What's up with that?

Q Lately we’ve been frustrated by this odd development in taxiland: Cabbies never want to take our credit cards. Seems their machines are somehow always broken. What’re the odds of that?

A Don’t fork over the last of your beer money before you get to the bar; cabbies have to accept your plastic. Yellow Cab complaint coordinator Sheila Gunn tells us, “Some drivers prefer cash, but if they’re driving in the city of Chicago, they are required to take a credit card.” If their swipe machine is truly broken, she explains, “dispatch can run your card manually. If the driver refuses to call dispatch, then say, ‘Hey, I’m just going to call in and report this.’_” Gunn adds that she’s heard about drivers offering to take passengers to a cash station. “If it was me, I’d refuse. I’d say, ‘I’m going to sit right here,’_” she says. “If I got in a cab and the form of payment I wanted to use is a credit card, well, hey, that’s the only way you’re going to get paid. It’s up to you to defend your rights.”

Curious about something around town? E-mail us at outthere@timeoutchicago.com.