Lady (needs a) Cab Driver

June 26, 2007 11:33 AM

How would I find a really good car or taxi service in Austin, Texas? My wife had a bad experience and now refuses to take cabs--especially if its late at night or early in the morning. Her company pays for them, but she is afraid of bad driving and threatening individuals that have made her feel unsafe. I'd like a way to find a nice, safe, reliable driver. If there is someone you recommend, that would be good, too. Also, any tips on verifying the safety and legitimacy of such a person would be very helpful.
posted by verevi to Travel & Transportation around Austin, TX (8 answers total)

CURTIS WALKER! I have the greatest driver in Austin -- he is so friendly, and reliable. He is the sole proprietor of his own limo company. I use him whenever I can for point to point runs, including downtown round trips on the weekend, and airport pickups. Email me if that sounds like what you might be seeking.
posted by pineapple at 11:55 AM on June 26, 2007

Yeah, I was gonna suggest looking in the phone book for limousines, which are generally less skeevy than cabs, esp. if her company is paying for it.
posted by Dave Faris at 12:42 PM on June 26, 2007

Thirding this - when my wife and I took Amtrak to Biloxi a couple years ago (long story) we called a limo service and had a very nice comfortable ride to the train station in a huge Lincoln Town Car.

Didn't have to deal with leaving our car in a lot, dealing with a normal taxi service, etc.
posted by mrbill at 1:11 PM on June 26, 2007

I'm also going to have to echo finding a proper car service. Often times, they can be the same cost or cheaper than a taxi, and are luxury vehicles with kind drivers. My most recent experience was a ride from Staten Island to La Guardia - the cost was about the same as a cab, but I didn't have to deal with all the bad stuff that goes with it.
posted by kuperman at 1:52 PM on June 26, 2007

I was going to suggest you stay away from Roy's Taxi, which had a driver shoot two passengers (tech workers partying on 6th street) a while back.

I think Roy's may have closed, though.
posted by jayder at 3:37 PM on June 26, 2007

Roys Taxi went out of business at the beginning of 2006 and sold the fleet to Yellow Cab Co.
posted by mrbill at 6:20 PM on June 26, 2007

It's not like me to recommend something like this, and I might be misinterpreting some of the reasoning behind your question, but has your wife considered carrying Mace or something? It won't protect her from reckless drivers, but if she's taking cabs alone in early morning hours, it seems like it may be a good idea. (Check local laws, of course.)

I don't carry Mace, but often carry a knife. I carry it for utility purposes, not as a weapon, and have never used it that way. But there've been several times in my life when just knowing that I had it in case things turned ugly was really comforting. It also gave me the courage to be very assertive, which, in all likelihood, is enough of a defuser to obviate its use.

At first I thought the limo thing too, but I don't think taking a Town Car guarantees the integrity of your driver. (I'd agree that, on average, they're probably better, and that you're far, far more likely to have a smooth, safe ride, though. Definitely look into it.)
posted by fogster at 11:18 PM on June 26, 2007

When I worked for a company that used car services -- they had two, both of which were on contract -- the drivers always seemed to be vying for business. They'd generally give you their name and cell number and let you call them specifically to let them know when you'd need them.

I don't know if this is the case in Austin, but if so your wife could ask around to see if any of her co-workers have "favorite" drivers who they trust and use frequently. The best part is that if your wife has vouchers of any sort, the drivers will accept them because they are still under contract from the company.
posted by brina at 5:55 AM on June 27, 2007