karmel Shuttle nightmare!!

[GenGen22]

Im not one to post bad things about services but my experience on the Karmel Shuttle this past Friday was absolutely horriable!! It took us 2 hours to get to Anaheim from LAX. I understand there is traffic but its the ride with the creepy driver that was horrifying!! I made the reservation & didn't read the full details in the paperwork that state you have to call & confirm your reservation that is already paid for 48 hrs. In advance which I didn't realize until the day of so, when I did call they said my reservation was still confirmed & to call once I receive my luggage from the plane. So when calling they tell me they will be there in 15 minutes which was actually 30 minutes. Then the scary driver before taking off turns his rearview mirror toward me & my daughter so he could watch us as he drives which I thought was odd. He was texting & driving & talking on the phone & driving which is not only dangerous but against the law. Then he drives down all of these residential streets which made no sense at all while still staring at us the whole way... then he drives down an alley & unbuckles his seat belt... I was so scared of what he was going to do to us... his attitude was angry & snappy & we just couldn't wait to get out of the shuttle... nothing happened to us thank god but he was so creepy... I will never reserve the service again... its supershuttle for us from now on.

 

[Dot2Vegas]

I'm sorry that you had that experience. That sounds miserable :-( I have no future shuttle advice to offer but I strongly urge you to report this to the company. They may not be able to discipline the driver for being creepy but they certainly can for texting and talking while driving. That's dangerous! They may also want to know the route he took, if it seemed like he was going a weird way.

 

[Sherry E]

I've used Karmel Shuttle before, but not in a long, long time. I have also used Super Shuttle but not in a few years. I use a service called Sav-on Shuttle most of the time now.

You should definitely call or email Karmel and tell them of your experience -- not to get a refund or anything, but to tell them that the driver was texting and talking on the phone while driving, and that he made you uncomfortable and gave off bad vibes. The last thing they should want is a driver that makes passengers feel uneasy!

Was he actually using a handset to talk? I know that shuttle drivers are supposed to stay in contact with their stations/dispatchers while on the road, but most drivers should have everything in place so they can talk, dial numbers, etc., hands free. It's legal to talk hands-free, as long as they are 18 and over and not driving a bus (I think the bus is the exception, if I remember correctly, though I could be wrong). Actually holding a phone in their hands and talking while driving is off-limits. That said, I've been in a shuttle when the driver was talking hands-free to people, and it is a little disconcerting even then because I feel like they are distracted and not paying attention to the road, but I know they have to do it sometimes.

The texting while driving is unacceptable -- that is absolutely illegal and very dangerous, and the drivers should never do that at all, let alone with passengers in the vehicle.

 

[GenGen22]

I've used Karmel Shuttle before, but not in a long, long time. I have also used Super Shuttle but not in a few years. I use a service called Sav-on Shuttle most of the time now.

You should definitely call or email Karmel and tell them of your experience -- not to get a refund or anything, but to tell them that the driver was texting and talking on the phone while driving, and that he made you uncomfortable and gave off bad vibes. The last thing they should want is a driver that makes passengers feel uneasy!

Was he actually using a handset to talk? I know that shuttle drivers are supposed to stay in contact with their stations/dispatchers while on the road, but most drivers should have everything in place so they can talk, dial numbers, etc., hands free. It's legal to talk hands-free, as long as they are 18 and over and not driving a bus (I think the bus is the exception, if I remember correctly, though I could be wrong). Actually holding a phone in their hands and talking while driving is off-limits. That said, I've been in a shuttle when the driver was talking hands-free to people, and it is a little disconcerting even then because I feel like they are distracted and not paying attention to the road, but I know they have to do it sometimes.

The texting while driving is unacceptable -- that is absolutely illegal and very dangerous, and the drivers should never do that at all, let alone with passengers in the vehicle.

Well I don't think its discouraged to talk on the phone & drive by the company because the dispatch kept calling him on the walkie talkie phone which he kept picking up and talking into the phone. He had a bluetooth on which they could have called him & he could have answered hands free but wasn't... so im not sure calling them would do much good.

 

[tarheelalum]

I always post reviews (really good or bad) on yelp. A lot of business seem to follow it very closely and will contact you if you have a problem. TripAdvisor is also good for travel related businesses. If you were really concerned for your safety you should not just let it go. Even if the business does not seem to care, a lot of potential customers will care about that type of behavior and appreciate hearing about your experience.

 

[GenGen22]

I always post reviews (really good or bad) on yelp. A lot of business seem to follow it very closely and will contact you if you have a problem. TripAdvisor is also good for travel related businesses. If you were really concerned for your safety you should not just let it go. Even if the business does not seem to care, a lot of potential customers will care about that type of behavior and appreciate hearing about your experience.

I will definately do this. Thanks!

 

[Priory]

You should send then a letter or email. I've taken Karmel at least a dozen times and have had great service every time (well, one time the driver was obnoxiously chatty, but that wasn't a huge deal).

 

[mikedoyleblogger]

I used to be a fan. But two round-trips of similarly weird, creepy, unsafe drivers (and unsafe vans!) last fall and in August turned us off Karmel, too. We used SuperShuttle in September from LAX and while crowded, it was a much nicer experience that we'll do again.

 

[2tinkerbell]

I am sorry you had that experience.

We took Karmel in January 2014 and while it wasn't bad, I just didn't like it. The van from LAX to Anaheim was dirty and cluttered. The driver was just weird. Our return was a little odd as well. Bottom line, I didn't feel comfortable using them this last trip. We took Lansky's this last trip and I highly recommend them.

 

[GenGen22]

I am sorry you had that experience.

We took Karmel in January 2014 and while it wasn't bad, I just didn't like it. The van from LAX to Anaheim was dirty and cluttered. The driver was just weird. Our return was a little odd as well. Bottom line, I didn't feel comfortable using them this last trip. We took Lansky's this last trip and I highly recommend them.

I agree the van looked dirty, like it was the driver's own vehicle & they didn't have a camera to document anything that happened on the ride like Supershuttle does. I mean it's not just for safety for the passengers but also the driver. Its just a very unprofessional service in my opinion.

 

[SweetAlex]

How awful and totally creepy! So sorry your experience was so terrible.

We used Karmel our first trip as so many raved about it but we also had a terrible experience. Our driver was horrendous. We were all SO sick by the time we reached our hotel that we had to cancel our dinner reservations in DTD that we were all so excited for. He weaved and braked constantly, veered into wrong lanes, lurched and changed lanes last minute. He drove past his pickups who were waving at him frantically as he casually drove by (us other passengers saw them no problem and yelled at him to stop). One mother ran after him down the street with a baby in a stroller and toddler holding her hand. It was terrifying! He didn't say a word to us or any other passengers, not even a hello. It was truly awful. The ride back to the airport wasn't as horrendous but honestly, wasn't much better.

I contacted Karmel and complained when we returned home. I did get a reply and an apology and they offered a complimentary pickup next time we were in town but I'd rather pay for a limo that deal with them again, free or not.

I think there are good drivers at Karmel but unfortunately, we didn't get one