Although some Penn State students have complained of rude taxi dispatchers when calling late at night, the taxi dispatchers might simply be doing their jobs.

Dustin Quick (junior-math) said he called a cab an hour ahead of his desired pick-up time, but the taxi never arrived.

When he called the taxi service back, the dispatcher said the taxi was on its way, then hung up, Quick said. The taxi never showed.

"Later on, when I was out partying, I had to rely on everything else but a cab," Quick said.

Josh Kodroff (senior-computer science) said the taxi dispatchers are "not rude, but not particularly reliable." Kodroff said he has also called for taxis that never arrived.

When someone calls for a ride, the dispatcher must know where the caller is, where the caller is going and how many people need to be picked up, said David Albert, senior dispatcher of the overnight shift at Taxi by Handy Delivery.

The dispatchers can usually figure out where a caller is, if the caller gives background details, Albert said.

Albert said it is sometimes necessary to raise their voices to customers to be heard and to get the necessary information. They are not trying to be rude; the dispatcher assumes that if they cannot hear the caller, then the caller can't hear the dispatcher, he said.

"Passengers are pretty decent, and we try to be decent to them," Albert said.

Going to a quiet place to talk to the dispatcher helps, Albert said. The callers should act as if they are talking to someone they really wish to speak to, he said. Whoever calls should be sober enough to speak coherently, he added.

The dispatchers need to have a fairly accurate idea of where the person is going, however, so they can figure out where the taxi will be going after that customer is dropped of, Albert said.

It's frustrating to the workers at the taxi company when customers add or change locations because it can cause delays in picking up the next customer, Albert said. Delays become longer and longer when multiple customers add stops or change locations, he said.

Friday and Saturday nights are very hectic for the taxi service, said Noreen Byers, owner of Taxi by Handy Delivery. The company can get anywhere from 400 to 600 calls a night, she said.

Byers acknowledged that some of the dispatchers are not "user friendly," but they are very good at knowing where every taxi is at all times. These dispatchers answer phones less frequently, she said.

Byers said she does not encourage rudeness with customers.

"There's no justification for being rude," she said. Byers also said it is a help to the taxi service when callers are ready with all the needed information. Forgetful callers hurt business, Byers said. No customers have ever called the taxi service with a complaint, Byers said.