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I went to the US Open last Saturday and had a pretty frustrating taxi experience that I think others should know about.

After the matches, I tried Uber/Lyft from the pickup area near the Hall of Science, but drivers kept canceling (probably due to traffic blocks). So I ended up taking a yellow cab to Williamsburg (~8 miles, 25 mins, no traffic).

As soon as I got in, the driver asked my destination, entered it into his phone, and told me: “It’s a fixed $50, the US Open sets the rate with taxis.” I asked again, “Are you sure? Why not just use the meter?” He repeated that it was a fixed rate and that’s how it works during the Open.

That didn’t sound right. I know NYC yellow cabs are supposed to run the meter unless you’re going to/from JFK (the only official flat fare). But since it was late and I didn’t feel like arguing once he started driving, I just let it go.

At the end, he charged me $50.64. On the receipt, I saw he had manually entered a custom fare of $47.55 and then added a 6.5% “credit card fee” ($3.09) to bring it to about $50. Uber/Lyft at that moment were showing ~$30–$40, so the whole “fixed fare” explanation seems bogus.

Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the license plate, but I did take a photo of the inspection record inside the cab in case it helps me file a complaint.

Has anyone else leaving the US Open been told about this supposed “fixed taxi rate”? Is it at all official, or just drivers scamming because of the crowds?

Also, what’s the best action I can take, report it to TLC, dispute the charge with my card, or both?