Taxis and SDs

[Spectrum]

We have mediocre taxi service here. The problem is usually with the drivers, and not the cars. Most of the drivers actually own their taxis. Most of the ones I have been in have been reasonable clean and maintained. There are many, many different taxi services, so they have to compete, plus the bus system is dreadful.

Here you ride in the front seat for the most part.

[responsiblek9]

 
Yesterday my client called me and told me how she had two taxis arguing over who got to take the SD when she called for one to get home from the grocery store. The one who showed as the forst one was pulling up told the stopped taxi HE was taking the dog. The first Taxi guy went I was HERE FIRST!  I get this fare!
She just cant get over how much faster she gets taxi service now that she is known as the lady with the SD versus just the lady with the walker.
before she would have to wait between 45 minutes to an hour and people were stealing her prepaid taxis on her voucher because she could not run out there fast enough. The drivers would ask  the person if they were  ( her name) without asking for ID and the person who hopped in the cab would go yes. And off for a free ride they went. NOW that no longer is happening because the cabbies are LOOKING for the SD and handler. 

[bj2circeleb]

While we have different taxi companies they are all regulated by the state and tightly so. They all have to pass a training course and exam that includes modules about different types of disabilities and how to assist them, and this includes training on guide dogs and soon to be other assistance dogs and the carraige of them. All of them face spot checks at any time. They can be called to a booking, which neither they nor the taxi company knows is a spot check to ensure the cab is clean, they are licenced, in uniform, etc, etc. They also do these spot checks with guide dog users to catch out those who are not picking up guide dogs red handed!! The only problems we face are with drivers refusing access to guide dogs and they are continuing to work on that issue, as they are in all places in the world.

We are given prepaid vouchers if necessary and so it is the voucher that pays for the trip and not the booking, to ensure it is not used by the wrong person. Drivers are paid more for wheelchair carriage, but this is paid for by the government and not the disabled person. The cabs that carry chairs can also fit large groups of people and so drivers were picking up groups as they can charge more and it is less work than loading and tieing down and then unloading the chair. But now it is more financially viable to carry the chairs and so they are!!!

In my new town I have bus drivers arguing over who is getting my dog on their bus and my bus route has in the past few months become the most poupular route around!! I have been at the train station from which about 30 different bus routes go from and when they saw Brooke they tried to con the driver into swapping buses so they could drive us!!! It is always nice when a dog is popular!!

[Cera]

I measured yesterday.  There is exactly 12 inches of foot space before the seat starts.  That is in the read, passenger side (the side you sit in if being picked up on the street).  There is no real reason why they have to have that seat back all the way, but all the drivers do it.

[responsiblek9]

 
My client has the taxi drivers move the seat forward so when she is in the back seat the dog and her have more room. 
The ones who know her make sure they already have it moved forward for her. 

[Sunkala Joy van Veen]

We ride in front in my city.  But we only have two taxi services.  One has regular taxis but only one set of good tires, which they rotate on to any car going for vehicle inspection.  I know this because a friend of mine drives for them.  I take the other one, which tends to use elderly mini-vans.  Cole fits nicely on the floor in back. 

We also have an excellent public transit system with paratransit, which is probably why our taxi service is substandard.

Using that reasoning, rural areas should have excllant taxi service.  I've never used taxis here, but I once priced what it would cost to go to our nearest medium size town.  The price was $150 one way 5 yrs ago.  I shudder to think what it would cost now.

I started having my last dog ride on the seat of the DAV van because the floor got so hot it felt like my feet would burn through my shoes.  About a year ago they got new vans, but now there is too little room for the dog to fit between the seats with his harness on.  But the DAV books a seat for a GD or SD as a matter of course anyway, and the drivers will suggest the dog ride on the seat in comfort if you put them on the floor.  Most veterans are very dog friendly, especially any type of working dog.  And the drivers are all voluteers and veterans.  The trip takes two or more hours, so that may have something to do with it too.