I was in Kalamazoo for a night a couple of weekends ago and when I asked the guy at the desk at my…read morehotel about a taxi referral, he directed me to Godspeed....
Pros: -The cab pretty much arrived on time (not going to sweat 5 minutes).
-Cab was clean.
Cons: - I made the mistake of telling the driver that I was from Chicago and I'm pretty
sure I received the "Big City Special" as a result. I was, needless to say,
flabbergasted when we arrived at my destination, which was less than 10
minutes away and roughly 4 miles, and was told the total was $18.
EIGHTEEN DOLLARS? That was at least double what I'd have paid here in
Chicago, so if this guy assumed I wouldn't bat an eyelash at the heavy price
tag, well, he was wrong.
-There is no meter, at least not in the cab I was in. So, I'd be willing
to bet that these drivers just make up the rates as they see fit.
On the way to the destination, I had asked how difficult it would be to find cab late-night. The driver gave me his personal number and said he'd give
me VIP treatment, to call him when I was ready. My bad, but by the end of the night, after a long day of driving and a few drinks in me, I didn't feel like screwing around with hunting down another cab (and who knew who much it would cost, anyway?), I called him. He came and picked us up (my boyfriend was there this time around) and took us back to the hotel. This time, to no surprise, the total was $19. He explained that it was an additional dollar due to the extra person and made it very clear that he "wasn't trying to rip us off".
Conclusion: Don't. Or, if you absolutely have to, don't say that you aren't from the area, although, judging by the other reviews, that may not make a difference, anyway.
