New York City

[Got2Cruise]

2 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Good to hear from someone who knows something about transportation from LGA.

My mom is 88. She goes for the cab. And she waits in the wheel chair because she can’t walk far. For her to communicate with Uber driver and then find him is too much. Yellow cab no problem. She just did this last month, independently. 
 

 

 

[GTJ]

5 hours ago, Topdog52 said:

I we will need is a food deliver, for the night. 

Restaurants in Flushing are predominantly Chinese--some of the best in the country--with lots of delivery choices.

[Topdog52]

6 minutes ago, GTJ said:

Restaurants in Flushing are predominantly Chinese--some of the best in the country--with lots of delivery choices.

GREAT!!!! There is nothing wrong with a little Chinese before the cruise. LOL

[GTJ]

1 hour ago, Nitemare said:

Cabs from LGA ARE NOT PRICE FIXED like they are from JFK. You are on the Meter.  If you want to call that "regulated" then technically it is, but traffic and detours or a shifty cabby could make the price grow dramatically. From JFK the price is FIXED.

 

So at Rush Hour your fare from LGA might surprise you, although it is unlikely to be higher than a fare from JFK, which is fixed at $70 + tolls and fees, so works out to about $100 with tip.

Mostly true. But it is not a mere technicality that a fare being regulated is not equivalent to a flat rate fare. "Regulated" means limited by governmental regulations. Many, if not most, municipalities do regulate taxi fares, and almost always the regulated fares are based on distance (usually fractions of a mile, but sometimes by zone). Sometimes flat fares are specified in the regulations, but that's the exception and not the rule. The benefit of a regulated fare is the assurance that it provides to passengers that the amount charged is reasonable (as determined by the government) without the fear that the taxi driver will use some predatory rate. In contrast to regulated rates, Uber fares are not regulated, and it employs so-called surge pricing that at least some people characterize as predatory. So while it is absolutely correct that taxi fares from LaGuardia Airport are not fixed at a certain price, the fares are regulated based on time and distance.

 

I am wary of the characterizing the fare between JFK and Manhattan as being a "flat fare" because of all the various additional charges that might added on top. To wit: 50 cents MTA state surcharge, $1.00 improvement surcharge, $5.00 rush hour surcharge (only for trips during specified hours), $2.50 congestion surcharge (only for trips to, from, or through specified areas), plus $6.55 toll charge (only for trips using a tolled crossing) . . . these additional charges can add 20 percent to the total fare, without even considering the customary gratuity. Yes, the total fare does not vary as a function of travel time or distance, but it is not an unvarying "flat fare."

[Nitemare]

The only variables in the JFK fare are the surcharges, but you know before you get in what the fare will be.   

 

You don't have that knowledge from LGA

[GTJ]

1 minute ago, Nitemare said:

The only variables in the JFK fare are the surcharges, but you know before you get in what the fare will be. You don't have that knowledge from LGA

To or from LaGuardia, you can know the distance component of the fare with reasonable accuracy (at least if you make certain that the driver does not use the "Tappan Zee shortcut" between Manhattan and the airport). It is the time component of the fare that is very difficult to predict accurately, if at all. It is one of the reasons why I have never liked the time component of the fare. For local trips within Manhattan, if traffic gets to a standstill, you can simply stop the meter at any time and get out of the taxi, perhaps walking or using the subway the rest of the way. But on a trip to or from LaGuardia, if traffic is at a standstill on the BQE, you're just sitting in the back, not going anywhere, watching the meter tick, and unable to get out. That's where a fare not dependent on time can be beneficial (but does Uber do the same thing, in effect, with their "surge" pricing?!).