Don't Vomit

[adamparkzer]

Cab and taxi drivers in Chicago, IL, USA are asking permission to apply a $50 fine for people who throw up in their cabs. Drivers state that someone vomiting in their car could result in up to two hours of nonservice, including the time it takes to clean the mess up and restore the vehicle to a usable condition.

So the next time you go for a ride in a taxi, don't forget your carsickness bag!

 

[ichwar]

Wow. Don't those people have enough sense to at least roll down the window?

 

[adamparkzer]

Wow. Don't those people have enough sense to at least roll down the window?

That probably wouldn't be too pleasant for the car that happens to be driving next to the taxi. lol

 

[ichwar]

lol.
Well, maybe taxi drivers should install barf-containers in their cabs! Just a little pull out container from the back of the seat in front of you.

 

[jtwhite]

I think that's pretty reasonable. They really do lose business if that happens. Lol.

 

[adamparkzer]

lol.
Well, maybe taxi drivers should install barf-containers in their cabs! Just a little pull out container from the back of the seat in front of you.

That would still require cleaning, and I think taxi drivers are trying to avoid as much contact with vomit as possible.

I'm sure they could afford giving away some bags if their passengers need to throw up.

 

[garrettroyce]

Outrageous! I only ride in cabs with barf in them!

Seems reasonable, since the gas station does the same thing, assuming somehow that you're going to steal an additional $75 in gas even though you already swiped your card. I had the pleasure of not having this fee reversed, causing 2 overdrafts on my debit card.

 

[adamparkzer]

Seems reasonable, since the gas station does the same thing, assuming somehow that you're going to steal an additional $75 in gas even though you already swiped your card. I had the pleasure of not having this fee reversed, causing 2 overdrafts on my debit card.

...?

I have no clue what any of that meant.

 

[garrettroyce]

When you go to a gas station and swipe your card, if you were to check your account balance at that moment, before you finish pumping, you will have been charged up to $75. The money is never removed from your account because as soon as you finish and drive away, the transaction is canceled. Why would they do this? You've swiped your card, you couldn't possibly take more than you are paying for.

So, they charged me the $75 and never refunded it. I noticed 3 days later, when I got an "overdraft" notice in the mail from my bank. My balance was $75 short. I had to call my bank, their bank, Visa, Mobil, and just about everyone in between to get it fixed.

 

[adamparkzer]

When you go to a gas station and swipe your card, if you were to check your account balance at that moment, before you finish pumping, you will have been charged up to $75. The money is never removed from your account because as soon as you finish and drive away, the transaction is canceled. Why would they do this? You've swiped your card, you couldn't possibly take more than you are paying for.

So, they charged me the $75 and never refunded it. I noticed 3 days later, when I got an "overdraft" notice in the mail from my bank. My balance was $75 short. I had to call my bank, their bank, Visa, Mobil, and just about everyone in between to get it fixed.

Oh, I get it. I didn't know they did that.

Is it the same for credit cards? Because there aren't any $75 charges and credits on our credit card bill every time we go to the gas station.

 

[garrettroyce]

Yeah, anything that goes through them except cash/check.

 

[xav0989]

Yeah, anything that goes through them except cash/check.

In Canada, gas station don't pre-charge your card. As soon as you swipe the card, they simply check if you have some money left on the account and you can start pumping.

 

[adamparkzer]

In Canada, gas station don't pre-charge your card. As soon as you swipe the card, they simply check if you have some money left on the account and you can start pumping.

How do they make sure you don't go over how much money you have?

That honor system wouldn't work in the United States, people would be stealing gas all the time.

 

[fractalfeline]

Could just devise a system that checks how much money is on your card and stops the pump if you go over the limit. Just a thought

I find the whole deal with vomit in the taxi cab thing hilarious It must happen often enough that it costs a significant amount of business, otherwise they wouldn't put a fee on it right? And providing the passengers with barf bags would cost the taxi company too, I bet. Perhaps a fee for using the barf bag, but provide it anyhow?

 

[dhruv227]

thanks for sharing the piece

 

[adamparkzer]

I find the whole deal with vomit in the taxi cab thing hilarious It must happen often enough that it costs a significant amount of business, otherwise they wouldn't put a fee on it right? And providing the passengers with barf bags would cost the taxi company too, I bet. Perhaps a fee for using the barf bag, but provide it anyhow?

There hasn't been a single time when I went on an airplane without throwing up, so I'm sure it happens frequently for people in taxis that get more carsick than I do.

And I can see the taxi driver saying "Buy this bag for 50 cents and throw up in it if you have to. Throw up somewhere else and you pay 50 dollars." lol

I guess the cab driver could also take refunds if the riders don't use the carsickness bag and don't want it.

 

[achilleasgr]

Those greedy people complain, too.
Don't forget that each time someone forgets or drops a small item(a cell-phone or a jewelry, for example) it unavoidably becomes the driver's property.
And I think it is more likely for a person to drop something of value rather than vomit.
(I have a taxi-driver friend.)

 

[xav0989]

There hasn't been a single time when I went on an airplane without throwing up, so I'm sure it happens frequently for people in taxis that get more carsick than I do.

I ADORE going on airplanes! I get carsick more often than any other transport-sick, and is usually the results of reading in a moving car.

And I can see the taxi driver saying "Buy this bag for 50 cents and throw up in it if you have to. Throw up somewhere else and you pay 50 dollars." lol

I guess the cab driver could also take refunds if the riders don't use the carsickness bag and don't want it.

That would be a good idea, however, let's not force people to buy the bag as they enter the taxi, but to just take one if needed, and the amount could be added automatically to the taxi's counter.

 

[cybrax]

Fifty US bucks, sheesh you guys are getting off lightly..

Barf in an English cab and they will charge you for all the lost earnings, plus the cost of the cleaning.

 

[adamparkzer]

Fifty US bucks, sheesh you guys are getting off lightly..

Barf in an English cab and they will charge you for all the lost earnings, plus the cost of the cleaning.

That's essentially what the taxi drivers are trying to do, except they can't charge in full because it seems like too much of a drastic change. I guess they're going in steps - charge $50 now, then after a while, charge the entire amount of losses and cleaning.