I had a driver that yelled in Arabic at every single car. When it came time to pay he swiped my card and explained the card machine doesn't work. I said let me try and he refused, then agreed and guess what!? The card machine worked. Crazy. There's an iron clad divider that looks thick enough to stop .223 caliber bullets and will guarantee you will have an uncomfortably safe ride. 308 caliber could probably penetrate it though. Let's hope any robbers pack light. read more

Cambridge Checker Cab - Taxis Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Do I need to get out a map and give specific directions to these drivers? THEY G O W A Y O U T OF T H E WAY E V E RY TIME I USE T H E M This is the most annoying thing about taxi companies.This particular company managed to turn an ordinary two and a half mile drive into a twenty minute,eight mile D E T O U R complete with congested rush hour traffic. The ride cost me over twice what it should have and when I spoke to the driver about it, he said that the normal route, the one I expected him to take, was always bad at that hour. Not true, Mr. Taxi Driver. That's my neighborhood you are talking about. As we sit here in frozen traffic, more than five miles away from my home, farther away than where you picked me up, I watch the meter go up and up and start feeling my blood pressure boil. Then when Mr. Taxi Driver goes straight past my street, meaning we have to go around the B L O K C adding four more dollars to the fare, I almost lose it. This taxi annoyance is turning into one of my major pet peeves. I don't like being taken advantage of and can only imagine what goes on with the sweet innocent tourists who fly into Logan and ask a cab driver to take them to their hotel. Just bring me home by the direct route, please. read more

Checker Cab is easily the least customer friendly cab company both in terms of the dispatch and the actual cab service. Everybody just seems like they're in a rush and they don't care too much about you... even though you are paying them for the cab ride! The cabs tend to be dirtier than other Cambridge cabs and the drivers are not friendly. The drivers either talk on their phone (not paying attention to the road), want to talk to you about their problems, or just seem pissed off. It's weird how this behavior is so consistent with Checker. I literally used them for 7 years before figuring out that there were better cabs in Cambridge! I've had much better experiences with Ambassador cabs (also Cambridge) and Metro cab (boston but I think they will pick you up if you call). read more

Even since they changed the dispatch to what sounds like a 3rd party company, they have not been reliable. Always late....even if I book them 30 mins to 2 hours in advance. read more

So I've called Checker Cab a couple times now to take me to my boyfriend's place in Somerville, seeing as it's cheaper than the $50 ticket I get from parking there overnight. I tend to "yelp before I buy" as it were, so I checked taxis in Cambridge. Checker was not top on the list. In fact, I called two other places first who told me they had no cabs available. Next I tried Checker. I'm leaving off one star because the lady who answers the phone is so unfriendly. She always sounds pissed off, like she hates her job. I can't blame her, I'm sure she deals with all kinds of creeps and weirdos, but geez, I go out of my way to be super polite to her "thank you so much!" and I get curt replies. Ah well, at least she doesn't drive the cabs. Anyway, every time I call, the cab arrives less than 5 minutes later, which is awesome. Another bonus: the cabs don't have those scary partition things that make you feel like you're trapped in a box. As someone with not a small bit of claustrophobia, that's a very important attribute for a cab. The ride is short, the cost is cheap, the cabs are comfortable. And the driver I had last night was a gem! We had a lovely conversation. I've also had a really quiet driver - that's fine too, we don't need to become friends. Bottom line, I can't complain about the drivers who always take the most direct route and seem to drive safely. I'm saving Checker's number in my phone and I'll definately be calling them again. read more

Not long after moving to Cambridge I gave up owning a car. The lack of parking space made it much more realistic to rely on public transportation and taxi services. Somewhere around 1989, or nearly 25 years ago! -- I became a customer of Checker Cab. There have been many changes over the years; changes in ownership, changes in dispatchers and operators, and changes in drivers. One thing remains constant: Checker Cab provides me with reliable and efficient service. I make an average of ten taxi trips per week. Multiply this by nearly 25 years and you'll know why I not only get from point A to point B, but I have come to know and appreciate all the folks who make up the company. A taxi is a public transport and I am aggravated by people who complain if a taxi takes too long to arrive, or who think the driver is taking the wrong route. Traffic conditions, demand for service, the number of taxi cabs on the streets at any one time -- there are many things that can affect services. My experience -- and I depend on taxis when I travel all of the US and internationally -- has been that Checker operators take the time to be honest about delays, something that is very important if I am going to be standing outside in rain, snow or very hot weather. If you know you need a taxi at a certain time call ahead. I always call the night before to arrange for a pick up if I am headed to the airport or have an important commitment. You can rely on them to provide excellent service. (And, if you think you haven't gotten good service, call the office and speak to the boss. They listen to customers and will take your concern seriously.) read more

My husband and I use this company whenever we need a cab. They usually arrive within 5 minutes, which is excellent. There was ONE time however when we had company over, and they decided to take a cab home. My friend called Checker Cab, and it literally took over an hour to arrive. Guests were not happy. BUT this only happened one time. The drivers are always very courteous, which I like too. read more

They don't let you give zero stars huh? I'm sitting in south station now after missing my train. My front desk called for a cab 50 minutes before my train departure time. Called multiple times with the same "five more minutes" reply. Ended up hailing a cab on the corner but missed my train anyways. Had to pay 76 dollars to change two tickets to the next train and going to miss dinner with my friends in NYC. Thanks checker cab for sucking. If you can't send a cab just say so, so I can call someone else more reliable. Such a waste of my time and money. read more

It is a SHEET OF ICE in the hamlet of East Cambridge today... And I just had the best cab driver ever! When I called at 9am, was told it would be an hour wait. Perfectly fine, considering there are massive accidents (55+ car pile up on 128 this morning), and would rather everyone remains safe in the treacherous driving conditions. Lo and behold, twenty minutes later the driver calls to tell me he has arrived. The street was closed, so the driver walked across the ice to assist me (a middle aged, overweight woman) to the cab, held the door open and made sure I was comfortable. Smooth ride, he made the U-turn so I wouldn't have to cross the street, got out, opened the door for me. A true gent, great service. Couldn't have asked for better! read more

I've only had a couple rides with these folks so far. Yet, one of which was VERY early, (5:15), and I was cutting my flight close as it was so it was critical that the cab showed up on time. Not only was the cab exactly on time, the driver took me to a nearby ATM (forgot enough cash, doh), and it was a fine ride. read more

The dispatcher was a jerk. He's so used to drunk people calling for cabs that he assumes everyone is. I gave him my phone number and he read it back to me incorrectly. When I tried to correct it he said,"You're not making any sense!". Finally, I asked that he call when the cab was out front because I was in the back of the bldg. 20 min. later he calls to say he's been trying to reach me, the cab's been out front for 15 minutes. I said my phone was right in front of me, it's on and I had no calls. He told me to just get out front and catch the cab and that my phone was broken or something. The reason they get 3 stars, is my cabbie was very nice. Chatty, very chatty, but nice. He told me funny cab stories and insisted on waiting outside my building until I got in. This cab company would do well to get rid of the jerk in dispatch. I was visiting friends and their two young girls, I was hardly boozing it up. A little kindness and respect goes a long way. And if you hate your job so much that you end up a jerk like this guy, do everyone a favor and find a new job. read more

Until this week, Checker Cab was the first number for "Taxi" on my speed dial -- but I'm going to give some others a try. They seem to hire people who don't know where they're going, and poor or no communication between dispatcher and driver means that the driver gets lost and has no way of correcting himself. This has happened enough times to warrant a poor review. This past weekend I needed to get from Cambridge Street and 5th to Harvard Square. Typically a ten-minute drive. I called at 5:10 p.m. on a glorious, sunny Saturday -- not a super busy time for cabs, usually. The dispatcher said, "right away," and I asked her to specify what that meant (always ask!); she checked and said "5-7 minutes." Ten minutes later I called back; "right away, less than 2 minutes." Five minutes after THAT I called AGAIN -- same answer. Come on! I ended up being late to something that I'd timed (or tried to time) so that I'd arrive a bit early, because either the dispatcher was lying (possible), or had no idea where the taxi assigned to drive me was. The taxi system in Boston/Cambridge leaves much to be desired, but I'm going to see if part of the problem is that I've been using a company that hasn't got its act together. read more

If only there were more Checker cabs at the stand in Central or on my speed dial. I might have a chance at being on time. I've never been stranded, and the cabs come in reasonable time. The drivers are sane and fair on the road. They must screen them better. And I've used them on and off for years, something to be said for consistency. Although in my memory their cabs were white, not yellow. Funny how the mind plays tricks on you, eh? read more

Yes, you only took 5 minutes to pick me up on NYE at 11pm, but! I gave you specific directions and you had no idea where we were going. Isn't that part of your job? I also think that it is amazing that it cost $40 to get to a place that (amazingly) cost only $20 to get home. hmmmm. very interesting. Next time, please don't charge me for your mistakes. read more

I wish I could give them a "0". Last Friday on Valentines I took my wife & kids in to Disney on Ice. We parked at the Cambridgeside Galleria and had dinner. As I had 2 kids (7 &4) and it was 20 degrees out, we could not walk to the Garden so I grabbed a cab (Checker Cab). We got in the cab. The guy REFUSED to take me to the garden unless he could go the LONG way through Charlestown. I told him it was a quick ride past the Museum of Science, but he knew he would not make a huge fair by going that way, and refused, making us get out of the cab and leaving us on the side of the road, with 2 young kids & 20 degrees. I will NEVER EVER use Checker cab, and I recommend that you never do either. They are the absolute WORST cab company in the city. read more

I'm sorry that the previous reviewer had such a horrible experience with this company. Hopefully that driver is no longer with them. I use them often and have never had a problem. They've always been courteous and on time. read more

Horrible service horrible drivers. The dispatch is just as terrible would not recommend this for anybody who wants great or OK service. The drivers look like they've been using some sort of addictive drugs they look like they're intoxicated half of the time read more

What a bad costumer service!!! I called to schedule a pick up to the airport and the women on the phone didn't have any patience to listen to me, was extremely rude, got annoyed saying I was holding her up and when I confronted her about the "lovely" service, she even answered me that there are other people waiting that she will help right now and I should wait! This whole conversation only took 2 minutes but for her it was too long... So, instead of waiting for her I decided to hang up the call. DON'T USE THIS COMPANY, they don't deserve their costumers. Luckily, after that, I called the yellow/green cab service of somerville and received the best service! :-) read more

This is the second week in a row that the taxi never came. They "lost my reservation." beware using this company when you have a flight to catch read more

Yesterday morning I was in a panic, needing to get to Logan by 8:00 A.M. for a last minute flight home for a funeral. I had made a 7:30 A.M. reservation with another company that never showed up and never answered their phone (See Ambassador Brattle Cab review). After realizing that I had been stood up, I called Cambridge Checker Co. Not only did they *answer their phone* (right, shouldn't be too difficult) but they sent a car within 5 minutes. The driver was super friendly (although, unfortunately a McCain supporter) and actually got me to the airport faster than I ever had before. read more

Ick...this cab service is crap. I waited about 20 mins for the cab -- cool.. but the guy joked that we should have walked the 2.5 miles +. After we were dropped off at our place, I gave the cab driver 50% tip.... about 10 mins later, I got a call from their dispatch.... The cab driver was calling our trip a "short faire".....BS.... Will NEVER use this company again read more

I called and let the dispatcher know I was only going 1.5 miles but that I needed to use a credit card (sadly, I was all but out of cash since I spent it all on the cash-only cabs my hotel flags down). The dispatcher clearly said this would be fine. My cab arrived quickly, but getting in was a bit sketchy - why didn't he have the dome light working? Fast forward to arriving at my hotel and handing him a card to pay the $7 fare. He refused to take it, pointing to the sign that said $10 minimum for cards. Of course said sign was invisible in the dark cab interior. Well I had $2 in cash, so he didn't have any options. He said the dispatcher would be angry, but of course I had just spoken to the dispatcher so there's clearly a disconnect there. He ended up charging me $10, which will be shortly reduced to $0 after I explain this to the CC company. I don't blame the driver for preferring cash, but the dispatcher and drivers need to get their act together. read more

Best, fastest cab company in Cambridge. Good response times. If you need a cab, and you're in Cambridge, there's no reason to call anyone else. Driver-friendliness is above average on the whole. read more

Called at 5:30 for pickup to south station. Paul was great and drove like a person and not a crazy cabbie.

Dispatch seems put-together and professional, which is more than I've come to expect from cab companies. But the same driver always picks us up and then we get to play another rousing round of 'Guess the Amphetamine!' I don't see anything good coming out of calling to complain, but because I, ya know, fear for my life, I will not be using Checker Cab again. His territory seems to be near Porter, though, so as long as you live elsewhere, you'll probably have an excellent taxiing experience. read more

I booked a cab to the airport with another company that was very late. So, I called Cambridge Checker, and the dispatcher was able to get me a cab within five minutes that got me to the airport really quickly. The whole trip was about $35 and only took 20 minutes. read more

Whoever was driving cab 75 at about 4:00-4:20 on Sunday March 6th is the best cab driver I've had after 10 years in Boston. Service on time, drove well, and after both my friend and brother left their phones in the cab he DROVE AROUND CHINATOWN AND FOUND US on the sidewalk just to return the phones. If anyone from Checker Cab reads these, please match a name to that plate number and time and then give that man a raise. read more

I have been a customer with this company since 1988 or so. Like any taxi company it has had its ups and downs. (A major down was when the owner, Mel, died a few years back. He was a workaholic who oversaw every aspect of the business; no one can run the place like he did, but, then again, he worked too hard.) I stick with this company because they are honest. If they do not have a taxi to pick you up, they will say so. I hate it when a cab company promises "someone will be right there" and it is an hour or never. Tell me upfront, I'm a big girl, I can take it! The other reason I stick with Checker is that, unlike some companies, they do not have many independent drivers. Companies who have independent drivers have little (or no) control over the cabbies, which adds to my angst when the taxi I requested doesn't show up in a reasonable time. I appreciate being able to call the company to say "Hey, I've been waiting for 15 minutes -- did you dispatch someone?" and be able to get an honest answer. Often, the taxi driver got lost or something -- but the dispatchers are always helpful when this happens, in my experience. Also, they are on top of things if and when you have a complaint about a driver. I have yet to find a perfect taxi company. However, Checker has been my #1 choice for twenty years now and they have the best record with me of any company in the area. One more thing, since I have your attention. Remember to tip your drivers. 15 - 20% is the polite amount if you get good service. My experience bears out the fact that if you tip fairly you will get a better score as a customer -- and that goes a long way towards getting the best service. If your service is poor don't just not tip -- call the company and complain. If you get really bad service, contact the Cambridge Hackney office. (The latter has been helpful when I've been cheated by cabbies from other companies.) read more

is it possible to give a negative star? I certainly hope to give them negative 5 stars! The dispatcher was a super rude lady, who does not know what she is doing, and when I finally got into the cab, cabbie was yelling with a crazy voice during the entire trip, claiming he had been waiting outside for a short trip for 15 minutes. The reality? I made a phone call at 3:10, where as the cab driver claimed that he arrived at my door at 3:05! In summary, worst taxi experience ever. read more

I took a Checker Cab Monday Night. They were terrific I think better then Uber anyday. I did not see any dirty cabs the cab I got iin was brand new clean the driver was dressed well and polite. Did you know Uber rates go up at night. And mostly everyone who is saying how great they are. Wait until you really see there rates. read more

Dispatcher was a little short...driver was courteous and professional.

I have to take a taxi to catch an early flight out of Logan once a month or so. I've used Cambridge Checker Cab for several years, always reserving the night before, and they've always been on time, but the drivers were really variable. Sometimes they were friendly & good drivers, but sometimes I was sick to my stomach or feared for my life! Once I called the police after getting out of the cab, and gave the license number, because the driver had run so many red lights! But I stuck with CCC because at least they were always on time & got me there, and my biggest fear is a no-show. Well, my streak of luck ended this week. CCC didn't show up. After 30 minutes on the phone with the operator, he said that all of his drivers had a "flat tire" and would be another 30 minutes. I'm sure he just mis-scheduled, and made up the excuse when he realized that he had no drivers. Eventually, I had to wake up my husband and leave my young kids alone at home while he drove me to the airport at the last minute, where I barely made my flight. read more

Do not call this cab company. Each time I call they don't have cabs, the operator is rude and hangs up on me. Including last night, I called at 3:30 AM due the (understandable) fear of walking home late at night. The female dispatcher answered the phone in a rude tone and after telling her from where I needed a pick up, she didn't even ask where I was going and just said "We have no cabs." Willing to wait around where I was, I answered politely, "When do you expect you will have more cabs available?" She snapped back rudely, "I don't know. I have NO CABS." And she proceeded to hang up on me. Considering there are only 1 of maybe 3 cab companies to call in Cambridge, this is a shame. But I proceeded to call the Ambassador Brattle Cab company which gave me much more respectable, and prompt service. I plan on deleting the Cambridge Checker Cab phone number out of my phone book. I did use them a year ago when I sprained my ankle and had to stop off at the health center on the way to the airport, but the driver may have been nice to me then because he was a long-time friend of my landlord... read more

Horrible. Deliberately drives out of the way to run up the fare. Play you for a fool. Call someone else.

Checker Cab is my go to cab company in Cambridge. They always answer the phone. The cab always shows up on time. The drivers always seem to know Cambridge well and know the best way to go given the time of day. And I've never had a problem with a driver who wanted to text or talk on the phone rather than pay attention to driving me where I'm going. The cabs aren't the nicest and the customer service is more efficient than friendly, but I've never had a problem with Checker Cab which is more than I can say for the other Cambridge taxi companies. read more

Hit and miss. Some really lovely drivers, but also more than a few questionable folks in even more questionable cars. Dispatchers are fine - weekends there's often a really lovely woman handling calls - but seriously, what is UP w them need all of my details all of the time?! I call from the same number at a borderline alarming frequency....caller ID / customer profiles anyone? read more

never again!!i"d call a n.y.c. cab before calling those rude drivers,and dispatchers at checker cab...and they'd probably arrive faster,too!!!pretty sad,call anyone else in cambridge,you'll be better off!!! DR. ARTHUR GREENSTEIN cambridge,mass. read more

I was late for a meeting because the driver couldn't find my street. They never called back to ask for clarification, instead I had to call them several times to see what was going on. The driver arrived half an hour later, even though they're located just a couple of blocks away from me, and said that he had confused the name of the street because English was not his language. This shouldn't have taken so much time and 4 phone calls on my part to sort out. read more

I used to use this cab service, some of the long term employees are good guys, but the newbies SUCK. They try to scam you. On Wednesday evening of 9/2 I left a handbag full of jewelry in the cab, I went from door to door and went straight to bed, I called the next day and by law the cab must turn over the property to the Police dept, lo and behold no property was turned over. I'm not sure if someone got in the cab after and claimed the bag for themself or turned the bag over to the cabbie who then claimed the bag for himself. I'm disappointed that there are not more honest people in the city who care to return items that don't belong to them. People make mistakes, you leave stuff behind by accident, just because you find it does not mean you should keep it. What makes this more frustrating is that the cab company was extremely unhelpful when I contacted them. KARMA will get you whoever found the black Chanel bag full of Indian jewelry. You should come clean and turn it into the police station immediately. You know who you are, be a better person. read more

This is one of the WORST experiences I've ever had with ANY cab company in and around the Boston area! I caught Cab #80 right at 1 Kendall Sq in Cambridge on a Friday night. I told the guy to head towards Memorial Drive, which was ONLY 5 blocks away from where we were, he decides that I was DRUNK and takes me on a 10 minute ride filled with left and right turns through residential areas before even seeing Mem. Drive! Mind you, we WERE 5 BLOCKS away from Mem. Drive! I casked the cabbie what's going on and he told me "this is the fastest f$*%king to Mem Drive! Are you the Driver?!" Needless to say, he became hostile, punching his steering wheel, after being asked to pull the cab over he jumped out and KING KONG'd the hood of his cab, and got confrontational on me! All because I caught him trying to take me for a ride. At this piont he threaten to call the Police...but when I dared him too he silently back away. Which, at this point, I brought out my phone and told him that I WILL be calling the police! When they arrived.....they told the Cabbie to remain calm or he will be arrested. I told the officers what happen, what fare I saw on the meter the moment I stepped out of the cab, and the Cambridge police took care of everything. So if you ever see this company...steer clear! espcially of Cab # 80! read more