I have been a cab driver in New Orleans for over 17 years. AMA.

Hi Delores, I'm a New Orleans resident that often has trouble finding cabs that are willing to take me to certain parts of the 7th ward, Bywater and Mid City from the French Quarter. Many cabs that stop on the street at 2:00am won't let you in until you tell them where you are going. Alternatively, once you get in they refuse to go to the destination you specify.

What are you doing as an organization and what can I do as an individual to make sure I have a good riding experience and make it to my intended destination?

This is not a one time thing, and while a rare occurrence it has happened to me at least 4 times over the past 5 years.

Good afternoon. This is a complaint I have heard many times from customers and I think it is something other cities grapple with as well. So I know it is a real issue.

Drivers need to make enough each day to cover their costs and take home some money. The short quick trips help us do that. It is a time suck to spend time driving out to a part of the city when you know the likelihood of catching a fair on the way back is slim to none.

But that's part of the job and all drivers need to understand we provide an important service in New Orleans and we need to do our part to get people where they have to go. Sometimes that means taking those out of the way trips.

Ask cabbies what their shifts are, and make friends who two or three cabbies who have night shifts. Become their regulars, so that way you always have a driver to call and fall back on. I have a large population of people I pick up on a day to day basis. I always tell them that if they know they need a cab at a certain time, to call a day before, or two to three hours before pick up time, so they can always have a back up cab just in case. If you tell me to be there at 6:00am, I will be there at 5:45. I don’t play when it comes to time. I run a tight ship. Time is money!

Why are our taxis so unreliable, that even when we order one a day or two in advance, they still might not show up? This happens regularly enough that one cab company explicitly stated on their website that even if you call and reserve a cab, a cab might not show up (Not that they might call and cancel well ahead of time - no, they just flat out wont show, and youre fucked). They only recently took this off of their website after they got roasted online for it.

Also, can you please tell every taxi driver ever, that when they want to exit at the Airport exit off of I-10, to please not wait until the last second to exit, and to especially not wait until the last second and cut across all four god damn lanes of traffic almost hitting the interstate/exit divider guard rail and all the other cars who got into the exit lane when it started like normal god damn drivers are supposed to do?

I see that happen at least twice a week. If theyre a taxi driver, you would assume they go to the airport often enough to not constantly be surprised and caught off guard by the airport exit suddenly appearing out of nowhere necessitating swerving from the left lane and almost hitting several cars.

Sorry if I sound bitter but after having two different companies just not show up to get us to the airport making us almost miss flights, and after having a taxi almost hit me at least once a week on I-10, I am just ready for Uber to take over. I kind of dont care if theyre a shady business and more expensive. When one cab company owner points out Uber's 90% arrival rate as better than their's, and then acts like its a bad thing, that kind of pisses me off.

I cannot speak for the other cab companies. But i always keep my reservations. And if I can’t make that particular reservation, I always keep a backup cab to help me with my reservation.

The only thing I can say, is that if you are booking a reservation, it’s probably better to book it with the individual driver, as opposed to the cab company. Who ever took the reservation, probably had to go through a dispatcher, which did not put the reservation down. If there is a reservation going to an airport, that cab is there.

On the second half of the question, it happens. In the near future, what we are going to do is start an intensive driving course to help those aggressive drivers out. Because they honestly need it. They even cut me off sometimes.

What are you doing to embrace technology, guarantee timely pick ups, and improve customer service before Uber eats your lunch?

We’re working with Cab Hound, which is a app based dispatch (just like Uber). We’re also trying to work with the city to get a city wide centralized app-based dispatch similar to what was recently approved in the city of Chicago.

Have you ever knowingly taken a longer, more expensive route?

Cab drivers make more money when we take people the fastest route. We would rather have 3 short trips than one long one. In the end it just works out better. That said, sometimes visitors ask to be driven through historic parts of the city or through neighborhoods hit hardest by Katrina. In those cases we do drive around but at the passenger's request.

I don’t take people on the scenic route. Not for two or three extra dollars. That’s not worth my time.

What was the oddest thing you've had left behind in your cab by a passenger?

I picked up a man years ago and took him to the convention center. He jumpled out of my cab and left hundreds of dollars on the seat. You know what he did. He hopped in another cab, he described me and the other cab driver knew me and we got him his money back.

But I have had a lot of things left in my cab. Computers, iPads, cell phones wallets. We always try to get stuff back to its owner.

Can you explain the issue with city mandated credit card machines? The answer I always get it "oh, it's broken...let me use my Square app instead..." Is it a matter of when the payout happens or a percentage thing?

The credit card machines that we use are outdated. It’s old technology that breaks down too much. Remember, these machines have been hacked in the past stealing customers credit card information. Square just seems to be more safe and reliable, not only for the driver but the customer as well. Again see my answer about Square.

In fact, one of the companies the City brought in (without bids or input from the outside) turned out to be a totally fraudulent company. Dailie owes many of our members thousands of dollars that they never paid out. We are working with the Inspector General fight this.

What was the funniest conversation you have overheard in the back of the cab?

The craziest conversation I’ve heard in the cab is when two or three men are going to the airport, and they have did everything you can imagine here, so they are trying to get their story correct. So they said, “When we get back home, we don’t say nothin. Whatever we did here, it stays in New Orleans!”

What has been your most memorable fare to date (for good reasons)?

I once had a doorman of a hotel come up to me, and he said “Ms. Delores, I have a VIP here. Can he smoke a cigar while on the way to the airport?”

I said, “Sir, I don’t care who it is, they cannot be smoking no cigar in here!”

I didn’t realize the mayor was standing right behind him. He tells the mayor what I said, and he said he’d take the cab anyway. On the way to the airport, he asked me, “So what do you consider a VIP?”

I told him, “Sir, every person that comes in here is a VIP, as long as they can pay the fare!”

He didn’t seem to have a problem with my answer.

As a passenger what should I do if I think the cab driver is doing something shady (taking a longer route to overcharge, trying to use Square, driving too erratically, etc)? should I just call 311 or are there other actions you would take?

Before you call 311 call the cab company because sometimes the complaint can be small and it can be handled better through the company and the driver. If you are in danger you should call 911.

When it comes to square many of the drivers enjoy using square, because they’re paid on time, it’s a paperless experience, and you don’t have to worry about being double charged because of machine malfunctions or errors. To the drivers, Square is the best thing going. Veriphone is a joke and takes 3-5 days to even get your money and when you get it it’s short. We’re working with the city council to get an ordinance so we can use Square and the Council has expressed willingness to do so...

Obviously a lot of customers in this city feel that taxi services and driving are not up to par for lots of reasons. How do you feel your organization can improve these relations? Does your organization take complaints and attempt to deal with them? If so, how?

The city use to offer ongoing training for taxi drivers, but have discontinued that program. My organization would love to work with the city to bring them program back. Through the meet and confer legislation we are asking the city to pass this could be one of the things we both agreed on and start implementing ASAP. Also, my organization doesn’t currently have a system in place to take complaint, but we will work with our website developer and figure out how to add this service to our website. Thank you for the great suggestion.

Hi Delores, I think organizing is great, and I wish you and your members well.

My question is, will the organization provide education to the drivers to improve their cabs and services? I love visiting the city, but getting a cab to/from the airport is the one point of stress for me every single time.

As a frequent visitor to New Orleans, I've experienced:

• drivers who try to turn on the meter rather than charge me the flat fee from the airport to CBD. Even when they do charge the flat fee, they often try to sneakily tack on a dollar or two.

• smelly, hot cabs with no air-conditioning, or a driver who refuses to turn on the air.

• drivers who drive barefoot (not illegal in LA, just gross for a service provider).

• drivers who give me a blank "receipt," which I'm supposed to fill-in myself (which our expense department doesn't recognize).

...and more.

Clearly not all drivers are dishonest or unhygienic, but I can't remember a single visit where I didn't have an issue on at least one leg of the trip. What does the organization intend to do to help improve conditions for passengers?

The city use to offer ongoing training for taxi drivers, but have discontinued that program. My organization would love to work with the city to bring them program back. Through the meet and confer legislation we are asking the city to pass this could be one of the things we both agreed on and start implementing ASAP. We believe this training will help continue to educate drivers on the level of service we must provide to the public. After all we are the ambassadors to the city for many of our visitors.

As for the fare to and from the airport, by law taxi driver have to turn on the meeting even for flat fee fares. If a driver is caught breaking the law, he or she could be fined and suspended from driving.

What's your take on the pedicabs? Uber?

I think that they are necessary, but they are such a hindrance on the street, because there is only one lane. And there are always two or three cars there. But you know, to each his own.

How are you working on preventing sexual harassment in cabs--from the driver's side? I've been harassed by a few drivers, and now hate taking cabs. (Note: I'm from NOLA, and I know the difference between friendliness, flirting, and harassment.)

Harassment of any kind should never be tolerated and I am sorry that you have been harassed in a taxi in NOLA. When this happens you should report it to the authorities ASAP.

They have the cameras in the cab. If you feel as though the cab driver is going overboard in his conversation, the cab ride is being taped. So all you need to do is to take down the cab companies’ name and number, and have that reported as soon as possible.

Whats your Mardi Gras hustle? What makes you take a specific ride over another? I see a lot of you guys turning down rides that time of year and just wonder what the idea is.

Nine times out of then WHEN a cabbie turns down the ride, it’s becuase they’re not too familiar with the city. But this is my city. When I’m picking up a passenger, I explain to them, “Look, it’s Mardi Gras time. I might not be able to pick you up at that specific location, but I can pick you up 3 or 4 blocks down. Is that ok?” They are glad to get a ride. That’s how I handle Mardi Gras.

Aside from a marked decrease in beatings by city employees, how has driving a cab improved since Malachi Hull was sent packing?

They haven’t improved, but I think people have a clear understanding that everything that Hull did, was not the best practices for the industry. I’m hoping and praying that things will be better in the future. It’s a struggle to get this administration to understand how this industry flows.

Are all the cab drivers in a conspiracy to scare the hell out of cyclists? Especially in the CBD, cab drivers appear to purposefully almost side swipe me when I'm on my bike.

Taxi drivers never want to be in an accident so I can assure you we never try to purposefully side swipe anyone. In the CBD, taxi drivers do our best to share the road with bikes and tourist. Maybe we can work on adding more bike lanes in CBD for everyone’s safety.

What is your take on mule carriages in the Quarter? If you are one of those cabbies constantly honking at them to get past do you return the favor by pulling over as mush as possible to let people in/out or do you just stop in the middle of the street (Frenchman, Royal, Chartres, etc. All the one-way streets in the Quarter)?

The safety of the customer always comes first in my taxi. I always pull over to the curb for passengers to enter and exit. And I always ask passengers to use the door away from traffic.

I always pull over because I would dread hitting that mule. I always have compassion for the the mules… well, and for the people too.

New Orleans amended city code to allow the expansion of Uber into the city. How is this impacting you as a driver and you as a AFSCME President?

There are some serious questions about safety and Uber. The City Council is as worried about the safety issues involving Uber as the rest of us. There’s a reason our kind of transportation is so highly regulated; the passenger is at the mercy of the driver when they get in that car. So working with the City Council we’ve been pushing for stronger regulations to keep passengers in NOLA safe and make sure that the drivers that attempt to make a living driving for Uber (good luck!) are background checked, have safe vehicles, etc. -- like we have to do.

What're people generally like in terms of being civil, perhaps even (gasp) friendly with you as a cab driver?

I don’t have a problem with people. Every now and then you come across some ugly people but you have to know how to handle them. You treat them with kindness.

How hard is it navigating, when you first start? How long did it take before you felt relaxed when people rattled off an address and you thought 'Hey, I know how to get there! Sweet.'

Most of the taxi drivers in New Orleans are natives so we grew up knowing this city. But there is this adjustment period when you have to get use to driving others around and not driving yourself.

What group or organization do you find to be your biggest opposition as you fight for the right to be more active in the regulation of your industry?

UBER and companies like UBER would like to create two different playing fields for the transportation industry. One that regulates taxis and one where they have no regulation at all. This gives them an unfair business advantage and drives small business owners like myself out of business.

How do you charge people for puking in your cab?

I don’t think it’s a charge on the book, it’s a charge on teh cab driver. Some charge It depends on the cabbie. Some charge 250, some charge 100. Me personally, I always keep plastic bags in my cab. the cab driver. I have heard of some charging $250, I have heard others say $100. But like I said I give people the plastic bag.

Do you know a fat, long-haired, middle aged cabbie who is obsessed with World of Warcraft? Got a ride from him on Valentine's Day 2014, easily the funniest cab ride ever. Dude went on and on about how he liked his avatar to look sexy.

I don't know him. Kinda sounds like a balding guy with long white hair. I look foward to meeting him. If I do I’ll pass that you had a great ride.

Have you ever seen this AFSCME video? Because it's awesome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3mw49mk_x0

Best. Video. Ever.

Why do a large percentage of cab drivers in New Orleans drive like irresponsible jerks? It's dangerous.

I can’t speak for all the cab drivers, but I think they’re just in a hurry, and they’re trying to get you where you need to go. But it’s not an excuse to drive recklessly, because I’ve had to deal with some of them too, and I have to tell them you can’t do that. It’s not worth hurrying off into a cab line and to sit and wait.

If someone bought you a Reddit Snoo decal (the Reddit symbol) would you put it in your taxi window we we could all shout "one of us!" as you drive past?

There is a semi-active New Orleans subreddit if you want to reach out to locals sometime. When the protests against Hull were happening there were posts for organization for example. If the questions haven't scared you off that is.

I'd be happy to and thanks for the tip!

I will be there this weekend! Where should I go eat and can I get a ride?

Anyplace. There are over a 1,000 restaurants here. And of course, you can hail a cab on teh street, or you can go to a bellhop at a hotel to hail one for you. If you want ME, you pick you up, I’m just a phone call away. I’ll take you anywhere you like!

What percentage of people have you met that can properly pronounce Tchoupitoulas?

Zero. They call it everything but CHOP-a-too-lus. They always just say, I’m going to that street that starts with a ‘T.’

How do cabbies stay sane during Carnival?

If it’s busy downtown, and you got the parade going on, and traffic is a hot mess, I think they stay sane by going to the airport. Because they don’t want to deal with it.

If you give out a card, how often do people actually call back to setup a ride without going through dispatch?

I would say about 85 percent of the time I get a call back. And a card that I hand out always leads to referrals.

Has anyone robbed or threatened your life during a cab ride?

Child, please. No. I picked up a girl, and she said “What if I decided to rob you?” And I said “Let’s put it this way; someone is going to heaven, and someone is going to hell.”

Having said that, sadly, some of my fellow drivers haven't been so lucky. One guy got carjacked just the other day.

What interactions have you had with NOPD? How would you describe relations between cab drivers and police? Thanks for doing this AMA.

It depends on who the cab driver is. Me personally, I’ve had no interaction with them at all.

How often do people have sex in the back seat of your cab? How often do you have to clean up vomit?

Never.

What is the oddest character you have seen on your cabbing adventures?

See my note on the other question. The 80 year old man in womens' lingerie takes the prize.

Do people give you shit for being a woman driver?

Of course not. No, indeed. Because people, believe it or not, prefer a female driver. A female driver is more patient, I think. And for female passengers, they prefer female drivers because they feel safer.

Thoughts on the Uber expansion?

As an organization we are against UBER expanding into NOLA. While better technology is something we need in our industry, unregulated vehicles for hire is not something the city should allow on the street. As a taxi driver, I have the proper insurance that will cover my passengers, I have also gone through a background check. And the city inspects my car yearly to ensure my safety and your safety as a passenger.

My husband and I went to New Orleans for our 6 year anniversary. I got black out drunk and puked in a cab. It could have been you - if so I'm sorry. I'm told we paid extra and I was sobbing as I apologized. Does this happen often? please say yes.

Sweetheart, I run a tight ship. When you get in my cab looking tipsy I explain the rules and regulations. I keep plastic bags in my cab. I tell people, if you take sick... you are doing it in this bag.

I tell people, if you throw up on my floor I’m putting you on clean up duty.

That is how I roll in my cab. You can eat off the floors in my cab. I keep a clean cab.

What famous person or people have you driven in your cab ?

I have had a bunch of NBA players and the former governor. I have had Tom Joyner and quite a few others. But like I said everyone in my cab gets treated like a VIP… but that even if you famous you have to follow the rules. I run a tight ship.

Who in your opinion has the best sandwiches in town? Taking everything into account. Can you eat it with one hand? While driving? Cost? Size? Deliciousness? How long is the wait?

It would be Castnet on Hayne. That’s where I always go. When I go there, I get the Oyster PoBoy, dressed.

If you have worked on Mardi Gras what was your craziest experience on that night?

I don’t normally drive after 8pm during Mardi Gras. Traffic will be crazy. On Mardi Gras DAY, i was driving down Carrollton Ave, and this guy must have been on the airport stop or something. But before I got him, another cab driver had turned him down; the driver said “Oh, no, that’s too noisy,” or something. So he gets into my cab, and he says “Im going to 2400 Dumane.” And i’m looking at him, because he is a white boy. He is going to the heart of black Mardi Gras. He said Yea, I have a friend there. I told him I’ll try to get him as close as I can get you there. I told him I can’t get him through, because there was a voodoo crowd. I said I can put you on the corner. He was looking bewildered, and he said what is going on? I said, “This is the Black version of mardi gras!” I didn’t know if I could get this child through. BUt I was finally able to put him through. I asked him agian, “Are you sure you going to be okay?” He said, “yes, I’ll be okay.” I said, “OK, stay safe, baby,” and I was on my way. That was Mardi Gras Day.

I live in NOLA and travel extensively. In some cities and countries there are laws about cab stands. For example you can't hail a cab within X feet of a stand to be fair to the drivers who have been waiting. The stands are strategically placed in high traffic areas with easy ins and outs for the drivers. There are also fare rates when the distance isn't enough to make the driver money. I feel like these laws would benefit NOLA drivers especially when a tired drunk fare just needs to go a few blocks. It's worth $20 to him but with the current fares it's not worth your time. Is your organization looking at rules like this? Also, what is the city doing to make cab stands easier to find? It's hard to locate them and I live here. Imagine a drunk tourist.

Over the last two years, the Taxi industry have seen many reforms passed down by the city. Taxi drivers would like to work with the Mayor and City Council on passing meet and confer legislation that would allow us to come up with common sense reforms that would me the experience better for our customers and for drivers.

Through meet and confer we could negotiate with the city for more taxi stands around the business district and well as at the airport. Meet and confer would also allow taxi drivers to negotiate fares and fare increases.

Is FakeTaxi as fake as it seems?

I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with FakeTaxi, but I’m assuming it’s not real.

Do you know Paul LaCava? If so, tell him what's up from NYC.

"Your horn blows, now how 'bout you?"

I don't know him.

Soup or salad?

Salad.

What is the creepiest fare you have had? Also are there a lot of occultists running around?

I hope you can handle this. I picked up an old man, (this happened maybe 12 years ago). he was here for an anniversary. He flagged me down, and he say “Hey Toots! I’m here for an anniversary, and I was in the war, and blah blah blah. And i went through the whole military as a homosexual! And nobody knew about it!”

I didn’t pay him no mind. I just kept driving.

Then he asked, “Toots, I need a bisexual bar”

I said, “I don’t know nothing about that.”

He said. “Toots, you’re a cab driver! I know you know about some bars around here.”

I just nodded along and didn’t pay him any mind. When we got to the hotel, I turned around to ask him for the fare, and he has stripped down to nothing but his black and red underwear.

I told him “Put your clothes back on!”

The next day, I went to the Hilton Hotel, and he got in my cab again.

He saw me and said, “Toots, is that you? Guess what! I found a gay bar. I met two men last night.”

I said, “Ok, but you better keep your clothes on for this ride.” I said "Lord, have mercy. I can’t find one man in the day light and he went and found 2 in one night."

Do you like chitchat with the passengers or do you get annoyed when they talk too much? Also what destination was the coolest that you'd discovered while being a cab driver?

No, because I always think that I’m the one that talks too much. I don’t have a problem with people talking to me.

Have you ever had Lil Wayne hop in your cab?

I have never had Lil’ Wayne in my cab and I don’t think about him. But he seems like a nice guy.

What determines if you respond to a dispatch?

I dont have a dispatch. Now I talk my company owner from time to time. If he sends me a call I try to take it.

As a student from UNO I'm just curious...do you have any interesting story concerning college student(s) from NOLA?

No I don’t. I pick up the 2AM crowd quite often. I have quite a few come into my cab, but I don’t have any stories. Sorry.

I've never been to New Orleans, but all the comments here make it clear why Uber and Lyft are so necessary. Uber isn't exactly the nicest company, but they seem head and shoulders above New Orleans cabbies.

So my question is, what good reason is there for banning regular UberX (and Lyft, etc.) and similar services from New Orleans, when they provide far better value, convenience, and customer service than your cabs appear to? My friends have used Uber in other cities and have nothing but positive things to say.

I disagree. I know that there are probelms here with the taxi cab industry, but I don’t think Uber is the clear answer, either. And the same person who will probably be driving the Uber car, will probably be a cab driver. It would be the same cab driver.

Are you the guy that drove me to 3 different French Markets after I asked to be taken to the French Market Inn?

Nope.