Taxi Etiquette: Tips From a St. Augustine Taxi Driver

After nearly two decades driving a taxi in St. Augustine, we’ve learned that a smooth ride often starts before anyone gets in the car. A little taxi etiquette—being ready, communicating clearly and respecting your driver’s time—can make the trip easier for everybody.

We field a lot of calls every day, and we try to take care of our longtime customers first—the people who have been riding with Abraxi Taxi since we started more than 15 years ago. Our next priority is our local customers, followed by the many tourists who visit us here in St. Augustine.

But here’s something important: if we pick you up and take you somewhere in the Ancient City, we feel an obligation not to leave you stranded, no matter where you are or how late it gets. So please listen to what the dispatcher is telling you and make arrangements for your return trip when necessary. A little communication goes a long way toward getting everybody home safely and on time.

We don’t use surge pricing. Generally, what you paid going in will be about what you’ll pay coming back.

What I’d like to talk about here is a little taxi etiquette: what your dispatcher needs to know, what your driver needs from you, and how good communication can make the difference between a smooth ride and one that becomes unnecessarily complicated.

The seasoned customer will give us three things right away: their location, the number of people in the party, and where they want to go. Some will even call ahead and set up what we call a “time call.” If they’re somewhere noisy, they’ll find a quieter spot before calling so the dispatcher can actually hear them. These people are already earning bonus points.

When we pull up at the appointed time, these incredible humans will be ready to go. If you give us the “I’ll be right out” finger, however, you may receive the “Merry Christmas middle digit” in return.

The truly exceptional taxi cab rider is punctual. These wondrous creatures would never attempt to eat or smoke in their divine chariot, and all personal hygiene tasks will have been completed before their designated driver arrives.

Yes, we’ve seen things.

Upon de-cabbing and paying the freight, these awesome demi-gods will take a moment to make sure they have all their personal belongings. Phones, wallets, keys, glasses—check before the taxi disappears into the night.

If Houston has a problem and your driver runs into a delay, these remarkable humans will keep their communication devices nearby and actually answer our call or text. They understand that occasionally we may be running behind.

They also resist the temptation to call us repeatedly, as though each additional phone call somehow makes the taxi go faster. Sadly, we cannot control St. Augustine traffic, the quirky Bridge of Lions, or whatever fresh madness is unfolding around the Plaza de la Constitución.

And when they do call, they use a phone manufactured sometime during this century—one with a crisp, clear connection that does not mysteriously tell the dispatcher “Merry Christmas” every third sentence.

Now, we know the best-laid plans sometimes go awry. But calling to cancel your cab service while we’re pulling into your driveway is unacceptable and may subject you to apocryphal retribution.

Sometimes even an otherwise wonderful customer will ask the price and decide we’re too expensive. That’s perfectly fair. Other cab companies may charge less. But please don’t 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 nature.

We understand being under the weather or simply having one of those days. But being miserable, irascible and ill-mannered every single day can’t be good for your mental health—or help you move forward on this strange and wonderful journey we call life.

And remember: the truly superior taxicab client never uses rideshare.

Or, at the very least, has the good manners not to utter that four-letter word in my taxi:

Uber.

Some things are sacred.