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Cabbies pick up tips for RNC
Cab drivers studied up on the intricacies of the Twin Cities' taxi operations, with some tweaks for the convention.
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Out-of-towners, beware: Taking a cab in the Twin Cities can be confusing.
You can't just step into any street and expect to hail one. That glowing light on the roof might mean the cab is available -- or it might just be a glowing light. And if you want to go from Minneapolis to St. Paul, only a cabbie licensed in Minneapolis can take you.
But with as many as 45,000 visitors about to arrive for the Republican National Convention, metro taxi operations are getting a bit of a makeover.
One key change will allow drivers to pick up fares outside their home cities. And the 50 or so cabbies who attended a required class on the program Monday in Minneapolis had plenty of questions as they looked over street maps, picked up tourist information and received customer service advice.
The convention runs Sept. 1-4; the reciprocity program will be in place from Aug. 24 to Sept. 7.
Don Weber, a Minneapolis driver for Gold Star Taxi, got into the spirit by donning the "We're happy you're here" button that came in his packet. He was hoping to score a second free T-shirt with red-and-blue "MSP 2008" because he figures he'll be too busy to do laundry during the convention.
Cabs participating in the reciprocity program will have a 7-inch circular decal on their back windows, and Weber understands the interest in the program. On weekend nights, he turns down potential customers who approach him after he drops riders in St. Paul.
"I just say 'I'm not licensed to pick up here. You can't get in the cab.'"
Other quirks of Twin Cities cab-riding also confound visitors.
"Everybody that comes into town thinks that [if] the light's on, they can get in your cab," Weber said, but "the lights are hard-wired on. They do not go off unless the bulbs are burned out."
People used to hailing cabs elsewhere are surprised to learn that taxi stands are the place to find cabs here. During the convention, some of those stands may be closed or moved. Then locals -- and the drivers -- can be surprised.
The class also covered fares. Minneapolis' new fare, which takes effect Saturday, is $2.35 a mile. St. Paul's new rate, which takes effect Aug. 27, is $2.20. So during the convention period, two cabs at the same taxi stand could have different rates.
Updates on the road
Ricardo Cervantes, deputy director of Minneapolis' licensing office, says officials aim to come up with a system for alerting cab companies whenever there's a street closure, and drivers are encouraged to call their dispatchers with reports from the road.
Customers of Minneapolis-based cabs will have a couple of ways to give their own reports. Cabs will be required to carry postage-paid cards that ask passengers to rate everything from the vehicle's cleanliness to the driver's "behavior and attitude." Passengers can also call the city's 311 phone service, which will be accessible outside the city limits 24 hours a day during the convention.
Jim Foti • 612-673-4491
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