho are Taxi etc cars and some I guess single entrepreneurs with craft style lettering on the sides of their vehicles.

Anonymous said...

6:29 There aren't any 50+ year old females around here that look anywhere near that attractive. Uber is far safer than a cab. You have their name, photo, car make/model and tag number. Ever get that info from a salisbury cab before it arrived? Didn't think so!

Anonymous said...

Wow, who peed in your cereal?

Anonymous said...

Number 3 hilarious

Anonymous said...

If you use Bailey's or Salisbury Taxi's you are a at risk passenger! They are rattle trap clunkers, don't know how 2/3 can even get tags....

Anonymous said...

I rode in taxis to my work for over 20 years. No I have never had a license, or the $ to buy a car much less insurance. The only problem I had years ago was that they would pick someone else up on my ride and quite often that person was never ready when they pulled up, or it was a whole family with kids climbing all over me, and I wearing a uniform which then had to be ironed and appropriate for medical offices. The last 5 years I worked I had a wonderful black man named Bruce who worked for Delmarva Taxi then got his own cabs. He never picked up additional riders and he and his wife became my friends.

Anonymous said...

Back in the 80's there was a move to license cab companies. At that time there was only a handful. Was that ever done?

Anonymous said...

Great cover for a drug operation

Rattled cabs .....hmmmmmm

Anonymous said...

UBER UBER UBER

Anonymous said...

Call Gene's Taxi their drivers don't smoke and are polite.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if most of them even pay taxes on their income. A lot of them are private and I also wonder if they even have a license to operate a cab. I think a lot of them are on welfare and use the extra money for cigarettes, booze, drugs, etc. Think I will take some pictures and send them to Social Services.

Anonymous said...

I remember someone telling me that one of the taxi companies in town, do sell drugs. Started with a B, I believe.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if the complainant got COPD from smoking? Reformed smokers are the worst about complaining about other people that smoke. Everyone knows that. I would never ride in a Salisbury Taxi. They are the worst cars and drivers I have ever seen in the Taxi trade.

Anonymous said...

If you have read these comments then yes, you have options with ride sharing companies. Taxis are not public transportation. Public transportation is funded by the city, county, or state. These are private companies.
To answer the question about having them licenced, there was talk about cabs having to have medallions but at the time the 3 big companies that worked the city had enough pull to have it nixed. Now more that ever there needs to be some sort of stricter regulation. Anyone with a car, a phone and some lettering on the side of thier car can claim to be a cab. It wont get fixed until someone ends up kidnapped or dead.

Anonymous said...

Nice story but...who cares about your cab rides?

Anonymous said...

The complainer CHOOSES to ride in a cab when she calls them and asks them to come pick her up. This is a great country and no one makes her ride in the cabs that she finds so objectionable. She needs to find another way to get where she wants to go, instead of trying to change the whole Salisbury Taxi industry because she doesn't like the service they provide and they don't coddle her like she wants in a taxi ride. There are too many options for her for me to list here. Just quit calling a taxi for HER transportation needs. Sounds like a cranky old lady with self-inflicted health issues, that expects Cadillac service from a taxi company. Call me and I'll take her anywhere in Salisbury, anytime, for $100 a trip, in a never smoked in car. Somehow I don't think she is looking for that. She is looking for sympathy for her bad decisions.

Anonymous said...

Why does she keep calling cab companies with the same lousy service, and expecting a better result each time? You would think, with all her problems, she would quit calling them. I bet all the cab companies know who she is when she calls. She's not going to like the ride, no matter what.