Its cash up front in Eau Claire Wisconsin

In sort of a follow up to yesterday's story, all customers in Eau Claire WI will have to pay cash up during the hours of 10 PM to 6AM.

This no doubt is a sign of the times, and shows how bad the economy is, if they are having a problem with fare beats in a town the size of Eau Claire, what is going on in large city's.

The story comes from WQOW of Eau Claire Wisconsin.


Eau Claire (WQOW) -- Taxi cab drivers are no longer idling when it comes to unpaid fares. Soon, taxi customers will have to pay-up before going anywhere in Eau Claire.

Police say there has been an increase in people skipping out on fares lately.

They hope a pre-pay system will to save them time and the cab drivers money. It will be in effect city-wide from 10pm to 6am starting Thursday.


Sgt. Scott Barton with the Eau Claire Police Department says, "What it does is it eliminates calls for service at a peak hour for the PD and a peak hour for the cabs."

Elisa Stelzer, from A-1 Taxi says, "They'll have to tell the driver where they're going and then the drive will be able to tell them what the fee would be to get them where they want to go."


There will also be a designated taxi stand at the corner of Water Street and Fourth Street. Anyone who parks there between the hours of 10pm and 3am will be ticketed.