Getting around Jackson, MS

December 9, 2012 6:01 PM

I have a friend who will be taking care of her mom in Jackson, MS, next week while the latter undergoes surgery. Because said friend survived an accident a few years ago and consequently prefers not to drive, can you recommend a solution for getting them both to the hospital and back? She seems to think Jackson does not have cabs, but I suspect there is a better solution. I do not know which hospital they will be visiting.
posted by billtron to travel & transportation around Jackson, MS (8 answers total)

I've yet to encounter a town that doesn't have at least one taxi service.

And according to Google, Jackson has several.
posted by dotgirl at 6:03 PM on December 9, 2012

As someone who has actually taken a cab in Jackson, MS I can confirm they exist.

Other than that there aren't a lot of options for transporting two people who can't drive.
- A friend
- A cab
- A town car or limo service
- A bus (a terrible, terrible idea)
posted by magnetsphere at 6:37 PM on December 9, 2012

Jackson has cab service, or else it wouldn't survive as a metro area of half a million. Try Veterans Cab.
posted by raysmj at 6:39 PM on December 9, 2012 [2 favorites]

If your friend's mother's procedure is being covered by Medicaid, she may be able to take advantage of Mississippi Division of Medicaid's Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Program.
posted by RichardP at 8:05 PM on December 9, 2012

Jackson does indeed have cabs. As a matter of fact, I have used Veterans, cited above on, occasion as an undergraduate student at Millsaps when, well, let's say, "not in a proper state for driving." They're nothing super-fancy, but they do the job.
posted by The 10th Regiment of Foot at 8:18 AM on December 10, 2012

I once had a cab driver in Jackson who told me that many cabbies there make a lot of their money doing hospital/medical fares. A lot of them go across the state.
Call a cab company and they will understand the client's needs.
posted by Seamus at 8:42 AM on December 10, 2012 [1 favorite]

Depending on where your friend is coming from, she may mean that Jackson does not have cabs that roam the streets and you just put your arm up to hail one. She's probably right about that. You have to call them and ask them to come pick you up. And based on my non-Jackson experience of doing that, you might want to call in advance, then call again closer to the appointment to confirm, and build an extra 15-30 minutes into your schedule just in case they can't find you or there is traffic on the way to get you.
posted by CathyG at 8:59 AM on December 10, 2012

I have taken a cab in Jackson as well (from the Amtrak station, no less!). Jackson's transit system is incrediby minimal, and the frequency is no better than every hour on its best line.
posted by waylaid at 12:46 PM on December 11, 2012