What is a "short" trip from major airports in Australia? How to deal with it?

[dajop]

Recently was verbally abused by cab driver after taking cab from MEL airport on a short trip - he suggested we should have gone upstairs and taken a cab from departures. Last time I tried that in SYD was told by 2 taxi drivers they couldn't do that as there were fines of $1000. Does anyone know if this is legal from MEL?

It was the first time I'd encountered this on this particular trip - it was $34 (plus $2 airport fee). Anyway no tips because he was so rude (would have been happy to tip a little otherwise).

But, what is a "short trip"? $40? $50? Anywhere short of Frankston? I am curious what others think.

 

[bigjobs]

re: What is a "short" trip from major airports in Australia? How to deal with it?

I've had this multiple times from a number of airports. Usually I let the driver have it in a very firm way if they start abusing me. I will not stand for their complaints. I also let them know very clearly that I will be calling the cab company and the transport department.

 

[markis10]

MEL needs to adopt the SYD scheme whereby short trip cabs can return to their place in the queue, it makes sense!

 

[MarkD]

It is illegal for a cabbie to refuse a fare, based on distance, however half of them can't even speak english, let alone understand the rules

 

[serfty]

Frankston would be $140+ and avoiding tollways! (Take Eastlink and it's $160+)

It costs $10 to go past the F1 hotel at MEL with flag-fall, airport fee, tollway fee, time charge and the 1km you have travelled.

Look at $45-$55 for CBD.

 

[medhead]

A short trip is $5 maybe $10 at a stretch.

It might be worth checking the rules in each state, but if they get abusive and you feel strongly about it you can try abusing them back. Sounds bad but the basic idea is to get them to kick you out of the cab. Why? Because if they kick you out you don't have to pay the fare (well that is rules in Qld and SA)


Sent from the Throne (80% chance) using Aust Freq Fly app

 

[djfuzz]

Years ago, my one and only op-up to F on MH was followed by this unfortunate experience at MEL.

I was given the 'go upstairs and get a cab from departures' line. Having lived close to the airport my whole life, I was pretty sure this is not kosher at MEL either, and I'm also pretty sure that they've been cracking down on it even more since then. So against better judgment I turned it back on him and pointed specifically to the sign by the queue that stated that drivers could not refuse a fare. Reluctantly, he took off, swearing in Hindi along the way.

I've had to do this for years, and almost always give the drivers an extra tenner to bring the fare closer to a regular city fare. I did so again on this occasion (though I did think twice about it) and suddenly the driver became very apologetic. I agree that some sort of short trip arrangement would be fairer to both cabbies and passengers.

 

[simongr]

Or cabbies could try and get fares in the city rather than sitting at the airport reading the paper waiting for a "big fare" to come along...

 

[djfuzz]

Or cabbies could try and get fares in the city rather than sitting at the airport reading the paper waiting for a "big fare" to come along...

Well, I hazard to say that Allan Fels may be on to something as that's what some of them tend to do in town as well - I'm sure you and others here could relate to the odd bit of recalcitrance when getting a CBD to HSW fare...

I must say I was completely shocked at how good natured cabbies were in HK recently, despite being so ridiculously cheap and despite the shortest of fares; and how gracious they were to receive even the smallest of tips. Really eye opening.

 

[dajop]

Well, I hazard to say that Allan Fels may be on to something as that's what some of them tend to do in town as well - I'm sure you and others here could relate to the odd bit of recalcitrance when getting a CBD to HSW fare...

Yep. Once day catching a taxi from the St Kilda end of St Kilda road to around Flemington Racecourse, it took 5 cabs to get someone to take me, they all just wanted city jobs so they get try and get a long suburban ride from the Flinder St rank. By taxi 3, I had already sat in the cab before I told him my destination, and when I did he refused and started driving off as the passengers in the back seat were getting in. I should have taken his number and reported him, but my concern was more for the others to ensure they were all OK.

As you could probably guess, for me, cabs in Melbourne are a last resort.

 

[gwilli1]

MEL needs to adopt the SYD scheme whereby short trip cabs can return to their place in the queue, it makes sense!

yes , the sydney system works quite well . I live at Rockdale in sydney which is 10 mins in a cab from Domestic ($23 approx) & 5 mins from the International ($13 approx). They don't like it , but the days of being abused are just about gone & the odd one that does , I just rip straight back at them.

 

[harvyk]

A couple of years ago, my flight into BNE Dom was delayed (left CBR over an hour late) which killed off any margin I had for getting over to BNE Int. I was planning on taking either the train or bus for terminal transfer, but unless they where ready to go now I wasn't going to make the connection (I had about 30 minutes until boarding, and I had no idea how big the customs \ security line was going to be, and I didn't have an express pass). So I decided to take a cab, when I first told the driver where I wanted to go to I was told in no uncertain terms he was not going to take me. I got out of the cab and a supervisor asked me what was wrong, I explained I wanted to get across to the Int terminal, the supervisor told the taxi in no uncertain terms that he was to take me to Int...

I realise it was a short ride, and that I had probably just cost him his place in the queue but of course I didn't want to miss my flight as that would have also been bad. If the guy had not been such an cough over the whole thing I was probably going to give him a tip (and I never tip AU taxi drivers) knowing I had just cost him a spot in the queue, of course given it came down to the supervisor needing to order him to take me, he was getting exactly what was on the meter and not 1 cent more.

 

[UP4014]

When a cab driver in my home town of Sydney gives me cough I ask them to drive to the nearest police station, but as another poster said Sydney taxies have improved out of sight in the last 10 years.

Melb cabbies I find are some of the worst I've come across in Australia, when I'm heading to or from the CBD from Tulla I now use the Skybus service. (if going somewhere else I prefer to hire a car than use a Melb taxi)

Matt

 

[travelislife]

MEL needs to adopt the SYD scheme whereby short trip cabs can return to their place in the queue, it makes sense!

They already do have this! If I remember correctly if it is under a 20 minute round trip then the cabbie skips the queue. I posted about irate MEL cab drivers in another thread too caused by exactly the same reasons.

 

[harvyk]

+1 for Skybus in MEL... the absolute longest amount of time it will take during the day, from deciding to go from the CBD out to the airport to actually arriving at the airport is 30 minutes, it's often less. For $26 return you can't beat it for price or timings... You'd barely get a taxi half way between airport and CBD for the price, and I doubt it would be any faster for a taxi.

(It also works out really nicely for me as the client I visit in Melbourne is literally around the corner from southern cross station )

 

[medhead]

Well of course airport ranks are a bit different. But I've posted a couple of times that short trips are the best thing for cab drivers. Why? flag fall! Every time they turn on that meter it is $3 or $4. If you can turn on the meter 10 or 20 times an hour the cab driver is rolling in it just for being there. Airport is different because they might have been sitting there for 2 hours.

 

[rechoboam]

Well of course airport ranks are a bit different. But I've posted a couple of times that short trips are the best thing for cab drivers. Why? flag fall! Every time they turn on that meter it is $3 or $4. If you can turn on the meter 10 or 20 times an hour the cab driver is rolling in it just for being there. Airport is difference because they might have been sitting there for 2 hours.

Add a three dollar tip for being gracious and driving across the road 15 times gets you to well over $100/hour gross!

 

[Deleted member]

+1 for Skybus in MEL... the absolute longest amount of time it will take during the day, from deciding to go from the CBD out to the airport to actually arriving at the airport is 30 minutes, it's often less. For $26 return you can't beat it for price or timings... You'd barely get a taxi half way between airport and CBD for the price, and I doubt it would be any faster for a taxi.

(It also works out really nicely for me as the client I visit in Melbourne is literally around the corner from southern cross station )

Unless there are two or more of you travelling?

 

[oz_mark]

For $26 return you can't beat it for price or timings...

It's had a price rise. Now $28 return. Still cheaper than a taxi!

 

[Moopere]

It costs $10 to go past the F1 hotel at MEL with flag-fall, airport fee, tollway fee, time charge and the 1km you have travelled.

Look at $45-$55 for CBD.

I see the sign in arrivals about a cab fare to the CBD being about 45$ including tolls and assumed this was out of date. Almost all my travel in MEL starts with airport-HSW in docklands. Not the CBD, I realise, but _really_ close. With 2x tolls + CC fee I never see a fair as low as $55 and never even close to $45.

Honestly though, last time I had time to properly plan I got a limo which cost me just over 70$ all in. Its worth it. I have not come across the angry taxi driver yet, but the taxi's are all filthy, noisy, worn out pieces of cr&p frankly.

For about $10 extra last time I used a chaffeur and got a Caprice, clean, leather interior, suited driver who helped with my bags etc.