The Worst Taxi Driver in the World

I'm not one to complain about customer service. So my coffee wasn't exactly as sweet as I wanted it, or my burger came with onions when I asked for none! These things don't phase me like they do others. I'm not saying I'm any better than anyone else, because I get annoyed and lose my shit just like the rest. However, I refuse to sweat the small stuff. Small stuff means anything that relates to having a crappy job and me not knowing the full story behind the scenes.

That said, I had just about the worst experience of my life with a taxi driver out of LAX in California. Granted that being a Taxi or an Uber driver can be just as craptastic as any fast food job, but... this experience bothered me more than any I have had in my 40 some years of practicing my "Zen Consumer Mentality."

The back story of this experience is that my husband and I are going through a separation, most likely divorce. To start off this exciting adventure, I decided that my husband should take our two kids to his mother's in New Jersey for a month so I could get my head together and make a plan. When I started to feel somewhat normal, I went to pick up my kids in New Jersey and take them home. My hope was for my husband to follow the same routine of clearing his head next.

I arrive in New Jersey from LAX and stay in a hotel. I parked my car in a parking lot by LAX, on the third or fourth level, and took an Uber to the airport. I also took an Uber to my hotel in New Jersey. Both were satisfactory experiences, even bordering on pleasant. The Uber drivers were friendly, offered water, phone chargers, even Lemonheads.

All went well on the trip, even the COVID-wary tradeoff between me and my husband at the Philadelphia airport. It was a nighttime flight and we were to arrive home around 10:30pm PST. I knew the kids would be tired and I would have to be on my toes. We ate before getting on the plane and I made sure they had movies to watch on their tablets (We were taking the cheapest flight available with Spirit airlines, so no tvs).

We arrive and the kids are getting sleepy but manage to follow me to the bag check, where we get our bags, and soon discover we have to take a shuttle to get to the Uber/Taxi pickup. This is disappointing (Thanks COVID!), but luckily the driver of the shuttle was nice enough to help me load my 3 huge pieces of luggage and three backpacks. She also helped my two girls get on the shuttle with ease.

We exit the drop-off and are immediately in front of several taxis and a sign saying "Uber pickup." The shuttle driver immediately helps us unload and I thank her profusely. Directly in front of us is a taxi driver and a passenger: a black man arguing intensely with a Hassidic Jewish man. This is what we hear from the taxi driver: "It will be $100, no negotiations." I hear the Jewish man say "But it is only a few miles?!" The taxi driver is getting more and more agitated and the Jewish man looks lost.

Now I just wanted to get home, and I was fine with a grumpy taxi driver taking me the half mile to my parked car if it was instant and quick. So the man catches my eye and I give him a look to say "We can go." He tells us to jump in the car and begins loading some, not all, of my luggage.

My two girls are uncomfortable. They did not like the way he was arguing with the other man and he seemed mean. In fact, my youngest daughter at 5, had to be coaxed into the car as if it would bite her. Something in my gut told me that I should listen to my kids, but the other part of me that is exhausted and wants a ride proceeded to get in the cab.

The man starts to drive and barks an order for me to get my card out. I start to do so, but midway while driving, he starts barking at me for directions. Not able to get the address from my phone and grab my card at the same time, I go for the phone and recite the address of the parking lot which is by a hotel.

We get to the parking lot and he tells me it will be $25. I knew this was too much but simply didn't care. I said ok, but asked him to drive up the few floors to our car because I had luggage and these kids. He says "No, the hotel will do that for you! I don't work for free." I tell him we are not staying at the hotel, I simply paid for parking there. He just flat out refuses, so I hand him my card to pay and feel utterly defeated.

He sees the card and says "No, you should have given me the card before I started driving. It's too much work to redo it all.... Just give me all the cash you have!" I sigh. I ask my daughter for the $10 I had given her earlier, then add another $1 from my own purse. He says something like "Oh my God!" then utters a cuss word that I can read from his lips. He then proceeds to throw my luggage out on the floor.

I butt in front of him, blocking another throw, and tell him clearly, "I would have happily have waited for someone to be nice and courteous to us. If you didn't notice I have 7 pieces of luggage and two kids and need to go up three flights to our car!"

It was a truly horrible experience with two crying kids lugging our things up the parking garage. I eventually had to leave our stuff and take the kids to the car, hoping it would not get stolen. I was even charged an extra $20 since we didn't get the car out of the garage until after midnight!

I learned my lesson. When it comes to things like making a trip as comfortable and safe as it can be for your children, wait for a patient Uber driver that thrives on ratings, or simply for a cab driver that doesn't make you feel like a shit the moment you step in his cab. If so, get out of the car!

This cab driver obviously was having a hard time getting money that night. But it is still no excuse for how he treated first, a Hassidic Jewish man, and mother, with two kids and 7 pieces of luggage at 11pm at night!

Terrible customer service is not a big deal when you are on your own. You can just call it a wash, but my kids are definitely scarred. My youngest even had a nightmare that night about him. Read this story so I can add to the therapy they will need. LOL