subject: Can I Ask My Cab Driver To Speed To Get Me To My Destination On Time? [print this page] Many people who find themselves living in or visiting a city for the first time where they have to use taxi services frequently find themselves with many questions regarding exactly how the cab companies operate, and what the proper protocols are. They may wonder if they can haggle over price, or about how the fare is calculated, or even about the etiquette of asking the cab driver to change the radio station. One of the most common questions that people ask, though, is whether they are allowed to ask their cab driver to speed to get them to their destination on time. There is a short answer and a long answer to this question.
The short answer is that you are free to ask anything that you want, if you don't mind being told "no!" If you are determined to ask, the worst that can happen is for them to sneer and say no. And normally, they will say no. The driver for the taxi service gets the same pay whether he gets you there on time or not. If he speeds, he risks a traffic ticket, which would eat up all of his profits for the day. So the driver normally has no incentive to honor your request. The long answer to this question is that it depends on what country you are in.
In some countries, where haggling is more common, you may be able to sweeten the pot for the driver and make this happen. Again, the driver is risking a traffic ticket if he honors your request, so you have to make it worthwhile for him. In the United States, this might be seen as bribery, but in many parts of the world, it is just how business is done, and it is not looked down on. In those instances, if you offer the driver more money than what a speeding ticket would be, he may be willing to drive faster for you.
Also, in some countries, the rules of the road are not heavily enforced. These are the countries in which you find yourself thinking that the taxi service driver is driving like a maniac, but then you realize that that is how everyone drives! In instances like these, you may actually be able to simply ask the driver to speed, particularly if you can establish good rapport with him, and he will do so just in hopes of getting a better tip from you.
by: Brandon Caldwell
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