Features

Going Somewhere?

By the

October 10, 2002


You’re coming back late from a club, and you just want to get home. Or you’re late for a job interview across town. Maybe you just don’t feel like navigating three different bus routes to get to your destination. Take a cab! But the system is so confusing, you’re worried about how much you’ll have to pay. What do you do?

Help is on the way with the Voice’s guide to taxicabs in and around the District. Here you’ll find everything you need to know to successfully navigate?or have yourself navigated?through the city.

Zoning out

After two years at his job, D.C. Taxicab Commission Chairman Lee Williams has no idea how the District’s five-zone system for calculating fares originated.

“Nobody can give me any documentation of how it was set up. It’s definitely not by mileage. Basically it seems like it was set up on the volume of traffic, tourism and things like that,” he sheepishly offers.

If you’ve looked at the numbered mosaic that is the zone map displayed in every taxicab, you probably feel the same way. And unless you’re familiar with the District’s traffic patterns from the 1960s, you’re probably out of luck if you try figure the system out with logic. But taking a closer look at the map and paying attention to where you are can help. The map divides D.C. into five zones that are in turn comprised of one to eight subzones. If your destination is within D.C., your fare is based on how many of the zones your trip passes through. Remembering a few tips can help you make sure you’re paying the right amount once you get to your destination:

? Georgetown University is located in zone 2A. The zone ends at 37th Street, meaning if you take a cab to or from Healy Gates, you’re starting or ending your trip in that zone. If you take a cab into campus via the Prospect Street entrance, you’ve crossed into zone 3A, and the cab driver can charge you more.

? The zone 2A boundary line continues into Burleith up to Davis Street. If you take a cab here or to the north end of campus, make sure you don’t cross 37th Street to save money.

? Zone 2A is also bordered by Connecticut Avenue to the north, 22nd Street to the northeast and part of Florida Avenue between the two. This area encompasses most of Dupont Circle and Foggy Bottom. Fare: $5.00. But if your trip crosses one of these streets, you may end up in zone 2B or zone 1 with a higher fare.

? Wisconsin Avenue forms the boundary between zones 3A and 3B, as well as zones 4A and 4B, which cover most of upper Northwest, Tenleytown and Chevy Chase. A ride to the AMC Mazza Gallerie Movie Theater at 5300 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., for example, will leave you in zone 4A. Fare: $8.60.

? Adams Morgan is located in zone 2B, which is bordered by Connecticut Avenue, Florida Avenue, U Street and 1st Street, N.W. Fare: $6.90.

? The MCI Center, Chinatown, the White House, the U.S. Capitol and the National Mall are all contained within zone 1 in the center of the city. Fare: $6.90.

? The clubs in southeast D.C.’s Navy Yard, such as Nation and The Edge, are located in zone 2E, and even though you may cross into Virginia to get there, you’re fare is still calculated by the zone system. Fare: $6.90.

There are a number of additional fees that can be added to your fare that you should be aware of. If you are traveling weekdays between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. or between 4:00 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., there is a $1.00 rush hour surcharge. For each additional passenger, the charge is $1.50. If you call a cab company to have a cab dispatched to you by radio, you’ll have to pay $1.50 extra. And during snow emergencies, all of the fares double.

Williams said the Taxicab Commission is looking into changing the fare system in the District, by either simplifying the zone maps or abandoning them altogether in favor of meters.

“I believe meters are more equitable, but we are opening up the discussion for public comment soon. Our entire study must be completed by the end of December, so we’ll know in January if anything will be changing,” he said.

If D.C. does switch to a meter system, it will probably mean fewer headaches for passengers who worry that they are charged incorrectly, but it does not eliminate every problem. The potential for cab drivers to drive a longer route to beef up the fare would still exist, leaving people unfamiliar with the city vulnerable and offering all the more reason to familiarize yourself with the city.

You have the right

Let’s face it: Even if you’ve done your best to plan out your trip, problems with cabs can still occur. Fortunately, according to the D.C. Municipal Code and D.C. Taxicab Commission rules, you have a number of rights before you get into a cab and recourses once you’ve gotten a ride. Taxicab drivers take a 40-hour course that covers cab rules and regulations in order to receive their license; here is your crash course in rights as a passenger:

? Any cab that is on duty, i.e., in service and unoccupied, must pick you up if you hail it. By law, it is illegal for a cab driver to refuse to transport someone, except if the driver fears for his personal safety. This exception has been criticized for allowing drivers to discriminate against a number of groups, especially black passengers, and has become controversial; but the onus rests on the driver for proving why his or her safety was compromised. If you have been refused service in a cab for any reason, you should file a complaint (See below).

? It is illegal for a cab driver to ask you for your destination before you get into a cab. If he or she does not let you into the cab because of your destination, you should file a complaint (See “Crossing the lines” for rules concerning interstate cabs). You also have the right to go anywhere you want in a cab, provided you can pay for the fare. A driver is allowed to ask you to pay the fare in advance, but he or she must transport you to your destination right away.

? A cab driver has to make change for you. If you are paying your fare with a large bill, you have to inform the driver that you need change, but a cab driver cannot refuse to take you simply because of it or charge you for a stop to get change. If you surprise the driver at the end of the trip with the news of a large bill, he or she has the right to charge you 50 cents for stopping to get change.

? Once you or your group has entered a taxi, the driver cannot seek additional passengers. He or she must take your destination right away by the shortest route possible without any stops in between. There are special rules for shared riding at Union Station, but elsewhere, the no-sharing rule applies.

If you believe a cab driver has violated your rights as a passenger, you have one main recourse: the D.C. Taxicab Commission. The commission is charged with licensing cab drivers in the District and enforcing the portions of the D.C. Municipal Code that deal with taxis. It faces the difficult task of balancing the interests of passengers and drivers, but it strives to ensure that every passenger is treated fairly when it comes to riding in a cab. Here is some advice from D.C. Taxicab Commission Chairman Lee Williams on what to do if you need help:

? If you have a problem with a cab, the first thing to do is copy down the driver’s taxicab license number, which should be visible on the visor of the front passenger seat. If you cannot get that number or are not in the cab yet, copy down the cab association name and the cab’s number, which is located on the doors of both sides of the car, or the cab’s license plate number, which will start with an “H.”

? If you believe you have been charged incorrectly, it is better to pay the fare, obtain a receipt and then file a complaint with the commission. A receipt will be the best evidence you can have, but even if you forget, you may still be able to file a complaint. If the cab driver admits wrongdoing or the commission determines that you were indeed charged incorrectly, you may be entitled to a refund of the full fare and the cab driver will be subject to civil penalties, including losing his license if he or she has a history of complaints.

? To file a complaint, contact the D.C. Taxicab Commission by phone at 202-645-6018 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. After you’ve explained the details of your situation, they will determine whether or not an infraction has occurred. If one has, you’ll have to follow up the complaint with a letter, but the phone call will begin the investigation process. If an infraction hasn’t occurred, the commission will explain to you why not. But either way, you’ll be better off. The commission’s goal, according to Williams, is to improve taxicab service to the citizens of the District.

Crossing the lines

If you’re leaving the District, the good news is that you can forget about the zone system; instead, your fare is calculated by the number of miles travelled. But the bad news is that interstate trips can still be confusing because different jurisdictions have different rules for calculating fares. Fortunately, cabs from Arlington County, Fairfax County, the City of Alexandria and Montgomery County, the only jurisdictions whose cabs can operate in the District, have meters, which means you can easily tell how your fare is calculated. These taxis can only transport you from the District into Maryland or Virginia if you call; they aren’t supposed to respond to your hails on the street because they can’t make intra-District trips. So if a cab passes you up as you’re trying to get home, it may be because legally it can’t pick you up, although some may stop anyway. You’re less likely to find one of these law breakers on a busy street or near a police officer. Should you find yourself in a D.C. cab in Virginia or Maryland, keep an eye on the car’s odometer. D.C. cabs won’t have a meter that displays the fare as you go, so the driver has to calculate it from the mileage on the odometer. You can double check the math to make sure you’re paying the right fare. Here are some estimates of what you should be paying, based on the most common fare of $3.85 for the first mile and $1.60 each additional mile, once you finally get a cab to take you to the suburbs:

? Rosslyn Metro Station, Rosslyn, Va. – 1.25 miles, Fare: $4.25.

? Fashion Centre at Pentagon City, Arlington County, Va. – 5 miles, Fare: $10.25.

? Ronald Reagan National Airport, Arlington County, Va. – 6 miles, Fare: $11.85.

? Potomac Yards, Alexandria, Va. – 7 miles, Fare: $13.45.

? Old Town Alexandria, Alexandria, Va. – 8 miles, Fare: $15.05.

? Tyson’s Corner, McLean, Va. – 9 miles, Fare: $16.65.

? Downtown Rockville, Rockville, Md. – 20 miles, Fare: $34.25.

? Patriot Center, Fairfax, Va. – 21 miles, Fare: $37.45

? Dulles Airport, Sterling, Va. – 24 miles, Fare: $40.65.

? Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia Maryland – 39 miles, Fare: $64.65.

Just as the different jurisdictions charge different fares per mile, they also charge different prices for so-called “extras.” The most common charge for an additional passenger is $1.00. Most jurisdictions don’t charge a rush hour surcharge, however. Trips originating at Ronald Reagan National Airport are subject to a $1.75 airport fee, but you don’t have to pay the fee if your trip ends there.



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