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Written by Wade
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 I like to enjoy the countries that I travel through and come away with
good impressions of the people. Thus being, I try to take taxis as
least often as possible. I would often much rather walk for hours than
enter into negotiations with taxi drivers, who occasionally have the
tendency of trying to scrap unwarranted nickles and dimes out of a
traveler's purse. This is just how I programed myself- I don't mind
walking, I like figuring things out for myself - so there is often
little need for me to take a taxi.
But when I do need to give in and jump into a taxi, I follow this standard operating procedure:
1.
I try to find out from a local person how much the cab fare should be
from point A to point B. Knowing this information I can either offer
the driver the projected amount in advance or I can better gauge if the
meter is being milked.
2. I either make a deal up front as to
how much I am willing to pay or I make sure the driver turns on the
meter. A meter alone is not a fool proof indication that I will not be
cheated, as the driver can sometimes set the meter's rate or drive me
around in circles for as long to run up the price. If I know how much a
ride should cost, I can begin questioning the driver when the meter
goes above this amount. If I make a deal up front about how much I will
pay, I do not pay anything above this amount. Often times in tourist
areas, I prefer to agree on a price before getting in the cab as this
seems to be an easier option than fighting with them to turn on the
meter.
3. Carry small money. Some taxi drivers pretend that they
do not have change if you pay with a larger bill than your fare. If you
have small money you can subvert this trick before it is started. If
you don't have any smaller money then refuse to get out of the cab
until the driver finds a way to make change. They usually always have
small bills to make change with or, if they really don't, an honest
driver will someone who can.
4. I use a compass to ensure that I
am going in the right direction. If I arrive in bus terminal that I
know is to the west of a city and I want to go downtown, then I know
that there is something is wrong if the taxi takes me north or south
for a long time. Using my compass also allows me to take bearings on
major roads and landmarks in a city.
5. I usually try to avoid
taking taxis straight from bus or train stations. These locales seem to
be haunts for dishonest drivers. It makes sense: if a taxi man wants to
rip someone off, then they need a passenger that is not familiar with
their surroundings, and there is no better place to find such a target
than at a transportation hub where clueless people come into town all
day long. So rather than going with the mob of taxi men who hang out at
stations, I walk a few blocks and flag a random taxi down in the street.
6.
I show that I will not be an easy target to rip off. I confirm the
price - often writing it down in a pad of paper- or make sure that the
driver resets the meter. I also try to watch were I am going.
7.
Never put your bags in the trunk. When I can help it - whenever I am
not traveling with a group of people that fill the car - I never allow
the driver to put my bags in the trunk. The driver controls access to
the trunk and he knows that he momentarily dictates what happens with
possessions that I want. It is not uncommon for drivers to hold
traveler's bags ransom if they are trying to scam you out of money.
Allowing a taxi driver to lock away your gear gives him massive
leverage over you. When I travel, I try to be as self-contained as
possible - I want to be able to move whenever I want. By allowing a
taxi driver to separate me from my bag is to put my nuts in his vice.
I
want all of my dealings to be clean when traveling, so I hang onto my
own bags and travel as a single self-contained and completely mobile
unit. I do not want to have to depend on anyone else, I want to keep
every thing as simple as possible. It is far simpler to hold onto my
own bag than it is to involve a taxi driver in its transportation.
When
taking a taxi I want to pay the price that I owe in exact change and
get away as quickly as possible. I do not want to enter into a
potentially combative situation with another person having leverage
over me.
I hold onto my own luggage when taking taxis.
I like to cultivate good impressions of people and places, so I use
care not to invite problems that will make me think otherwise.
Read the full article at Taxi Travel Tip
Or read more Vagabond Journey Travel Tips
Wade Shepard has been perpetually traveling the world for the past 10 years, through more than 45 countries on 5 continents. He was last spotted traveling through the Middle East. Travel with me at, Vagabond Journey Travelogue
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