The results of the third annual taxi poll from hotels.com have been released, and as expected, London taxis were voted best in the world, again.
The poll, which took into account the opinions of over 3300 responses from across Europe including France, Germany, Spain and the UK, saw users of the website asked not only to rate their favourite cities for taxis, but also their top taxi destinations for cleanliness, value, quality of driving, knowledge of the area, friendliness, safety and availability.
London cabbies beat the competition far and away thanks to their friendliness and taxi wisdom, which has a lot to do with their extensive taxi education called The Knowledge. London was also ranked as having the most expensive taxis in the world, but you get what you pay for.
On the flip side, Rome was voted as having the worst taxi drivers in the world, with 1 in 10 travelers putting them at the bottom of the list in terms of quality of driving.
Despite both cities making the top 10, Paris and New York tied for having the rudest taxi drivers in the world. But New York took home the honorable distinction of having the most available taxis of any city in the world.
David Roche, Senior Vice President, Hotels.com said: “It’s been known for taxis across the world to get a hard time, but our comprehensive poll has shown that taxis are convincingly the most popular transport method when it comes to transferring from the airport to hotel.
“With such a large number of people taking a taxi from the airport, the taxi experience often forms a traveller’s first impression of a destination. Where the taxi drivers are less service orientated, it could have a negative effect on the traveller’s willingness to return.”
The iconic London black cab - the vehicle itself is called a Hackney Carriage
Those questioned were also given the opportunity to highlight anecdotal stories about taxi journeys they had taken, with some drivers going above and beyond the call of duty to make the arrival process a pleasure for travellers and some taking their passengers lives in their hands. Some of the stories highlighted include:
• A taxi driver in Granada, Spain, who could not find the passengers destination charged them no fare and entertained them with local songs en route
• Taxi drivers in Tokyo who wear white gloves and stop the meter if they take a wrong turn
• A taxi driver in St Petersburg who sang the Opera ‘Carmen’ throughout the journey
• A taxi driver in Tokyo who returned his passengers guitar to his hotel after it had been left in the back of the taxi
• A couple complained about being stalked through Marrakech by a cabbie wanting to ensure a return fare on their journey
• Taxi drivers getting into physical fights with other drivers or pedestrians during a fare
• A driver in Buenos Aires crashing through a parking toll barrier on leaving the airport
• A Cypriot taxi driver involved in a high speed police chase
What city do you think has the best and worst taxis in the world? Tell us in the comments section below…
Scott Snowden
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You know you’re in San Francisco when the taxi you ride in is a Prius hybrid. Compared to London’s smoky black cabs or New York’s tattered fleet, San Francisco taxis tend to be new, clean and advanced and the drivers (and their satnav systems) are highly professional.
However far too few to deal with the population. Getting a cab at 8am or 5pm means a long term wait and made more complex by San Francisco’s fiendish one-way systems and no left turn rules. Choosing the right side of the road to get your ride can save you $5 or more in backtracking, particularly on Market Street – the city’s defining thoroughfare.
That said, one rule remains firm here as it does with taxis around the world – if you don’t sound like a local expect to get ripped off. When I first moved to the San Francisco I arrived at the airport with two suitcases, a stinking hangover and was in dire need of a ride.
The taxi driver clocked my British accent and then tried to go the wrong way down the freeway, reassuring me it was faster that way. It was only after getting out the phone and threatening to call 911 that he relented and took me by a more direct route. He declined my one cent tip with a suggestion I enjoy congress with my mother. Lesson learned – print out your directions beforehand.
Work Christmas Party, Vegas theme. I’m dressed in a little silver sequined dress, sporting a silver/white bob (wig), and looking mighty, erm, classy. One too many Champagne’s later I find myself hugging the toilet bowl. And yes, I am still at my work Christmas party.
I decide to sneak out of there and make my way home. I manage to escape unscathed (i.e. my workmates did not see me in my very tragic state). I successfully board a taxi and off we go. Along the way my stomach starts churning once again (damn you Champagne!) so I politely ask the taxi driver to pull over and wait for me while I, well, vomit. He pulls over, I scramble out and manage to throw up successfully by the side of the road, completely missing the taxi. Here I am thinking I have done the responsible thing in being ever so considerate to Mr Taxi Man by asking to be let out before making a complete and utter mess of his precious car, when he asks if he can leave me there (in the middle of nowhere, in the dead of the night) because I’m taking too long. Mind you, it was only a whole 5 minutes out of his life.
God love Sydney Taxi drivers. Bunch of twats!
A cold rainy night in Seattle means cabs are scarce on the ground. The one that finally stops for us is driven by ancient bearded man with an extremely loud sat nav. We jerk over the soaring Aurora Bridge towards Wallingford with the driver extolling the virtues of his robotic navigator. Unfortunately, his Garmin is almost as old as he is and misdirects us twice, the cabbie blindly following the sat nav rather than our increasingly vocal protestations. Sadly, none of us can outshout the repetitive “recalculating route” as we sweep around a mini-roundabout for what feels like the third time…
The cabs in Abu Dhabi must be up there with the worst in the world. Two types of taxi exist; one is a silver-coloured, up to date-looking saloon car, the other is an older, dilapidated-looking, white vehicle with gold front and back side-panels. The former has a clean, modern interior with leather seats and is driven by a gentleman wearing a shirt and tie.
The latter might typically sport leopard skin seat covers, a fur-lined dashboard and a variety of ornamental objects dangling from the rear-view mirror. It will also be driven by a more enterprising individual who’ll probably insist that the car is filled – with other passengers – before he begins his journey. And he may or may not start the meter, instead deciding on the fare based on whether you’re a tourist, blissfully unaware of how much it should actually cost.
My worst experience was standing in line at the exhibition centre waiting for a cab – praying a silver cab would rotate around when it was my turn at the front of the queue. Sadly that wasn’t to be the case and a dilapidated-looking gold and white taxi pulled up. Getting in, I told the driver that I need to go into the centre of town and he nodded.
A few minutes later, we still hadn’t actually moved, so I explained actually I was in a bit of a hurry. He still didn’t move the car and seemed to engaged in something leaning out of the window.
Then two other passengers got into the same cab and upon seeing me already sitting there, they hesitated, but the enthusiastic cab driver ushered them in and made some reassuring gestures. The other passengers looked at me, I shrugged my shoulders and we finally got under way.
The other two gentlemen were businessmen from Germany and Italy and were attending a show at the exhibition centre.
The first stop was the Intercontinental Hotel – what should be a fare of no more than Dhs25 plus tip. First out was the German, and not knowing much about Abu Dhabi was all set to pay the Dhs70 the cab driver was asking. I protested and explained that I live here, so I have knowledge of these things. Overcharging a tourist like this was outrageous. The German however, smiled at me told me not to worry about it, and paid the driver just to shut him up.
Our next stop was the Novotel, but in my mind that was it, the nice German gentleman had paid for the rest of us and covered the whole ride. I’d had enough and was going to get out here as well.
The taxi pulls up and the driver leans back and demands another Dhs70 from each of us. I lose my temper. I reuse to let this Italian visitor to Abu Dhabi get blatantly ripped off and there’s no way I’m paying. The taxi driver argues relentlessly and makes remarks about how we’re dressed and we can clearly afford this. The Italian is reluctant to cause a scene and just wants to return to his hotel room so he pays the driver. I get out of the car as the driver tries to grab me.
He gets out and comes after me as I’m walking away. Leaving his engine running and his car door open he grabs my shirt and demands that I pay him. Needless to say, a few fists were swung after which he let go and finally backed off.