This text describes the experience of trying to hail a taxi in Miami and the difficulties encountered due to drivers refusing short rides. It includes a photo and description of a line of taxis waiting to take people to the airport or hotels. The author compares the experience to using Uber, which was more convenient and affordable. This text describes the experience of trying to hail a taxi in Miami and the difficulties encountered due to drivers refusing short rides. It includes a photo and description of a line of taxis waiting to take people to the airport or hotels. The author compares the experience to using Uber, which was more convenient and affordable. The text conveys the frustration of dealing with taxi drivers who prioritize longer, more profitable rides. It highlights the decline of the taxi industry due to competition from ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft. The author argues that taxi drivers should not be allowed to turn down short rides if they want to access places like the Port of Miami. The text includes an embedded video player and a form for subscribing to daily updates.
After docking in Miami and clearing U.S. Immigration and Customs, we left the cruise port hoping to catch a taxi to our nearest hotel. However, after two drivers refused to take us when they realized we were only going to a hotel less than two miles away, we decided to use Uber.
Taxi drivers in Miami don’t like short rides
The immigration process in Miami was difficult. There were only two agents to let a boat full of passengers through (fortunately there were only 700 passengers on board, and not 5,000…).
Once we finally made it through the line, we stepped outside where taxis were lined up to take people to the airport or their hotels. I imagine many of these guests (and they were all men) had been waiting for hours for a ride. So yeah, the prospect of ducking just 1.1 miles around the corner to the Hyatt Regency was understandably not appetizing.
I got into the first car and the driver asked where I was going. I told him.
He shook his head and said no.
I could have yelled at him or refused to get out of the car, but I didn’t want to expose my son to an angry driver in a city I didn’t know.
The second driver was friendlier about it, but he laughed and said, “Your ride isn’t long enough,” and even refused to open the car door for me.
This is not how taxis should operate… taxis get priority when transporting people and one of the licensing requirements should be that they can’t turn down a short ride if they want to access places like the Port of Miami.
And at that moment I realized why I despise taxis more than Uber.
I know it’s a horrible life being a taxi driver… your core business has been eaten by Uber and Lyft and when you have to wait all day for a ride, a $10 ride is heartbreaking. But if you don’t like the profession, there are other jobs available… especially in a city like Miami.
So I took an Uber to the Hyatt Regency. Not only did I save money, but the Venezuelan driver was much nicer.
In short: taxi drivers are going to act like taxi drivers and this situation is not unique to Miami. There is a reason people don’t like taxi drivers, as I was certainly reminded here.
Receive daily updates
Join our mailing list for a daily digest of posts! We never sell your info.
You have successfully subscribed!
