more articles like this

Line of Taxis
updated: Jul 23, 2012, 2:00 PM

By Edhat Subscriber

Why is there still a line of taxis across from the closed greyhound station?

Comments in order of when they were received | (reverse order)

COMMENT 300515	2012-07-23 02:06 PM
They are comfortable sitting there. I hate walking by them and am glad that there are fewer than there were when Greyhound WAS there. They do seem to get a few fares from Ralph's and maybe they are more busy on weekends when people are heading home from the bars? Not sure but they are mainly mid-eastern, not good old Yellow Cab.
COMMENT 300519P	2012-07-23 02:14 PM
Because of the weirdly named hotel across the street from the old Greyhound station?
COMMENT 300522	2012-07-23 02:23 PM
its a cab rank. never seen one before? 515, did good old yellow cab have a different racial mix that you preferred driving their cabs? i always thought having a miniature shrine in the front seat esp in NY was sorta interesting.
COMMENT 300527P	2012-07-23 02:32 PM
The station is closed?
DILLYDALLY	2012-07-23 02:44 PM
Somebody just discovered their pot is melting.
COMMENT 300538P	2012-07-23 02:51 PM
What a waste of good (?) pot!
SBFUNLOVER	2012-07-23 03:14 PM
The MTD transit center is located across the street still.
COMMENT 300564	2012-07-23 03:37 PM
515, you hate walking by the cabs because (you decided) they are middle eastern people? This one takes the cake.
COMMENT 300571P	2012-07-23 03:44 PM
Kind of comical, isn't it? I love when racist people think they are the majority and then every single response they get is against it. Derp.
SHAGGY	2012-07-23 03:45 PM
mid eastern? Good Old Yellow Cab ? Really ?
COMMENT 300584P	2012-07-23 04:04 PM
571P, frerned, rerling in der derp....LOL.....
COMMENT 300596	2012-07-23 04:25 PM
I hate walking by them because they smoke gross smelling cigarettes and ogle (yes, I am using that word!) women when they walk by. Yuck!
COMMENT 300600	2012-07-23 04:28 PM
Bus terminal is still there just greyhound left, plenty of people still need a cab from that spot.
COMMENT 300619	2012-07-23 05:06 PM
How many cab companies are there in town? Every time I turn around there seems to be some new ones. I still seem to have a problem finding a decent one to get a ride home from downtown. It is never the same price to go home! Can someone tell me what is the deal?
COMMENT 300622	2012-07-23 05:16 PM
619, a few months ago my 10 year old son and I started tallying how many different cabs/taxis we spot in Santa Barbara and Goleta. We're up to 48 and still counting!
COMMENT 300625	2012-07-23 05:31 PM
I left my phone in a cab the other week, and I had no way of finding out which one it was! I checked the phone book and online and called all of them. No phone. One of the companies I talked to said that there were a bunch that were unlisted too. If you have an iphone, make sure that you install the Find my iphone app. I sure wish I had.
COMMENT 300635	2012-07-23 05:52 PM
The last time I flew back into the airport, the cab I took from there charged me $70 to get back home in San Roque. Be careful, as I have heard similar things from other people. Why doesn't Santa Barbara have fixed rates like everywhere else?
COMMENT 300640	2012-07-23 06:03 PM
Fixed rates? You want fixed rates? Isn't that unAmerican? What about "free market forces"?
COMMENT 300661	2012-07-23 06:34 PM
I totally got taken on a ride the other week. The cab driver charged me twice as much as it usually does to go home. When I refused to pay that much he said he would call the cops. I told him go ahead and call as I knew the fare was too high. When the cops got there they made me pay the fare cause they said I had been drinking and the driver was sober. What BS. I am totally paranoid now about which cabs I take.
COMMENT 300673	2012-07-23 07:32 PM
$70 from the airport to San Roque? That is a joke! I would of called the owner and complained. You know, there is a taxi licensing department (of some sort) in the City of SB. At least there was 10 years ago. I had an altercation with one of the cab drivers and I called the city who directed me to the right department. The guy I spoke to said that this particular driver had a lot of complaints. He is no longer taking fares in SB.
COMMENT 300691	2012-07-23 08:34 PM
Cabs cost more here than any other city ( I travel a lot). $8 a mile is about what it costs in SB while its closer to $5 in most cities... in fact its cheaper in NYC, SF, Chicago, Seattle, LA and other big cities than it is here in SB. I know gas is more expensive here but its ridiculous how much a cab ride costs. Anyone know why we have so many cab companies?
SHOREBIRD	2012-07-23 10:38 PM
I always call Rose Cab when I need a ride home from the airport. Ignore those scammers in the taxi line. When you call Rose and give your pick up and destination locations they will be able to tell you the approximate fare. Airport to turnpike area was ~$20.
COMMENT 300740	2012-07-24 08:05 AM
300625 - next time, get a receipt. I use cabs for business travel and need to have a receipt, but occasionally they come in handy for other reasons as well. Like when you lose somthing in the cab, or you like that cab driver and want to call and ask for him by name in the future, or when they overcharge you and you need proff to file a complaint, etc.
COMMENT 300748	2012-07-24 08:31 AM
Most people that take the MTD bus can't afford cabs, that's why they take the bus. The cabbies are there because they don't know where else to hang out. They are loitering. It's insane how much it costs to take a taxi in SB! I got one from SBA and only had to go 2 miles and the guy was so mad at us because now he lost his spot at the front of the line so he charged us a minimum fee of $20! To go 2 miles, totally ridiculous! They do it because nobody is regulating them. We have foreign taxi drivers milking foreign visitors of their money. There is an irony eh?
COMMENT 300755	2012-07-24 08:50 AM
I don't see the connection between Greyhound buses and cabs; what one has to do with the other. Bus users don't typically have the $$ to waste on cab fare. As for the racist remarks..... yuk, they are disgusting.
LUCKY 777	2012-07-24 12:12 PM
I have twice taken a cab from downtown and when I asked for a receipt the driver refused. He could not speak English well enough to understand my request, or could not write. I certainly wondered whose taxi license he was using to drive on. In BOTH cases I said "No recibo de taxi NO DINERO" and I got a curse and they drove away. I wouldn't know how to say it in Arabic, Babelfish only tells me this: ???? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ?? ????? and I certainly wouldn't know how to pronounce that!
COMMENT 300826P	2012-07-24 12:18 PM
I second the recommendation for Rose Cab. I have used them multiple times to go to the airport and they give me a price ahead of time. Always courteous and prompt and no problems with smoking or "ogling."
COMMENT 300928	2012-07-24 04:26 PM
I am sure there are some good, honest cab companies in SB who hire locals and do a good job. Let's support them. Any besides Rose. Anybody have a particular cab driver they like and want to recommend? I want to ride with the guy who has lived in SB for years and is driving a taxi to support his family.
COMMENT 300993	2012-07-24 06:58 PM
I only ever call Abe at Rockstar/Lowrider. He's a local guy, young with a great sense of humor but very clean and patient. His van is immaculate (plus, he'a a mechanic so I feel safe). I've never paid more than $20 to get anywhere in SB. My parents have used him to get to the Airbus and said the same. 636-1788 call or text him directly and don't have to go through rude useless call centers
COMMENT 301000	2012-07-24 07:35 PM
I think it is a horrible spot where they all line up and is a safety hazard since they often stick out into traffic trying to squeeze in at the back. It is also tricky for cars entering and exiting the Ralph's parking lot since you never know when they're going to jump into traffic.
COMMENT 301109	2012-07-25 08:52 AM
As a Taxi Owner Operator For Several Years, I would be delighted to inform and educate those who have commented and have also been left in the dark - with a bright red meter displaying neon- astronomical figures upon your destination. 1.) There actually is a Taxi Authority in Santa Barbara; however they do NOT govern the price. In New York City, a "Medallion" placard drilled into the hood of the cab governs the set wage and drop value. Here- any taxi company can charge whatever they wish, as long as it is posted on the cab and documented with the permit office in Santa Barbara. 2.) Taxi History: Five years ago, there was 32 Taxi Companies with a total of about 200 drivers. Today there are over 85 Companies, some solo- with an approx. driver total of over 700. By the way, did you know that in 1925, State Street was devastated and destroyed by an earth quake. Only the Granada Theater survived. There where no taxicabs.
COMMENT 301903	2012-07-26 06:07 PM
I use ivcab (dot com) cheapest and super clean. honest.

34% of comments on this page were made by Edhat Community Members.

*** One comment was removed from this thread by the Edhat Board Nanny for violating Edhat Comments Board policy. Click Here to see it.