Oh! Good news! The D.C. Taxicab Commission is considering dropping the zoned fare system in favor of a metered fare scheme. Pah.
How many of you have successfully deciphered the zone map? I consider myself well-versed in cartolology (the study of maps), but I am just stumped by the zone map. I blame this inability on several things:
- The zone map is often too far down the seatback. How easy is it to read small print on the back of a front car seat while the driver’s swerving wildly around six-way intersections?
- I almost exclusively take cabs at night when the metro’s almost closed (or when I just want to get home quickly). It’s impossible to read the map under a faint, yellowed ceiling lamp. And, again, its placement (see #1) doesn’t help much, either.
- By the time I hop into a cab, I’ve had a few drinks. Forget trying to read a map; I’m already too busy trying to explain (in half-slurred deaf speech) to the driver how to get home without accidently crossing over into Anacostia.
- And look at the map. It’s turned forty-five degrees counter-clockwise. What possessed the cartographer to decide that Constitution Avenue should run on a southwesternly direction, instead of directly west-east like all the other maps out there? And the choice of streets to demarcate the zones are questionable. Does anyone know where Randolph and Peabody Streets are?
A meter solves all these problems! And it’s even more deaf-friendly. No more trying to lipread the cab driver. The fare is right there on the box, illustrated with bright, red or green LEDs.
I really don’t care if I end up paying more for some far-flung trips (like the one time I fell asleep on the Red Line and woke up in Glenmont at 3:30 AM, which for Southeast DC residents, might as well as be Philadelphia). I know I’ll pay less for really short trips that would normally cost more than $15 just becuase I crossed a zone line.
The bottom line is that the D.C. taxi experience needs to be made much more friendlier and less prone to rip-offs (which, I am convinced, definitely happens. It’s entirely up to the driver to decide how many zones to cross to get to your destination, driving up the fare).
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I’m all for metered cabs! I loathe the D.C. cabs here, and that it costs $8.80 to take a cab just a few short blocks from Whole Foods due to a heavy load of groceries on P and 15th to my place on 20th. In New York City, that would’ve been four to five bucks at the most.
Plus, the drivers are horrible and misogynistic–they never follow my directions. They’re like, “No, this is better,” and end up taking me through the Northeast from Capitol Hill on Independence Avenue, to U Street, and then to my place. Shortcut, my ass.
ERR. I can’t even understand that map!!!!!
I’m so all for metered cabs….I usually end up walking because it’s easier than trying to communicate with the cab driver.
Just a thought - wouldn’t it be a heck of a lot easier and in the long run, much cheaper and healthier, to just buy one of those personal, rolling grocery carts? I simply can’t fathom taking a taxi from Whole Foods to a residence that’s a mere 5 blocks away? Gee. :)
I personally like the present system and don’t want to see it go away. I like knowing that a one-zone, taxi trip from Dupont to Capitol Hill will *always* be $6.50. And a dollar more if riding during rush hour.
There is one drawback though. The zone map requires intimate knowledge of DC’s geography, i.e. origin and destination. And if you’re a visitor, the likelihood of being scammed goes way up.
Due to the weird streets here, what logically should have been five blocks is not. You see, I live in the Kalorama Area, just two blocks away from 18th Street. It’s quite a distance down from P and 15th.
I’ll never forget the time a cab driver tried to charge me $10 for going to the Supreme building from Union Station- a total of three blocks (well, it was raining HARD and I did have on rather high heels). The Washington Post once did an article on cab drivers determining the fare based on how gullible their passenger “appeared”.
Does cartolology include the fine art of folding (or maneuvering) maps back into their original folded-down version? Well, that’s definitely a considerable skill to have.
Create one of the Taxi Customer Affairs Badge and pretend you are doing a survey. You will get a good price for sure.
Thank goodness! This has been a long time coming, and I think it’s been tried before - hopefully this time it will make it all the way through to reality.
A lot of people know how to exploit the current DC taxi fare like just walk to the next zone to save $$$ (just half-block).
This individual took the taxi on daily basis to his work til the cab driver found out that he live in another zone. He got infuriated and refused to pick up him.
The metered fares are pros and cons. I usually give the cab driver a list of streets to zoom down. Many cab drivers shrug off at my written request with specific streets to drive on. I simply get off the cab and take down the cab driver’s DC employee number and cab # and license plate. Some cab drivers really get scared about being reported to the DC Taxi Commission. I just get those drivers in negoitable postitons about cab fare. I always get the good deal!
I haven’t used DC and regional taxis for years. I never forget the past incident with the DC cab driver when I flagged from the Tracks nightclub in Southeast (current federal government building in Navy Yard). The cab driver drove me off-way behind the parking lot next to the former Washington Post printing place. I wavered to the cab driver - “What are you doing??” in gesture. He drove into the darkened (vacant) parking lot and pulled his dong. I immediately got out of the cab and ran to the Washington Post building and called on the security guard to call the DC police. The cab zoomed away.
RLM
Rob, Good boy for being environmentally-conscious person like walking and carrying your food bags or in the cart.
The majority of Americans ought to be more like Europeans especially French for daily grocery shopping.
The Whole Foods of P Street, NW management told me that they had the survey of their consumers’ shopping habits. Most customers tend to shop partially and come almost daily for their food shoppings. The Whole Foods store on P Street is the leading third store in the U.S.
I usually shop at the Whole Foods and Harris Teeter stores in Clarendon/Ballston and P Street. I hardly bother to shop at the Giant’s and Safeway since their products really suck and get more expensive than the Whole Foods and Harris Teeter.
Harris Teeter stores carry the handful of organic foods with reasonable price. The Whole Foods regualry have the sales on organic and other healthy foods.
RLM