Here's How We Dealt With the Cab Mafia at the Argentina Comic Con

I know I mentioned this after our experience at the Argentina Comic Con in May 2019, but I wanted to emphasize on this topic a little more.

So, the cab driver only charged us $225 Argentine pesos ($3.77 USD) from our hotel in Avenida de Mayo to Costa Salguero where the Comic Con is held. But once we were ready to go home, we tried getting a cab. The only problem was, that the cab driver tried charging us $700 Argentine pesos ($11.72 USD).

I thought it was just some jerk cab driver who was taking advantage of us for being foreigners. But then it happened again in December. This time, one of the cab drivers was like, "I take US dollars, too."

And we're like, "No thanks."

The issue wasn't because we didn't have the money, we just didn't like people taking advantage of us, or anyone else for that matter. And it was clear we weren't the only ones they were trying to mess with.

A lady was walking away with her son in tow and she was pretty upset. It turns out that she had just had the same issue with a cab driver. "Es una mafia," she yelled, which translates to: "It's a mafia!"

And she's right!

These cab drivers are the same people who threatened to attack Uber drivers because they felt that they were taking jobs away from them. But you know what? If Uber drivers are more honest than cabbies, then you can't really blame people for going with the competition.

But we still had no idea how to get back to the hotel. There were no subways nearby, and walking would have taken hours. So, we crossed the street and found a bus stop. Then we started checking to see if any of the buses took us to Retiro, which is the bus terminal in Buenos Aires. It turns out the 45 bus took us, so we used our SUBE card to get on. From Retiro, we had two options. We either got on the subway or took a bus. Well, we found it easier to just take another bus that dropped us off near Avenida de Mayo. From there we walked two blocks, and we were back in our hotel room.

But I'm the kind of person that likes to correct injustices. In the States, it was pretty easy. You simply went online, spoke to a few people, the media, or even the Better Business Bureau (BBB), and something was done to correct the problem. But in Argentina, people look at us like we're crazy whenever we try to solve a problem that would benefit everyone. 

Still, I had to try. So, I reached out to the Argentina Comic Con and explained to them what had happened. But they told me that they had no power over what the cab drivers charge people who attend the event. I thought that was pretty sad, but I sort of expected that answer.

So, then I asked them if they would consider posting other ways for people to get to the Comic Con like the 45 bus. That way, everyone would know that cab drivers weren't the only option. But as it turns out, they already had that on their website, and  they pointed it out. So that as they say is that.

There was only one other place I could turn to for help. I reached out to the Defensa de Consumidor, which is somewhat equivalent to the Better Business Bureau in the States. They read my message, but never bothered to acknowledge it. I assume that this is because they are either unable to get involved or simply don't care. 

Typical!

But that's okay. Now that I know there's another option, I won't be giving those particular cab drivers a single dime.