San Francisco Taxi Complaints Climb In 2012

This article comes to us courtesy of The Bay Citizen.

By Zusha Elinson

San Francisco taxi drivers routinely flout the law by refusing rides, declining to take credit cards, charging unauthorized fees, speeding, smoking, and talking and texting on cellphones while driving, according to a year's worth of passenger complaints reviewed by The Bay Citizen.

Taxis infested with bed bugs, drivers falling asleep at the wheel, rude behavior and difficulty getting a cab also were among the complaints. One patron reported that a cab driver allegedly stole his credit card number and used it to make purchases in Brazil. And two friends were upset when a driver offered them a 10 percent discount if they made out in front of him.

The gripes represent longstanding dissatisfaction with the San Francisco taxi industry. Disgruntled passengers registered 1,733 complaints with the city's 311 complaint line from July 1, 2011, to June 30, 2012, a 13 percent increase from the previous fiscal year. The number was almost double the 900-complaint goal of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, which regulates taxis.

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