Cabbies: Friend or Foe?
Whenever visitors come into Las Vegas, they often ask the cabbies, “So, where is the best strip club to visit?” They usually get a pretty quick reply of one or two clubs along with the assurance of “they have the best girls in town!” and voila, they’re quickly transported to the cabbie’s recommended spot.
Great advice! Right? Not necessarily. Most of the cabbies in Las Vegas are paid to bring you to certain clubs. In fact, most clubs pay the cabbies a minimum of $5 per head. This can go as high as $20! This is also what we refer to as the cabbie wars when the clubs start inflating the cabbie payout.
How does all this work? Why do the clubs pay the cabbies money? Well, the answer is obvious: competition. It’s kind of a catch 22 for many of the clubs. If they don’t pay, the cabbies will just direct much of their tourist business elsewhere. Does the club lose money? Sometimes, but more than likely, the cover charge or the first drink or two you buy will cover what the club will payout to the cabbies. In general, if a cabbie has brought you to a club, he’ll be paid whatever you’re going to pay the club as the cover charge.
So the next time a cabbie suggests a club, do you think the cabbie is watching out for you or for him/herself? Don’t get me wrong, some cabbies will give you genuine advice, but it will make you much more aware of what is going on if you knew the rates the clubs were paying the cabbies. Check out the Cabbie Update page for current rates. This way, the next time a cabbie recommends a place, and you know it’s bad, you can make your own decision on whether the cabbie is being helpful or just greedy.