Analysis of GPS logs uncovers multimillion $ NYC cab scam

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/12/city-cabbies-gouge-passengers-out-of-millions-agency-finds/?hp

by MykalMorton • 16 years ago

52 24 16 years ago

cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com

spuz• 16 years ago

Well who didn't see that one coming?

Jim72• 16 years ago

The overcharged customers, of course... all 1.8 million of them.

Pity, as the meter in a cab is clearly visible and the regulations are posted for the passenger to see.

Mz3• 16 years ago

The scam was primarily perpetrated by a small number of drivers, with 3,000 of them overcharging more than 100 times, the agency said.

While the 1.8 million overcharged trips is a large number, it represents only 0.5 percent of the 361 million taxi trips taken during the 26-month period the agency studied.

Given the tiny percentage, I think calling it a "scam" is a bit over the top. Who doesn't make an occasional mistake?

-------

A single cabby was accused this month of overcharging passengers a total of $40,000.

On the other hand, this was probably not a mistake. But in many cases, I would guess it was an innocent mistake.

jonknee• 16 years ago

The "innocent mistake" primarily consisted of a small number of drivers who did it more than 100 times... That's pretty telling. If it was a mistake why did they do it over 100 times?

The rules are pretty simple and no cabbie mistakenly thinks they are in Westchester when they are on Park Ave. It's quite obviously a scam, but not one that all NYC cabbies perpetrated.

Mz3• 16 years ago

I already acknowledged that some cases are pretty clearly not just human error. And I haven't really been to New York (drove through there on the way to the Boston area once), so I don't really know firsthand. However, the cliche is that New York cabbies are typically foreign and speak poor English. So I have a little difficulty thinking that they all are perfectly clear about every detail of their jobs and there are no mistakes rooted in language barrier/cultural barrier/just not knowing the geography as well as a native of the area likely would.

reginaldo• 16 years ago

I think 100 times in a period of 2 years is not so much, is it? 2 years is approx. 100 weeks of work. So 100 mistakes would merely mean about 1 overcharge per week. I'd only suspect the drivers that were overcharging more than once a day.

mhb• 16 years ago

What is the value of the "mistakes" made by cabbies undercharging Westchester travelers with the Manhattan rate?

oldgregg• 16 years ago

And we all wondered why they so adamantly opposed having GPS installed...

sliverstorm• 16 years ago

No. No, we didn't wonder. We knew and they knew.

andrewcooke2• 16 years ago

i don't see how that makes sense. the fraction of drivers doing this, according to the report, is small. so if there was a popular objection then it must also have included people (a majority) who don't do this.

perhaps people simply value privacy, even while doing their job.

[also - note how the bad behaviour of a minority is being used to justify the loss of privacy by the majority; this happens again and again]

RK• 16 years ago

Who will write an android/iphone app for passengers to double check this?

Edit: Looks like they already exist:

http://www.google.com/search?q=iphone+taxi+meter+app

gyardley2• 16 years ago

When I hop into a cab in NYC, I generally spend a lot more than the $4.55 this article implies the average fare should be - since $4.55 is the average overcharge, and since the overcharged rate is double.

If this was just user error I'd expect the overcharge to be near the average fare - looks to me like the cabbies are deliberately ripping off people who want to go just a short distance, probably out of irritation.

lionhearted2• 16 years ago

Wouldn't the $4.55 over just be metered distance? You also pay a flat fee when you get in, pay when the cab is idling, and pay for any tolls you pass - those wouldn't be effected. It's been a while since I was in New York though, and I usually tried to avoid cabs.

gyardley2• 16 years ago

Yes, this is all true. Didn't add it because I didn't think it modified my point much.

ghshephard• 16 years ago

As one who has taken taxis on a daily to weekly basis for the last ten years, I've never understood how on earth a Taxi Driver can pull scams on their passengers. I flag locally, call for a pickup, as well as take cabs from airports.

I've done this thousands of times in ten years.

In _all_ of that time, the closest I've seen to an errant fare (keeping in mind, I make the same trip hundreds of times with dozens of taxis drivers, as well as having Google Maps give me detailed distance information) is low tire pressure on a Taxi that took what should have been a $35 taxi fare to $38. It's amazing how little the "waiting time" charge varies a ride taken at a particular time. It's usually within 30-50 cents on a $40 ride at most.

I've never had a taxi driver try and determine if I was a "regular" or "out of towner" - and I rarely do more than just give them an address.

So I find it, based on my own experiences, very, very hard to believe that Taxi Drivers are engaging in any kind of widespread scam - unless they pull it on the blatant foreigners.

If I ever had a Taxi driver charge me the wrong rate, I wouldn't even dispute it with him, I'd just call their administrative oversight (which, in most cities, is the local police) and let them deal with it.

So, as much as people want to suggest "GPS Logs" are uncovering something - I'd have to suggest that by and large there is nothing to uncover. I'd be interested in seeing further details on these taxi drivers who have supposedly overcharged 100s of times - People like me would have flipped and/or called the police if they tried it even _once_ on us.

Color me dubious.

lionhearted2• 16 years ago

Compare:

"Hey driver, 30th and 3rd please."

"Hi, umm, do we want to go the Empire State Building next? Umm, okay, yeah, Empire State Building please." -> Flip into doubletime.

Analysis of GPS logs uncovers multimillion $ NYC cab scam

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