Cleveland City Council passed a substitute taxi ordinance this evening. It gives the city's administration one of three options to deal with the taxi cab situation at Hopkins Airport

 

1. Through normal bidding procedures -- The director of Port Control can recommend a taxi cab company for five years (renewable for another five years) as the sole vendor for trips outbound from the airports, subject to approval by the Board of Control and the Equal Opportunity commission.

2. Authorize the director of Port Control to limit cabs by permit with fees paid to the city.

3. Authorizes the hiring of an independent taxi management concessionaire to manage permits and taxi dispatching at the airport.

 

The three-optioned ordinance passed 10-8. It was the most contentious council meeting I've attended since I started covering Cleveland for Sun since September of last year. A very hot-button issue with lots at stake.

 

Councilman Dolan feared that taxi companies which no longer picked up at the airport would go out of business. Others noted that all taxi companies can still take customers to the airport. Councilman Kelley said that, among the many citywide taxi issues, the logical place to start tackling them was at the airport.

Today's PD:

(Or the long version of what KJP just said)

 

Council rejects bid to have 1 firm run airport taxi service

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

Susan Vinella

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

City Council on Monday rejected the new airport director's plan to fix taxi service at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, derailing his efforts to get new cabs there by Christmas.

 

Ricky Smith wanted to hire Cleveland-based Ace Taxi to run outbound service at Hopkins, a plan that he said would reduce the glut of cabs at the airport and deliver better service.

 

 

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

 

[email protected], 216-999-5010

Thinking out loud here:  Does the city have some sort of taxi inspector(s)? Someone to ride incognito and root out the bad drivers?  Is this sort of thing even possible?  I suppose it wouldn't be all that practical to do that sort of thing, but it may help. 

 

Anyway, how do we get rid of the bad drivers?  Is there any way to do it?

 

An additional thought on an older post:

 

Having been one of the drivers who would occasionally sit st the airport for two to three hours waiting for that golden ride' date=' I can tell you the taxi stand has been a problem in the making ever since they got rid of the starters (and for quite some time before). Not only was there drivers refusing to take visitors to the nearby hotels like those on Bagley (where there is no transit) they would refuse to take home residents that lived in Brookpark, Berea, Parma, Fairview, etc. This would cause arguments by drivers of competing companies as well as those from the same ones. There many heated arguments[/quote'].

 

It's not the cabbies' job to wait for "the golden ride"  It's their job to pick passengers up and take them where they want to go-- even if the passenger wants to go to a Rapid Station or from the airport to Berea or Fairview.  If they don't want to do their job properly, then they need to find a different job. 

 

 

 

 

Better yet, take the Rapid.

 

...and we have a winner!  If you don't need another connection or can do an easy connection, the Rapid is much easier to deal with.

 

As much as I take the rapid, I should have a Platinum Elite Bus Pass.

 

The best I can do is the 86 bus to the Red Line at Brook Park (4 block walk to bus).  The problem is, the 86 south of Brook Park RTS only runs hourly on the weekends and on Sundays, only until 5 pm. 

 

So, on the way  back, I could be stuck for up to an extra hour either sitting in the airport, or Brook Park RTS waiting for the bus (Brook Park RTS by the bus bays is not a very welcoming or aesthetic or clean waiting environment), or I have to use a cab.  So far, I've gotten nice drivers at the airport.  But from what I'm hearing from others here, my luck could run out any time.  Fortunately, I rarely have to fly.

 

 

 

 

Thinking out loud here:  Does the city have some sort of taxi inspector(s)? Someone to ride incognito and root out the bad drivers?  Is this sort of thing even possible?  I suppose it wouldn't be all that practical to do that sort of thing, but it may help. 

 

Anyway, how do we get rid of the bad drivers?  Is there any way to do it?

 

An additional thought on an older post:

 

Having been one of the drivers who would occasionally sit st the airport for two to three hours waiting for that golden ride' date=' I can tell you the taxi stand has been a problem in the making ever since they got rid of the starters (and for quite some time before). Not only was there drivers refusing to take visitors to the nearby hotels like those on Bagley (where there is no transit) they would refuse to take home residents that lived in Brookpark, Berea, Parma, Fairview, etc. This would cause arguments by drivers of competing companies as well as those from the same ones. There many heated arguments[/quote'].

 

It's not the cabbies' job to wait for "the golden ride"  It's their job to pick passengers up and take them where they want to go-- even if the passenger wants to go to a Rapid Station or from the airport to Berea or Fairview.  If they don't want to do their job properly, then they need to find a different job. 

 

 

 

I don't think there are any inspector types for the drivers. But all of the cabs are inspected regularly. (define regularly!?!)

 

You want to get rid of a bad driver? Gotta do it the same way you fire any employee... document, document, document.

When you ride with a driver that is a problem, always get one or all of the following, name, hack number, cab number (prominently displayed on all sides of the cab), time of ride, pick up location, drop off location, fare, etc. The more information the better.

Report it to the cab company, at least three times. Report it to the Mayor’s Action Center at 216-664-2900 and to Councilman Kevin Kelly, 216-664-2943.

 

On your additional thought: you are 100% correct.

Musky:  What's a "hack number"? 

 

I see how documenting can help.  It's just that you have to be on guard about so many things any more that it just wears you out having to be on your toes all the time.  You have to stay on top of credit card companies, utilities, the phone company, insurance companies, medical billing, ID theft, ad nauseum that you just get worn out...

 

 

Cleveland City Council passed a substitute taxi ordinance this evening. It gives the city's administration one of three options to deal with the taxi cab situation at Hopkins Airport

 

1. Through normal bidding procedures -- The director of Port Control can recommend a taxi cab company for five years (renewable for another five years) as the sole vendor for trips outbound from the airports, subject to approval by the Board of Control and the Equal Opportunity commission.

2. Authorize the director of Port Control to limit cabs by permit with fees paid to the city.

3. Authorizes the hiring of an independent taxi management concessionaire to manage permits and taxi dispatching at the airport.

 

The three-optioned ordinance passed 10-8. It was the most contentious council meeting I've attended since I started covering Cleveland for Sun since September of last year. A very hot-button issue with lots at stake.

 

Councilman Dolan feared that taxi companies which no longer picked up at the airport would go out of business. Others noted that all taxi companies can still take customers to the airport. Councilman Kelley said that, among the many citywide taxi issues, the logical place to start tackling them was at the airport.

 

The Council once again does a good job pissing off the people trying to run the airport and the major airline who supplies 70 percent of the flights too and from the airport (CAL was a supporter of the new plan), all to keep the jobs of people who refuse to their job in the first place. Great job, Cleveland!! :)

Cleveland City Council passed a substitute taxi ordinance this evening. It gives the city's administration one of three options to deal with the taxi cab situation at Hopkins Airport

 

1. Through normal bidding procedures -- The director of Port Control can recommend a taxi cab company for five years (renewable for another five years) as the sole vendor for trips outbound from the airports, subject to approval by the Board of Control and the Equal Opportunity commission.

2. Authorize the director of Port Control to limit cabs by permit with fees paid to the city.

3. Authorizes the hiring of an independent taxi management concessionaire to manage permits and taxi dispatching at the airport.

 

The three-optioned ordinance passed 10-8. It was the most contentious council meeting I've attended since I started covering Cleveland for Sun since September of last year. A very hot-button issue with lots at stake.

 

Councilman Dolan feared that taxi companies which no longer picked up at the airport would go out of business. Others noted that all taxi companies can still take customers to the airport. Councilman Kelley said that, among the many citywide taxi issues, the logical place to start tackling them was at the airport.

 

The Council once again does a good job pissing off the people trying to run the airport and the major airline who supplies 70 percent of the flights too and from the airport (CAL was a supporter of the new plan), all to keep the jobs of people who refuse to their job in the first place. Great job, Cleveland!! :)

 

Sorry, i don't think they are trying to run the airport but fix a MAJOR PROBLEM (from a logistics and complaints standpoint) and starting at the airport was the biggest and first hurdle.

 

Think about it, do you really want the first thing after steppig of a flight to be a fucked up cab ride or being gauge on the way to the airport.

 

If people could hail a taxi on the street, that also would lessen the burden.

Musky:  What's a "hack number"? 

 

 

The drivers Cab License number which is supposed to be "predominantly" displayed for the passengers to see. It is the colored card that has the drivers name and photo on it.

Think about this... Why did the administration feel the need to have City Council pass a LAW to name an exclusive outbound taxi service? Isn't that what the city's existing bidding process is for? As one of the options, Council's ordinance created a framework for determining how the outbound taxi service provider should be decided. I hope my article will make this clearer than the PD's article did.

Today's editorial -

 

Council's sensible taxi stand

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

 

The taxi service at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport leaves a lot to be de sired. A smorgasbord of cab companies that furiously jockey for fares ends up poorly serving airport patrons.

 

But a plan put forward recently by the city administration to improve service would actually have been a killer of jobs - and perhaps of entire fleets of newly established cab companies. On Monday, the Cleveland City Council correctly nixed the idea.

 

ok this might me a dumb idea but why not have comment cards in the back of the cab that are already postage pd for the rider to fill out and drop in the mail (they would go strait to the city or some other regulating entitiy). if the services are found to be less than average say over a year period for any company (or driver?) . no airport for you! there would have to be some way to earn back the privledge though (and take it away from any person or company that starts to slack off and go down hill)

Hey, quick question.

 

Suppose I encounter a situation where the fare is 5 bucks, and the driver "conveniently" has no change for a 10. (thus the aforementioned 100% tip scenario)

 

Aside from the reporting suggestions given. Can I simply call him a liar, and walk off from a fare? I just find it hard to believe that cabbies don't have a reasonable amount of change on them.

They always have change.

Their lying... period.

 

I would just leave and not pay. What are they going to do, chase you. Unlikely. Not for five dollars.

$50, maybe... but not 5

 

Worse case he calls the police. You can tell them I tried to pay him, but he would not give me change.

Chances are the type of driver that is going to try to pull something like that is not going to want to deal with po-po.

as I mentioend in a recent post, the last ride I took, I asked before getting in "do you have change?" he was actually pissed, he said no, we walked, he called us back. I no longer have the patience for these reindeer games.

Think about this... Why did the administration feel the need to have City Council pass a LAW to name an exclusive outbound taxi service? Isn't that what the city's existing bidding process is for? As one of the options, Council's ordinance created a framework for determining how the outbound taxi service provider should be decided. I hope my article will make this clearer than the PD's article did.

 

Why, because most likely YellowCab or AmeriCab will have the resources to win a fair bidding process. Why is that bad? Because both of those companies have drivers that have refused to take people to Parma. I can't judge Ace, because I've never used them. Now if either of these companies become the exclusive carrier from Hopkins, do you think their service is going to improve? And if these companies drivers are refusing rides to Parma can you imagine what a visitor to Cleveland has to go through to get a cab to go to a hotel on Bagley Rd? If Ace is doing the same thing...then I don't feel bad about this new system. If Ace isn't acting this way...then we are screwing business travelers/visitors all in order for lazy cabbies at larger companies to keep their jobs. All in the name of "fairness". Just a thought.

Man, remind me never to take a cab!

 

This sort of sucks, though. Someone told me it'd cost $50 to get from the WHD to my apartment in the GC area of Lakewood. That's a lot of money for a 15 minute ride.

^I'd be surprsied if it were that much.  Only costs about $30 to get from Cle Hts to Hopkins.

 

As for AmrapinVA's post.  It seems like one of the reasons the airport thinks service will get better w/only one taxi provider is that they'll know which company to yell at if the service is bad.  If there are enough complaints they won't need to go after individual drivers or try to figure out which of the 6 or 7 companies the rider happened to take.  They'll be able to put pressure on the one company.  If they're smart, they'd bake something about complaints into the contract as a sort of SLA.

^I'd be surprsied if it were that much.  Only costs about $30 to get from Cle Hts to Hopkins.

 

As for AmrapinVA's post.  It seems like one of the airport thinks service will get better w/only one taxi provider is that they'll know which company to yell at if the service is bad.  If there are enough complaints they won't need to go after individual drivers or try to figure out which of the 6 or 7 companies the rider happened to take.  They'll be able to put pressure on the one company.  If they're smart, they'd bake something about complaints into the contract as a sort of SLA.

 

Hm. Weird, maybe the person that told me this went down Detroit or something.

Man, remind me never to take a cab!

 

This sort of sucks, though. Someone told me it'd cost $50 to get from the WHD to my apartment in the GC area of Lakewood. That's a lot of money for a 15 minute ride.

 

From the Warehouse District to the Gold Coast should not run more then twenty dollars... hitting every light... with a flat tire.

^^ WELL... Somebody done told me lies!

^ I would be proud to take the 55X for next to nothing!

It has been said in this thread, I think, that in Cleveland, one cannot hail a taxi on the street.  Why is this and is there any talk of changing that rule?  It seems VERY stupid to me. 

 

 

You CAN hail a taxi on the street..I have done it many times.....the problem is FINDING one to hail!

You CAN hail a taxi on the street..I have done it many times.....the problem is FINDING one to hail!

 

Really, I'm under the impression, that you have to pick up a cab at a "designated" cab stand.

Quote from: JDD941 on Today at 01:08:53 PM

You CAN hail a taxi on the street..I have done it many times.....the problem is FINDING one to hail!

 

Really, I'm under the impression, that you have to pick up a cab at a "designated" cab stand.

 

I'm under that impression as well.  When I try to hail a cab on the street, I tend to get nothing but confused looks from the drivers.

this was discussed a couple of pages back.  i think you CAN hail a cab (if you can find one), but that cabs can't cruise the streets looking for fares - they have to wait at designated cab zones or respond to requests.    assuming that a cab had just dropped a fare off and was going toward a taxi zone or a break, then they should pick you up. 

Urbanlife is correct.

 

(But you are not allowed to jaywalk or do u-turns in Cleveland either... so who knows what the rules really are?)

Toda's PD:

 

 

Test drives of airport cab service mostly run smoothly

Sunday, December 10, 2006

James Ewinger

Plain Dealer Reporter

 

The city is still weighing reforms for taxicab service at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, but it appears that what it has already done is having an effect.

 

A team of Plain Dealer reporters spent Wednesday riding cabs from the airport and generally found none of the abuses with which the city has wrestled for more than a year.

 

 

Plain Dealer reporters Jesse Tinsley, Joe Guillen, Joseph L. Wagner, Tasha Flournoy, Maggi Martin, Patrick O'Donnell and Grant Segall contributed to this story.

 

To reach this Plain Dealer reporter:

 

[email protected], 216-999-3905

 

 

Let's see:

Tip the starter and they might look favorably on you - True

 

Cabbies walking around the terminal scoping out possible fares - Probably true

 

Starters pulling cabs of the line to pick u passengers before it is their turn - Probably not.

It would happen, but only if the cabs in the beginning of the line did not accept credit cards. The starter would then go down the line asking each driver until he found one that did. There is know way it would happen because the starter preferred one driver or cab company over the other - there would be a riot.

this was discussed a couple of pages back.  i think you CAN hail a cab (if you can find one), but that cabs can't cruise the streets looking for fares - they have to wait at designated cab zones or respond to requests.    assuming that a cab had just dropped a fare off and was going toward a taxi zone or a break, then they should pick you up. 

 

Where are the designated zones downtown?  I see cabs in front of the Ritz all the time, so I'm assuming that's one location.  Where are there others?

this was discussed a couple of pages back.  i think you CAN hail a cab (if you can find one), but that cabs can't cruise the streets looking for fares - they have to wait at designated cab zones or respond to requests.    assuming that a cab had just dropped a fare off and was going toward a taxi zone or a break, then they should pick you up. 

 

Where are the designated zones downtown?  I see cabs in front of the Ritz all the time, so I'm assuming that's one location.  Where are there others?

 

these are the places where I have gotten a cab and told it was a authorized cab "stand".

tower city - Public Square

all hotels

west 6/between St. Clair & lakeside

Prospect/E 4

Playhouse Square  Hanna 14 Street - between prospect & euclid (i think)

the 12 street entrance of the Galleria

the Convocation center

The Cleveland Convention Center/Public Hall/Music Hall

Why did anyone think that not allowing cabs to cruise for fares made sense in the first place?

 

I've used a taxi cab in Cleveland numerous times.. the only fuss I ever had was having to call for a taxi each time rather than being able to stand on a main street and wave one down. I waited 20 minutes on W. 25th on a Friday night near Bier Market last year and not one taxi drove by. Needed to get to Cleveland Heights and it was cold out! I also had to call for one to pick me up at the Grand Arcade to go to Lakewood. But once my cabby shows up, it's always A1 service.

this was discussed a couple of pages back.  i think you CAN hail a cab (if you can find one), but that cabs can't cruise the streets looking for fares - they have to wait at designated cab zones or respond to requests.    assuming that a cab had just dropped a fare off and was going toward a taxi zone or a break, then they should pick you up. 

 

Where are the designated zones downtown?  I see cabs in front of the Ritz all the time, so I'm assuming that's one location.  Where are there others?

 

these are the places where I have gotten a cab and told it was a authorized cab "stand".

tower city - Public Square

all hotels

west 6/between St. Clair & lakeside

Prospect/E 4

Playhouse Square  Hanna 14 Street - between prospect & euclid (i think)

the 12 street entrance of the Galleria

the Convocation center

The Cleveland Convention Center/Public Hall/Music Hall

 

There is always a sign posted on a light pole showing the designated cab stands.

 

 

There is always a sign posted on a light pole showing the designated cab stands.

 

 

Thanks for the tip!

As a travelling professional, i can assure you than the vast majority of business travellers take taxis over public transit for the sheer convenience.  If it's on your expense account, what do you care to try to figure out the local rail system. 

 

On a side note--the Riverfront proposal for a new convention center because of rail access is a sham...a vast percentage of convention attendees would opt for taxi's anyway. 

Oh and Cleveland cabbies do suck (well most of them).  A short list of my run-ins:

1.  I was leaving Hopkins when the Somali driver tried to force me to share another fare in his cab before leaving.  I told him "no--I'm going straight home"  He was PO'd and tried to charge me a flat rate.  When he wouldn't start the meter I simply got out and got into the next taxi in the cue.

2.  Several times downtown I've been refused service late at night because the cabbies are greedy and trying to find a bunch of drunk suburbanites to rip off rather than solid reasonable fares.

3.  I've been in the above-mentioned vans late on weekend nights who act as a bus service...stopping all the way down a street picking up more-and-more passengers, until the entire van is choked with bad cologne and the stench of purple hooters oozing off the striped-shirt guys.

Oh and Cleveland cabbies do suck (well most of them).  A short list of my run-ins:

1.  I was leaving Hopkins when the Somali driver tried to force me to share another fare in his cab before leaving.  I told him "no--I'm going straight home"  He was PO'd and tried to charge me a flat rate.  When he wouldn't start the meter I simply got out and got into the next taxi in the cue.

2.  Several times downtown I've been refused service late at night because the cabbies are greedy and trying to find a bunch of drunk suburbanites to rip off rather than solid reasonable fares.

3.  I've been in the above-mentioned vans late on weekend nights who act as a bus service...stopping all the way down a street picking up more-and-more passengers, until the entire van is choked with bad cologne and the stench of purple hooters oozing off the striped-shirt guys.

 

Boy aren't you just a bowl of positive news.  :|

Sorry--this is a sticky point for me in Cleveland's urban domain.  Taxis are something that are regulated by our local politicians, yet it seem we might be better off with deregulation and free enterprise.  Letterman and Conan make much of the New York City hack, but I gotta say it's nice to get in a cab there and not have to argue whether you're going 10 blocks or 10 miles.

Sorry--this is a sticky point for me in Cleveland's urban domain.  Taxis are something that are regulated by our local politicians, yet it seem we might be better off with deregulation and free enterprise.  Letterman and Conan make much of the New York City hack, but I gotta say it's nice to get in a cab there and not have to argue whether you're going 10 blocks or 10 miles.

 

speak for yourself.  CAbs in NYC are just as problematic as they are in cleveland.

Fair enough, though I've never experienced a problem in NYC (other than a driver that didn't speak english and misunderstood the address I gave him, missing my desination by 20 blocks).  In Cleveland it's been about 100% of the time I've taken a cab.  Go back about 5 pages to the top of this thread and begin reading.  I'm not alone... :-P

I am with you cleburger I am at a 100%- as far as bad or below average experiences (need I remind you about the bloody injury, the fake "downtown fee",the arse smell...) I don't like to be made to feel guilty cabbing around downtown (this has never happened in any other city I have traveled in). My latest experience with this was returning from vacation. We took the bus to the rapid station to go to the airport which was great. Upon our return-laden with luggage from 2 weeks vacation and with no jacket in Jan (we went to Hawaii and decided to risk it so we would have to lug a coat around for two weeks), we took the rapid to tower city and decided to jump in a cab to home (about 1 mile) rather than stand in the sleet waiting for a bus.  We exited through the Ritz Carlton. I sincerely felt bad (which I guess I should not) b/c I knew whoever saw us exit the hotel with luggage figured this was an airport ride.  So before he even opened the door, I told him we were just going across the river. He was pretty silent, but when he got in he started bitching about waiting for an hour for a fare and then getting this..It was a $5, 3 minute ride (we tipped $3) and we were made to feel like crap. I don't know if these is even something you can complain about b/c it is not like we were ripped off, but what must visitors think?

I am with you cleburger I am at a 100%- as far as bad or below average experiences (need I remind you about the bloody injury, the fake "downtown fee",the arse smell...) I don't like to be made to feel guilty cabbing around downtown (this has never happened in any other city I have traveled in). My latest experience with this was returning from vacation. We took the bus to the rapid station to go to the airport which was great. Upon our return-laden with luggage from 2 weeks vacation and with no jacket in Jan (we went to Hawaii and decided to risk it so we would have to lug a coat around for two weeks), we took the rapid to tower city and decided to jump in a cab to home (about 1 mile) rather than stand in the sleet waiting for a bus.  We exited through the Ritz Carlton. I sincerely felt bad (which I guess I should not) b/c I knew whoever saw us exit the hotel with luggage figured this was an airport ride.  So before he even opened the door, I told him we were just going across the river. He was pretty silent, but when he got in he started bitching about waiting for an hour for a fare and then getting this..It was a $5, 3 minute ride (we tipped $3) and we were made to feel like crap. I don't know if these is even something you can complain about b/c it is not like we were ripped off, but what must visitors think?

 

Why should you have been made to feel guilty?  You should have told him to be happy to have a $5 dollar fare if he had been waiting an hour and to shut the fuck up and drive!  You then should have told him he's here to provide you with a service and you are not his/her therapist!  Then you should have reported his ass!

 

Based on this thread, it appears as the cab governing body is weak and the cabbies have far to much leverage and need to be reigned in!

I agree that more regulation is needed.  This is a case where free enterprise does not work.  Cleveland has more taxis than ever (or so it seems), but the cabbies just get worse as they struggle to make fares from a stagnant customer base.  This only serves to make their plight worse.  While I do feel bad for them, we all choose our own gigs.  I may have to try it one of these days during my time off just to see what it is like. 

I've used a taxi cab in Cleveland numerous times.. the only fuss I ever had was having to call for a taxi each time rather than being able to stand on a main street and wave one down. I waited 20 minutes on W. 25th on a Friday night near Bier Market last year and not one taxi drove by. Needed to get to Cleveland Heights and it was cold out! I also had to call for one to pick me up at the Grand Arcade to go to Lakewood. But once my cabby shows up, it's always A1 service.

 

I wish I could just hail a cable and go wherever and that there was better communications as to where people can hop into a cab.  I just go to a hotel when I need one, but if you're out side of downtown, you're pretty much screwed.

1st - You are speaking generally. Not ALL cabbies suck.

2nd - Find one good cabbie and you will have access to all of the good cabbies. There are a lot of them. Most of them do not do the airport run because of the predominance of foreign drivers for one hand and the two to three hour waits on the other.

I have provided all of my UO friends numerous phone numbers to use when finding a good cabbie. Look for it and quit speaking (typing) in absolutes.

Oh I'm with you Musky and appreciate your list (will use next time I need to go to airport not on the rapid or somewhere over 1 mile!) problems is a lot of us are talking about the spontaneous ride-the you know, "its really f'in cold out, maybe I don't want to walk after all" ride.  I would never dream off calling the contacts you generously provided for a 3 minute ride in the snow and say "Yeah Musky said to call..." they'd kill you! As I was thinking about this thread today, I did recall an airport shuttle service I used when living in the heights. It has $25 flat rate. they were on time, clean, and had outstanding customer service.  It was in the yellow pages under cabs or shuttle.   Still this is no help to those of us looking for a quick, short ride.

Peabody--you hit it on the head.

 

I have the numbers of a couple drivers (nice guys), but these are useless to visitors, or to those of us who want that quick ride.  The other problem I've found with these guys who work their phones...so many people have their numbers that they are either perpetually booked, or, worse yet, will tell you "I'll be right there" when in reality they are swamped.  They end up showing up an hour later with some excuse of getting tied up.

 

A big step would be to force the cabbies to use their meters and elimate the flat-rate negotiation.

^On a similar note, my wife and I went to the Home and Flower Show yesterday (thinking nobody would really be there because of the Super Bowl and because it was so freaking cold out - we were wrong) and when I passed the the airport, I noticed a shuttle that was labeled Lorain County Airport Shuttle Service (or something like that). It was about half full, too. I was glad to see that.

That's Lorain County Transit. They operate about a half-dozen buses per day between Hopkins Airport, Elyria and Oberlin. They use to run a dozen buses a day each way until the state cut transit funding from $40 million in 2000 to just $16.3 million in 2007.