When I moved to the big city, buying a car seemed like a waste of money. The subway takes me anywhere I want to go, and there are always cabs as a backup. When I do want to get out of the city for a weekend, I arrange for a car rental. Rentals are great for me. I get to choose the type of vehicle that I want, buy insurance to cover the trip, and concentrate on enjoying myself. If the car develops engine trouble, I call the agency and they pick me up in a replacement. Thanks to my club discounts, I even get price breaks on some of my rentals. If you are new to the idea of renting a car, let me help. I'll show you how to get the best terms, including the lowest price. That'll make for a more pleasant trip.
If you're ever in need of a taxi service in a mid-size town or small city, you may find the available services to be quite different from what you're accustomed to in an urban area. It may seem startling to realize you can't just hail a cab from numerous intersections and that you might not be the only passenger when you do get a ride. Owners of cab companies in these settings have much lower demand for the service than do their counterparts in metro areas, and they come up with strategies to be profitable.
Ride Sharing
A taxi service in a relatively small community may have a few minivans instead of sedans that they use as cabs. This allows them to incorporate ride sharing service to keep costs lower for customers. You probably won't have a choice as to whether you ride with another passenger when you call one of these companies. If somebody else can conveniently be picked up along the way, the driver will do so.
Another cab company might focus on single-passenger fares, but you can expect to pay significantly more.
Restricted Service Hours
If you want cab service outside of regular business hours, click here or call taxi companies before you make your trip and find out which ones are available at those hours. Many small-town cab services shut down by mid-evening because there's so little demand. In addition, not all of these services offer weekend rides.
If the town you'll be visiting has no cab service in the evening or on weekends, you'll know that you can't schedule any business appointments on those days unless you rent a car or know somebody who can be your chauffeur.
No Cabs Waiting Around
If you live in a big city, you're accustomed to being able to hail a cab from the sidewalk in several parts of town. Cab drivers park near intersections that they know provide a lot of business. That's not likely in a smaller community.
Even if this smaller community has an airport, there might not be cabs waiting there when flights arrive, unlike the large airports where you would have your choice of companies and cars. Planning ahead for which service to call will save you time and prevent aggravation.
Airport Shuttle
Perhaps you're flying to an airport that's 20 or 30 miles from the town where you'll be doing business. Find out ahead of time whether any taxi company functions as an airport shuttle. That would be a convenient and affordable way to get from the airport to your hotel or to the place where you'll be doing business -- and back to the airport. If that's all the transportation service you need, this is a smart option.
Niche Services
You might want to learn whether any taxi services in this area cater to business people -- if that's the reason you're traveling there. Scheduling taxi service with one of these companies may ensure that you have your own private ride and may even be able to enjoy a more upscale car.
You don't necessarily have to hire a limo service, but companies that seek business travelers might have luxury sedans available, along with amenities such as a free newspaper and fresh coffee.
Concluding Thoughts
When you plan to stay in a small community and you won't have your own transportation, check out cab service companies ahead of time. That way, you won't be surprised at how things work in this non-urban area. You'll have all the information you need to get to your appointments on time and you won't find yourself unexpectedly stranded somewhere with no transportation.
Share26 November 2014
