I had one refuse me the other day. He hit the cash button before I could the back seat and said "sorry, it's broken."

I've been refused also. I rode in a cab that had the reader and everything but he said 'its not working'. Just a day prior had been my first experience using credit in a cab. It took longer than I would have liked because hitting all the buttons was a pain.

I was refused... until I got on the phone to 311. The cabby said fine, if I hung up the phone. Sometimes you just need to stand up for yourself (same thing with the late to brooklyn thing, once the door is closed they have to take you).

What's the problem? Are they just not getting tips if people pay by card?

Are their employers dicking them out of tips?

Or is it that their tips get reported to the IRS?

@TechnoDestructo: It's the taxes. Imagine if waitresses, bartenders and tow truck drivers were required to pay taxes on their cash-only income.

Everyone has to pay taxes on their cash-only income, it is just easier to lie about it if there are no pay-stubs or banking records.

I think using a credit card in a cab would be a scary thing. Sounds like a great place for a skimmer or have your info stolen by a random immigrant.

I'm guessing the credit cards take a little longer to process than quickly making change with cash, too.... though I could be wrong.

@trollkiller: Where's the card reader? Where a "random immigrant" will install a skimmer? Or are you worried about the driver? If it's with the driver, then I'd say that's pretty close to full traceability.

@sleze69: They're supposed to. Luckily in the case of waitpeople, their employers automatically declare 15% of their service. Same for bartenders anyone know? Imagine if regular people were only supposed to be honest in declaring their income!

@trollkiller: "random immigrant" riigght... becasue no Americans drive cabs. try not being racist.

@sleze69: They do have to pay taxes, most just lie and only claim about .25 on the dollar for tips (if that). Easiest form of tax evasion there is.

The other problem is they then HAVE to use the meter to get the exact cost and can't do trips "off the books".

Well, if you only have a credit card, and that credit card is declined, then what is the cabby going to do? Normally if you have several forms of payment, then he's got a better shot.

Also, credit cards take a 2-3% overhead, PLUS it's likely going to take a while (days?) to get the cash for the credit card.

I don't blame cabbies for wanting to refuse credit cards; at the same time they just need to suck it up.

@trollkiller: I was thinking the same thing. It won't take long for us to hear about stolen credit card data due to bad cabbies. BTW just because someone is an immigrant it doesn't mean they want to cheat you.

I was running late and had to take a cab from Manhattan to Newark airport. The cabbie offered me a 'deal' off meter for the trip but i told him to hit the ticker anyways. Based on the little guide to how much your ride costs in the back of the cab, i owed him about $60 (if i remember correctly). He said i owed him $90 for return tolls and refused to open the trunk for my bags. We had to get a cop involved (who happened to work the tunnel we took years before) and the cop pretty much called the cabbie a liar.

Had i known what i know now about torts (refusing to give a bag back can be considered false imprisonment) i definitely would have nailed the guy and filed a police report for the criminal equivalence. Dealing w/ 311 long distance was such a huge pain in the ass.

I was going to feel bad for the guy and give him a big tip, but after he tried to rip him off i completely stiffed him.

@alceste: your argument is the exact same as the one against cash. Do you think no one has ever hopped in a cab and realized they didnt have the cash? What are you going to do then, use a credit car...errrr?

So can someone explain to me why cabbies are so against credit card readers in their cabs?

I have been in a cab once my entire life so I know very little about cabbie culture or the complete ins & out of cabs.

@xtc46: I never mentioned race so bite me. Quick lesson for the slow, religion does not equal race, country of origin does not equal race, sexual preference does not equal race. So if I say I hate Mexican homosexual Muslims, I have not made a racist statement no matter how much you would like to think so.

@balthisar: In the photo it looks like the card reader in mounted in the back. It seems to me to be a great place to place a skimmer. How would you trace it back to the cab? I would assume if you are using your credit card for cab fare you are most likely using it in other places too.

@hn333: Agreed not every immigrant is out to rip you off. Just like all the 7/11 clerks and NY cabbies are immigrants. Sometimes you just have to run with the joke.

I don't live in NYC, but when I visit I always carry a lot of cash on me for the taxis and the food on the street. Yes, I can understand the convenience of credit cards, especially if you are there for business--it makes keeping track of expenses very easy vs. dealing with cash.

But I think trollkiller is on to something. Stores for the most part are in one place. Cabs are all over the place, get into accidents, get stolen, and instead of just being a robbery where the thief steals money from the register, does having the cab and credit card machine lends itself to easier access to credit card info etc . . . Also is the info being transmitted by wireless--what kind of security is being used to ensure no one gets access to the info. I'd like to know that first before I started using my credit card in a taxi.

@hn333: Should have read: Agreed not every immigrant is out to rip you off. Just like NOT all the 7/11 clerks and NY cabbies are immigrants. Sometimes you just have to run with the joke.

@xtc46: Ergo it is a tax issue. They will have to pay taxes on what they actually earn.

slow news day! what about the guy with the $85,000 cell phone bill. i figured it would be on here by now.

God, I hate NYC yellow cabs. I would much rather walk over (or call) the local car service that's one block away from my house if I really need a cab ride.

I just love how racists, sexists, anti-whatever-ists claim their *****ist statements are "just a joke."

Yeah, TROLLKILLER. I'm talking to you!

Immigration, nationality, etc., etc. have nothing to do with honesty and integrity. As we can see from your example, you're a punk. Anyone else who comes from wherever you're from is not necessarily a punk the way you are.

Back to the topic at hand, do the cabbies have to pay the credit card processing fees? That might have something to do with their reluctance, too.

why can't we all get along! i'm short, do i get all huffy and puffy over short jokes? no! that is just the way the world is. get some thicker skin. you can't change the way people think, and therefore, can't change the way people are.

I think it's ridiculous that they are forced to accept CCs. What compelling reason can be given to convince me that private businesses should be required by law to take a particular payment form??? If being credit card friendly is so important to taxi consumers, the market will correct in favor of it.

were all imigrants, except for native americans of course.

so they can refuse a $50 or $100 bill, but not a card? sounds like bs.

@Trollkiller: No, you're just a bigot. Most people lump all forms of bigotry into racism. True, they are semantically incorrect. Nevertheless, the sentiment is identical.

As for your argument that it is "not ok to hate a race" but is ok to "hate a nationality". You are wrong. First, it is ok to hate anyone, for anything, that you like. You just are not allowed to make decisions based on their race, religion, nationality, or gender unless you have a damned good reason for it. Sexuality is there but at a lower tier of scrutiny - you just have to have a good/compelling reason for it. Nonetheless, this only applies if you are or are affiliated with a United States Federal Government Entity. However, most states have adopted similar rules.

Despite all of this. It comes down to the same issue. It is wrong to discriminate against people and to classify them based on stereotypes. For example, I would stereotype you as a Troll - not a TrollKiller. In this case, I would refer to you as one filthy generic word or another and would likely stereotype you as a teenager who does not feel that he has enough control of his own life. In that regard, I would recommend taking away more control and simply banning you from commenting on gawker - well at least this segment of gawker.

Scrolling through your comments I see a trend towards passive-aggressive trolling that is thinly veiled. Pathetic.

---------

In closing. Why do cab drivers refuse to take credit cards? Basic they're blasted immigrants! Er, wait, wrong response. No, because they like to do a little bit of business under the table - it helps pad their margins. Despite this, it is still not a good reason to refuse a credit card. They are useful and help force the cabby to be honest. I typically tip more when I pay with credit than with cash.

As for fears that they will steal your card number. Sure, then again that is always a fear and is a reason to use a card with insurance and a good bank or credit agency that protects your interests. I find most immigrants [disclosure: I work with legal immigrants nearly every day] tend to be more honest than most U.S. Citizens that I deal with.

Oh well. Finally - I would like to reiterate that someone shove a sock in Trollkiller's mouth.

Ok, Thanks, Bye.

trollkiller is probably hijacking cc's right now. isn't that what all young punks do? <--stereotype)

he probably steals stuff and spraypaints as well.

@LilKoko: Ok do you really want to go down this road? I tried to back off of it because I won't have time to correct people all day, but such is life. So I retract my "it was just a joke" statement and stand fully behind my original statement.

Who is most likely to have contacts outside the reach of US law enforcement? Recent immigrants. Fraud runs rampant in third world countries where a lot of NY cab drivers come from. In fact some countries seem to encourage fraud. (Think Nigeria)

Why would you risk losing your credit card info to a random immigrant? If you go to a local store the "turnover" rate is lower. You see the same people every time you go in. Is that true when you get in a cab? Nope. If you take a cab twice a day for a year I will bet you will meet at least 150 different drivers. Hence the random part of the statement.

There is the logic behind my statement. Deal with it and not your "feelings"

@Cerb: There is no open competition. The number of taxi badges are limited, and you can't grab the same taxi at the same spot every day, so no Free Market and its invisible hand.

@maztec: Does it hurt to talk out of both sides of your mouth? I am attacked because the short bus people think I am accusing all immigrints of being dishonest. I didn't, but yet you are accusing all cabbies of being dishonest because they skim cash. Most NY cabbies are immigrants so therefore YOU not me are accusing immigrants of being dishonest.

I am a man after Dr. King. Content of character not color of skin. That does not mean I am blind or ignore reality. Sorry if taking the veneer off offends you.

@Cerb:
I live in Chicago where all of the Cab's are forced to accept credit cards. Can you imagine how difficult it would be to operate within a system where only SOME of the cab's took credit? SInce it is a regulated industry, the government/city can and should be able to place regulations that benefit the public as a whole upon them uniformly. I can't imagine the cluster-f*ck that would ensue if you had to stop 10 cabs to find one that took credit. I've had a few get pissy with me when I gave them a credit card, and I simply tell them if they want to get paid, they'll take the card. Otherwise, I'm getting out and I got a free ride.

Los Angeles cabs have accepted credit cards for years. None of your nightmare scenarios have come to pass. Worry about something that matters.

@cde: There are a limited number of slots (which I think is bunk to begin with, but this is NYC we are talking about). However, what's to stop one cab company from putting "We Accept CCs" on the side of their cabs? If using a CC is really so important to you, then you can wait for one of the CC friendly taxis to come along, if not too bad.
I've always considered taxis to be one of those, "I should probably get some cash" situations. I don't see why we need to legislate consumer convenience. There is no "Right" to use CCs wherever you want. When I go down to the Asian market in town, I know they don't take CC so I plan accordingly. Why can't people who ride in taxis do the same? It's not there there is any shortage of ATMs in NYC.

this happened to me in Philadelphia. friend and i were in a cab, she went to use her credit card, the cabbie said she couldn't use it - not even a lame excuse that it was broken. i didn't have cash on me either, so the cabbie actually waited, with me in the car, while she ran into a corner store and got money out of an ATM.

jerk.

if i owned a business, it would be bs to force me to except cc's. considering it costs per transaction. i don't get it. hardly anyone, including cabbies will accept any bill larger than a $20, but yet they have to take credit cards?

@Cerb:
I think some of it comes down to the practical need for cabs in both Chicago and NYC. With driving/parking being ridiculous (and traffic-snarling), cab's aren't really a convenience anymore. I'm not a fan of government regulation (really overregulation), but I do agree with it in this circumstance. I think with all the tourists, and in order to keep the city functioning efficiently in a rapidly changing society that such regulation is reasonable. Now, I have to disclose that I am a bit biased, as I never carry cash. However, even attempting to be as neutral as possible, I think that they city is right here.

@Pylon83:

I see where you are coming from, I just don't know if it's enough for me to approve of this kind of government regulation. I mean, I can understand the practicality of keeping the number of registered cabbies at a set number due to the terrible driving conditions in NYC/Boston/etc. However, I cannot see the NEED to regulate what types of tender must be accepted by cabbies. Why is it so essential that cabbies accept CCs? Should they also be forced to accept travellers cheques? Gold Bullion?

For the record I almost never have cash on me.

the readers are in on the back of the driver's seat, so you swipe it yourself. i've never used it though.

and a little off-topic, but i love those new cabs with the tv's in the back of the seats! we used it to look up where our restaurant was, because my friend forgot the address and the cabbie didn't know where it was just by name. then we played around with it during the ride downtown.

@trollkiller: You are completely wrong. Research shows that ALL immigrants, including illegal immigrants, commit crimes at a rate about 4x lower than US citizens.

Oops. Maybe you should go apologize now?

They should make all cabs use GPS

@Cerb: Because not just anyone can up and start a taxi company. They have an almost guaranteed source of income and a government endorsed monopoly, so as a concession of keeping their badges, they have to follow some rules. Since we are giving you a captive audience, we (the city) will force you to accept a standard form of payment that we believe people want).

Among those rules, accepting credit cards (which is a way of keeping them honest. You don't lie about things easily tracked by the IRS and local tax authorities)

Plus, this is a concession the taxi unions had to accept in order to get the rate increase they wanted.

Can we all stop talkin about trollkiller now? This is getting silly.

@Cerb:
I suppose I see it as CC's have become an accepted and expected mode of payment in nearly every setting. While there are a few businesses out there that refuse to accept credit, that group is quickly dwindling. Also, I think there is some interest in uniformity in the case of a regulated industry. My guess is (I haven't been in Chicago long) was that before they regulated it, some cab's took them, others didn't. This probably created a problem of people hopping in, taking the ride, getting to the destination, and finding out they don't take CC and it's the only method the passenger has. In that kind of situation, I think the need for uniformity in the interest of of the public outweighs the obvious problems of regulating the method of payment that a private business takes.

@trollkiller: 4:38 and 4:52.
First it's a "joke," then it's not a joke and your "original statement" stands.

The "content" of your character is what came forth in your original post, and shines dulls through in your responses after you were called out on a statement that sounded bigoted. You don't get "cred" for mentioning Dr. King.

People are people and there are good and bad all over the place. It's interesting that you focused on "Nigerian" scams, but fail to mention scammers from anywhere else -- and if you pay attention, there are scammers EVERYWHERE (else) -- including here!

You've proven my point. And I will not discuss this any further with you.

The "content" of your character is what came forth in your original post, and shines dulls through

DULLS through!

@hn333:
I agree. It's entirely off topic, and rather distracting from the substance of the discussion. Trollkiller said something he shouldn't have, he's been raked over the coals for it, lets drop it and move on.