Question for Manhattanites: Taxi ride from Manhattan across the river

[Bunny]

to Jersey? Would any cabbie do that, and how much would it cost?

Sorry, but I don't know where in Jersey. All I know is that the hotel is right inside the Jersey line, coming from Manhattan.

[Stephanie]

1. They will do it but they might charge you double

Because they are not allowed to pick up a fare on the way back. Do you want the number of a good car service? A little more expensive but you can have the car waiting for you.

*edit* I use this car service all the time when I go to the airport:

All State - 212-741-7440

[Bunny]

4. Well, here's my situation:

I confess to being incredibly dorky, but here goes:

I may take a bus trip to NYC this June, to do touristy things like Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We'd leave our town sometime after midnight, get into the City early AM, do the tourist stuff till about 4:00 PM, then be on our own till 11:00 PM, when the bus returns to take us to our hotel in Jersey.

My 13 yr. old could do this schedule, but there's no way my 8 yr. old could manage. I could see her needing to get back to the hotel around 8:00 - 9:00. With no transportation till 11:00, I'd hate to keep dragging her around Manhattan till the bus comes.

I was wondering if it was possible to even get a cab to Jersey, and if it was affordable. The number of a car service would be appreciated, but do they have to be scheduled in advance, or can you just call and get one when you need it?

BTW, I've never been to NYC, if you couldn't already tell! :crazy:

[Stephanie]

5. It's a tour?

You come to NYC on the tour bus? I think you should find out exactly where the hotel is. If it's close to a PATH station you could come and go as you wish. Also, there are dollar vans at the Port Authority that you could take. The car service is usually scheduled a bit in advance. A taxi would take you but as I said you might be charged double.

[Bunny]

7. Thanks - I'll look into that!

I suspect it might be Newark, but I'll double-check.

[eSTIV]

22. bottom line here.

$40 will likely yield change, even with a good tip (20%).

Probably even less.

[Bunny]

23. Wow, that's cheap.

I was thinking that anything under $75.00 would be reasonable.

[tigereye]

2. it's not in Newark, is it?

:evilgrin:

no my band once stayed at a hotel in Newark - nothing like shlepping all your gear up to the room at 4 am.

off to NYC, Ms. Bunny? For work or fun?

my sister used to take the PATH train...

[Bunny]

15. Strictly fun, tigereye!

I'm going to look into this PATH train thing.

[Stephanie]

17. NJ Transit schedules >

http://www.nj.com/njtransit/

[Bunny]

19. Thanks very much. And, out of curiousity, how come the cabbies

aren't allowed to bring anyone back from Jersey?

[Stephanie]

20. New York cabbies can't pick up fares in New Jersey

and vice versa

[Bunny]

21. Okay. Does it violate some kind of interstate commerce thing, or

something? I'm really just curious. You can tell I don't get around much, can't you? ;)

[Stephanie]

24. They just don't want them poaching each others' fares I guess

In NYC to acquire a taxi medallion, which is issued by the city and is limited in number, like a liquor license, can cost more than $100,000. So they jealously guard the fares and they don't want NJ cabbies stealing them and NJ does the same, tho I doubt their medallions cost as much.

[Bunny]

25. Well, that makes sense. Thanks. n/t

[tigereye]

31. hey have a great time!

I haven't been for years, I really would love to go. What are you planning to see? Is it a trip with the kids or just grownups?


oops just saw the above. :)

[bpcmxr]

3. Depending uponwhere exactly you're going from/to

I think you can count on $10-$20 anyway, plus if I recall you'll have to pay extra to cover the driver's trip back to Manhattan (including tunnel toll) - they are not allowed to pick up fares in NJ.

[Bunny]

9. I would have expected to pay much more, that doesn't seem bad at all.

Thanks!

[sir_captain]

13. It's not going to be close to that cheap

I'd say $50 at least.

[sir_captain]

16. Maybe in 1960!

You can't get all the way up Manhattan for $10!

[bpcmxr]

30. Like I said, depending on where you're going from & to.

I have no idea where Bunny's trip starts, but it apparently ends just over the river. I can get from my place in lower Manhattan, through the Holland Tunnel, and into NJ for about $10 - plus the return charge.

[LiberalEsto]

6. My brother works nights for a limo service

in NJ called Chairman Livery - they serve northeastern NJ and NYC. Maybe you can Google for the phone number. Tell 'em Pete's sister sent you, and see what they can do pricewise. Or they can recommend an alternative.

[Bunny]

8. Thanks!

That's good info to have!

[LiberalEsto]

14. Here's the phone #

Chairman Livery Service

107 S Farview Ave
Paramus, NJ 07652-2501 Phone: [phone]

It's also a car service and taxi service.
My brother is a dispatcher. Pete Susi.

[sir_captain]

10. It'll be pricy

it's usually around $50 from Manhattan to Newark, so I'd start there and go up. I think you'd be better off going with a car service. New Family is my favorite...probably a little cheaper and a whole lot more comfortable.

[tridim]

11. Why not take the train?

They're safer, much cheaper and much faster than a cab.

[unblock]

12. ask the hotel

it might be very convenient to simply take the PATH train, or njtransit, or a bus from port authority.

even if you do take a cab, you can always take the path to new jersey and pick up a cab from there.

i must tell you that i was nearly killed in a cab i picked up from hoboken 10 years ago, but hey, your mileage may vary....

[Bunny]

18. Well, there's a story in your post!

Almost killed in a cab from Hoboken? :wow: What on earth happened?

[unblock]

26. well...

the cab stalled out in i-78 at 11:15pm. pitch dark, and wet roads (not raining, but had been raining earlier), the genius cab driver doesn't pull over.

that's right, he came to a full stop in the middle lane of an interstate highway. no hazard lights, either. no seatbelts in the back. the driver had a seatbeat, but wasn't using it.

i thought about jumping out of the cab and making a dash for the shoulder, but it was so dark, i couldn't see if there even WAS a shoulder. what i could see, as i turned around, was:
headlight, headlight, headlight, headlight, headlight, headlight.

3 cars, side by side by side, heading at us at 75 mph. i just KNEW i was going to die. it's a very weird thought to experience, to be convinced of your own imminent death. two cars might swerve around us, but three? the middle car had nowhere to go, it HAD to hit us.

i could have run for the shoulder, but what if i trip? what if i don't make it? what if the cars swerve onto the shoulder to avoid the cab? so i turned around, tossed off my glasses, put my hands out to brace myself, and sure enough, we got hit, and hit hard.

i must have blacked out for a bit, because the emt's got there awfully quickly. i was pinned, the driver was out cold. they had to use the jaws of life to pry the roof off to get us out. the cab was totalled.

i had to get my nose repaired (broken nasal bones, and completely mangled septum -- i could only breath out of one nostril at a time, and sometimes not even that; i had to get my shoulder reconstructed (rotator cuff tear, ligament tear, i don't remember what else); i couldn't chew my food for about a year (tmj dysfunction, i couldn't even make my teeth meet); two bulging discs in my neck; torn ligaments all up and down my spine; a headache that lasted about 4 months; and a host of more minor complaints.

the main lasting damage is that my once-a-month migraines are now 8-12 times a month, sometimes worse. today, e.g., i've had a migraine every day for about a month and a half now.

i also try to avoid cabs.

[Bunny]

27. Holy Christ on a Cracker!

I'm so sorry that you got mangled up like that. Wow. What happened to the driver? Good lord, I hope you sued their asses off.

When you wrote that you almost got killed, I thought that maybe someone tried to hijack the cab, or something. What a dumbass driver.

[unblock]

28. well, i don't know how much to blame the driver

because in truth i don't know what happened to the car. were there no hazard lights because the driver's an idiot or because the battery died? did he stay in the middle lane because he's an idiot of did the steering column lock up?

either way, yes, i sued both the cab company and the car behind, and got the insurance maximum in both cases. after lawyer fees and medical bills and insurance subrogation (that's right, if you win a case, you have to reimburse the insurance company for everything they shelled out), there wasn't a huge amount left, and it sure didn't amount to reasonable "pay" for the time and effort in dealing with the case and the receipts and all that, nevermind the actual pain and suffering from the injuries themselves.

it SOUNDED like a huge amount of money, which makes me very sensitive when people go ape about big jury awards. it's never really as much as it sounds like. there really aren't many "jury jackpots", at least not in personal injuries like mine.

i never found out about the driver. i asked about him in the hospital, they said he was in "about the same shape as you", which at that point could mean anything, since most of my injuries were not perfectly clear right away. the pain system goes haywire, so it was hard to pinpoint the origin of the injuries.

[Bunny]

29. Well, I'm glad you got something for your pain and suffering.

I get irritated by the hype about huge jury awards, too. I know that once everything is reimbursed, there's often not a whole lot left. Especially not a lot considering that you will be dealing with your injuries for most likely the rest of your life. How do you ever get fully compensated for that? :mad:

I was in a wreck several years ago, and although my injuries didn't seem bad at the time, I think I'll have problems with a bulging disk in my neck for the rest of my life. The puny settlement I got (about $4,000 after everyone ELSE got paid) is long gone, and the pain and flare-ups continue to worsen. But I guess we and our trial lawyers are what's wrong with America today, huh? :eyes: