Ignorant taxi drivers are affecting tourism

Ok, now this really should light a fire under the Merchants Group, the BID and even the map and brochure committee.

Tourists visiting the Grove told a local business that they were on South Beach and they asked a taxi driver to take them to the Grove. The taxi driver looked at them like they were crazy and said, "Coconut Grove? Are you sure? Why do you want to go there, there is nothing there. It's over . . . dead!"

Supposedly this is the third time in a week that this has happened.

I have been told by tour bus operators that concierges at hotels on South Beach pay them to go to certain places because certain businesses along the routes pay them to stop certain places.

Could someone be paying the taxi drivers to avoid the Grove? Or could it be the cab drivers we chased off of Virginia Street? Maybe we should have left well enough alone.

Makes you wanna go hmmmmm.