Taxi Ettiquette

 We do field many calls daily. We try to take care of our VIPS first. These are the customers who have been with us since we began Abraxi Taxi almost 10 years ago. Our next priority would be locals followed by the many tourists who visit us here in Saint Augustine Florida. However; if we did indeed pick you up and dropped you off somewhere here in the Ancient City, we feel an obligation not to leave you stranded: no matter where or what time. So please listen to what the dispatcher is putting down to ensure your safe and timely return trip home.

We do not surge price. Generally, what you paid coming in will be the same amount you fork over on the return trip. What I would like to do here is address a little taxi etiquette here on what the dispatcher needs to know and what sets apart the better client is the ability to articulate and listen.

The superior customer will give us the location, the number of people in the party and the location to where they want to be taken. Sometimes they may call ahead and set up what we label a time call. If they are in a noisy spot they will have the courtesy to find a quieter spot before calling. Now when we pull up at the allotted time these incredible humans will be ready to go. If you give us the “I will right out finger”, you may get the “Merry Christmas middle digit”, in return. The most exceptional taxi cab rider will be punctual. These wondrous creatures would never attempt to eat or smoke in their divine chariots. And all personal hygiene tasks will be completed before your designated driver arrives.

Upon decabbing and after paying the freight these awesome demi-gods will thoroughly check that they have all their personal belongings. If for some reason Houston has a problem and the driver has experienced some technical trouble, they are eagerly waiting by their communication device anxiously awaiting our call and promptly answering their phone or replying to text messages,for those infrequent times we may be running behind. They never call us repeatedly as if we can make our taxis drive any faster, control our quirky Bridge of Lions, or crazy traffic patterns around the Plaza De Constitucion. When they do call us, it is from a phone from this century that is crisp and clear, yet never tells the dispatcher Merry Christmas. Now we know sometimes the best laid plans go awry but calling and cancelling cab service as we are pulling up into your driveway is unacceptable and you will suffer apocryphal retribution. Sometimes the superior customer may ask us a price and decide that we may be too steep. I understand some cab companies charge less, but, please never tell me what another company charges: just take that company.

The keys to becoming a superior taxi fare are brevity, clarity, punctuality, generosity, loyalty, patience and good natured-ness. We understand being under the weather and just having one of those days, however; being miserable, irascible and ill-mannered every day just can not help your personal mental health or help you move forward in this wonderful journey we call life. Remember the superior taxicab client never uses ride shares or at a minimum will not utter that criminal empires name Uber!