Calling a Cab in Seattle
Hailing a cab in Seattle is a little more difficult than in many major cities. Why? Because you cannot literally hail a cab. No standing on the corner, raising your hand, and motioning for a cab to pull over and pick you up.
In Seattle, you basically have two choices if you wish to use the services of a cab:
- You can “call” a cab. And I do mean CALL a cab. Pick up the phone, call one of the area cab companies, and ask to have a cab dispatched to your location. Of course, if you are at a restaurant or bar, you can ask someone at the front desk to make the call for you. As long as you are in the urban core, you won’t have to wait too long for a pick up.
- The other option is to queue up in a cab stand. You’ll find cab stands at the airport, major hotels (smaller hotels will call one for you), area attractions, and on some of the busier corners of the urban core. Unless it is in conjunction with a major event, the queue won’t be too long.
Cab fares are standardized, with a $2.50 pick up charge, and $2 per mile (ticked at 20 cents for every tenth of a mile). Waiting time is $30/hour.
So get on the phone or line up, because that’s what it’s going to take to get a cab in Seattle.
Photo credit: SXC
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6 Comments
I’m not sure what you’re talking about. I hail cabs all the time.
I also hail cabs all the time. Several times a week in fact, in many different neighborhoods.
It is NOT, contrary to myth, illegal to hail a cab in Seattle.
No, it is not illegal to flag down a cab on the street, and I have done so as well. However, a phone call to several of the major cab companies in town, confirm that there is no obligation to stop, nor should you count on a pick up.
The drivers respond to dispatches rather than being flagged on the street. The dispatchers all seem to agree that it’s easy to grab a cab on the street if you are near a cab stand (fairly conveniently located downtown), a hotel or popular restaurant.
The cab drivers that I spoke to all confirmed this info as well. They weren’t likely to stop on the street unless it had been a slow day/night.
There are a few cities where it is illegal. When I moved to San Antonio, I hailed a cab and a cop pulled over and told me it was illegal. He told me the law was inacted because street prostitutes were claiming to be hailing a cab, not customers.
OK, the secret is out. There’s a new way to get a
Taxi Cab in Seattle! Go To: http://www.taxidriversdirect.com
I’ve never had much trouble finding a taxi.