Last Tuesday night, my car decided to give up the ghost right as I was headed to my sister's birthday dinner across town. Talk about awful timing! After a quick panic moment (and maybe a few choice words directed at my faithful but aging sedan), I remembered my neighbor mentioning Hillside Taxi a few weeks back.

I'm usually an app person, but sometimes you just want to speak to an actual human being, you know? Especially when you're already stressed about being late to an important family event.

The Call Experience

When I called Hillside, I expected the usual "please hold" limbo that seems standard these days. Instead, I got Sarah (I think that was her name—she answered so quickly I barely caught it) who sounded like she genuinely wanted to help. Not the bored, reading-from-a-script voice I've gotten used to from other services.

"Where are you headed tonight?" she asked, and after I explained my car situation and birthday dinner dilemma, she told me a driver could be there in about 8 minutes. I was skeptical (aren't we all when promised short wait times?), but sure enough, headlights appeared in my driveway just as I was finishing putting on my shoes.

The Ride Itself

The driver—Tom—was one of those people who seems to have the perfect balance of chatty and respectful of silence. He asked if I had a preferred route, which honestly surprised me. Most drivers just follow their GPS without asking. When I mentioned knowing a shortcut through Oak Street that avoids the evening traffic near the mall, he nodded and said, "Good call—that intersection's been a nightmare since they started road work."

The car was clean. Like, actually clean—not just "we vacuumed once this week" clean. No mysterious smells, no crumbs in the seat cracks. I've used Sunbury Taxi Cabs before when visiting friends in that area, and they maintain their vehicles well too, but Hillside's attention to detail really stood out.

Pricing That Makes Sense

Here's what I appreciate most about Hillside Taxi: straightforward pricing. The fare was exactly what Sarah quoted me on the phone. No mysterious surge charges, no "busy evening" fees that appear out of nowhere. Just the amount we agreed on.

Tom even took a slightly longer route on the way back to avoid an accident that had just happened (he heard it on his radio), and still charged me the standard fare. "Not your fault there was a fender bender," he said with a shrug when I mentioned it.

The Little Things

What really convinced me to write this up were the small touches:

• The driver had both iPhone and Android chargers available when my phone was dying
• When it started drizzling as we arrived, Tom pulled right up to the awning rather than the usual drop-off spot
• They actually answered when I called, instead of forcing me to download yet another app

When to Call Them

I've now used Hillside Taxi a handful of times, and they seem most valuable when:

• You're heading to the airport and don't want to deal with parking
• You're going out and know you shouldn't drive back
• Your regular ride falls through (like my car situation)
• You've got visitors from out of town who need reliable transportation

The company doesn't try to be something they're not. They're not trying to "disrupt" the transportation industry or "revolutionize" how we get around. They're just offering what we've always needed: someone reliable to drive us where we need to go, when we need to get there.

And sometimes, that's exactly what you want—especially when you're already running late for your sister's birthday dinner and she's the type who'll never let you forget it if you miss the cake cutting.