Cabbies in overdrive for convention

Passengers offer good, bad reviews as business soars

By Chris Walsh, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 27, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.

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It's a rare scene on a weeknight downtown: knots of revelers wearing everything from expensive suits and lavish dresses to denim shorts and ball caps - arms extended in a mass attempt to hail taxis.

But it's become a common sight during the Democratic National Convention, which has transformed Denver into a mini-Manhattan, at least as far as the cab industry is concerned.

Hundreds of taxis are roaming the streets at any one time - as many as 300 more than the usual limit - and drivers say they've seen a sizable increase in business. But opinions vary from visitors and locals alike over how the industry has handled the crush of traffic.

Many say they've had friendly and efficient service with few if any problems. Some, however, cite long waits during peak times in the early afternoon or late at night, disoriented drivers, trouble getting service in the suburbs and other concerns.

"I've taken several cabs since I've been here for the convention, and it's gone OK," said Judy Rubin, from Pennsylvania. "The drivers have been really nice, but I was coming back from a gala at the Auraria campus and we couldn't find a taxi. My feet were killing me by the time we got one."

Rubin said one driver couldn't find a hotel in the Denver Tech Center, and another had trouble navigating road closures.

"That seems to be a recurring theme," Rubin said.

Her friend Bob Harrison also had trouble with cabbies who didn't know the city as well as one would expect.

"I had one driver who couldn't find the Sheraton (downtown) and another who hadn't heard of" the Ritz-Carlton, said Harrison, from New York. "One guy told me he just started driving cabs this week. I also had another driver tack on an extra $1.50 for a fuel surcharge, which hadn't happened with the other cabs."

Still, Rubin, Harrison and other passengers said it's just a fact of life during a high-profile event, which can lead to a dearth of cabs even in large cities with plenty of cabs.

An official at the Colorado Public Utilities Commission said it hasn't received a complaint yet during the DNC. The Denver 2008 Host Committee said the city's taxi network seems to be operating efficiently.

"We haven't heard of any issues or problems," said Chris Lopez, a spokesman for the host committee. "We talked a lot about this during the planning phases for the convention. We had taxi cab companies working with us over the past six months, and we trained them on hospitality to make sure they were ready."

Some locals say the service is better than normal, as many times throughout the day there are swarms of cabs on every corner. Denver resident Sara Schreiber said getting a taxi to and from her home in the Capitol Hill neighborhood has been a breeze.

"It's been great," Schreiber said. "I've had no problems at all, and one driver even showed up early."

Taxi companies and their drivers seem to be benefitting from the DNC financially. The company that operates Yellow Cab and Super Shuttle said it's seeing huge demand for short trips within the city to hotels in outlying areas.

"There is lots and lots and lots of business on the street in all directions," said Ross Alexander, regional general manager of Yellow Cab and Super Shuttle. "It started out a little strange because a lot of streets changed or shut down, but now we've gotten used to it."

Wanna catch a cab?

Here are some tips:

* Cabs can't wait in front of downtown hotels during the convention, but they typically at least drive by when looking for passengers. So if you can't find one on the street, locate the nearest hotel.

* The peak times (when it's harder to get cabs) are early in the afternoon and from 9 p.m. until early in the morning. Expect to battle others to get a lift.

* There's typically a line of cabs on 14th Street in front of the Colorado Convention Center, starting at the corner of California Street.

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