SPECIALS
►Conversation with a taxi driver
Romerican
viva voce !
When the taptap's movin', get a grip,
stay seated & PRAY!
TAPTAP: very rough riding Haitian
'taxi', used to transport people & things from place to place
|
Pauline
west africa wins always
Monday, July 21, 2008
Taxi
driver wisdom: "Africans are mean. They'll be smiling and laughing with you
but they set out to destroy you as soon as you turn your back. When you are
successful, they will try to bring you down. They'll go to the feticheur.
They'll put a spell on you by breaking an egg at a crossroad. African
solidarity -- tssch! Such a thing does not exist. Look at me. I've been
driving this taxi for eight years and I don't have any job security. My boss
refuses to register me as his employee. Everything can be finished for me
tomorrow. No, Africa is a bad place. No wonder everyone's trying to leave."
After a six-day transport strike that paralysed Abidjan, the diesel price
went down 100 CFA-Francs, the ministers' salaries were cut by half, and the
ubiquitous red metered taxis are back on the road.
Pauline
|
Timothy
Post
2007
Maria Rafaela taxis
Travel on the streets of Krasnodar
just got a whole lot easier. All
of Krasnodar is talking about a
“crazy” new taxi service called
Maria Rafaela Taxi, which is, gasp,
using Mercedes B Class 170 white
minivans.
The owner, V.B. Mayerov, is best
known as the local entrepreneur
who built a chain of very popular
clothing shops also called Maria
Rafaela. In May 2007, Mr. Mayerov
soft-launched his new taxi
service. At first, folks were both
surprised and confused. Surprised
that anyone would choose Mercedes
as the vehicle for a local taxi
service. Confused because the
taxis didn’t have telephone
numbers on them (they do now) and
the brand Maria Rafaela has, until
now, been known for the clothing
chain.
After taking Maria Rafaela taxis
the past two days, I think
residents’ surprise and confusion
will quickly turn into delight and
demand. The rates charged by Maria
Rafaela may been slightly higher
than other taxis but they are also
standardized. The rate is 20
Rubles for each kilometer. I live
8 kilometers from my office so the
ride costs 160 Rubles or $6.40.
Not cheap but not expensive either.My
wife, daughter, and I were very
satisfied with our first ride in a
Maria Rafaela taxi. We called the
main number +7-861-299-0000 and
were greeted with a pleasant and
competent dispatcher who asked
where we were and where we wanted
to go. The dispatcher then told us
to hold on while she determined
the nearest cab. The company
currently has 120 taxis and
expects to have over 200 by year
end (I believe the vehicles are
leased). So the wait is never more
than 15 minutes max. Our wait was
7 minutes. When the taxi got to
our apartment the dispatcher
called us back to let us know.
The driver got out of the car and
opened our doors. He was clean
shaven (a rule) and even smiled
when he greeted us (unusual). The
taxi itself is clean and air
conditioned (a necessity when the
temperature reaches 98 degrees
like it did all last week). We
chatted with the driver and he
told us that the owner, Mr.
Mayerov, has emphasized that the
drivers themselves should be on
par with the Mercedes automobiles.
Both drivers I have met have been
impressive.
|
Cuba
Velo
Taxis
These
rickshaw-style vehicles offer free transport around Cardiff city centre
The Velo
city cruisers are the latest attempt to help beat congestion in Cardiff and make
the city more attractive to tourists. You may have seen them in cities such as
Berlin, Tokyo, Lisbon and Athens
The rigid
plastic bikes with steel chassis appeared on the city's streets in early August
2004 - you can get on board at permanent stops by Cardiff Central and Queen
Street stations, and the Old Library visitor's centre by the Hayes. The service
is currently free to use, being financed by advertising. It's not hard to see
the promotional value for the companies concerned given the number of people who
stop and stare as the Velo taxis go by.
The vehicles operate under pedal power with electrical assistance if needed, and
will currently take you anywhere within the city centre. They can beat the jams
by using bus lanes and certain pedestrianised areas.
If
it's a quiet day, the driver may be willing to take you as far as Cardiff Bay. A
regular service to the waterfront could be in place by summer 2005 when the
service could expand from its initial four to as many as 20 vehicles.
The Velo taxis can take two adults and a child plus a small amount of baggage,
and there are covers for use in the rain. It's a friendly efficient service,
excellent if you want to save your weary legs. The operators say less able
bodied and blind people have found the service particularly useful.
But be
warned - you will find an uncontrollable urge to wave royally at the watching
pedestrians as you pass them by in your 21st century sedan chair
I have a
lot of people comment on the niceness of my arse
(Mary Ann,
pedal cab driver in London)
- No
hooking
Romanian
Survival Book
-
big
brother in Kenya Ruud
Elmendorp
-
Taxi in saudi arabia
-
extra fares
Dinc Arslan
-
Do
Bangkok Taxi Drivers Drive You Crazy?
Chris
- An
A-Z of Taxi Drivers
Ali
- Pedal
cab
-
The Tehran Taxi Pool
Iranvisitor tadatanome
Romanian
Survival Book
April 23, 2007
On being Romanian
NO
HOOKING
Well…a while ago I was waiting a cab at the Universitate. Many Bukresh people
know that at Universitate sit many shark cabs, naming the Independent Taxi
Driver (IDT). As I was waiting for a regular, company cab, a Cobalcescu or
Confort or Cristaxi or any other reliable company, I’ve noticed a few
foreigners, all men, probably 5 people, three middle aged and a couple of them
younger. They were obviously very cautious in picking up a cab, looking around
carefully; it was evident that someone told them in advance about the
possibilities of being ripped off in Romania.
We all waited for about 1o minutes, then the guys above lost their patience
and decided for a taxi driver that appeared more reliable to them -I don’t
really know their criteria. It was the most expensive one in the whole parking
lot. I have decided on the spot to help them, but doing good deeds to
strangers is always unexpected. It was a sunny day; I was in a good mood,
relaxed. So I approached them and said, in a kind of a British manner: ‘Excuse
me, sir, I am a local and I would like to offer you a free advice’. Suddenly
the younger guy turned to the others, rushed them in the cab and turned to me
bluntly: ‘No, no, thank you’.
Well…I am sure many foreigners have heard lots of horror stories about my
beautiful country, including the fact that young, cheap hookers fall off the
trees and approach rich old guys in broad light of the day to offer them on
the spot, right there a blow…up for only 1 penny. I do understand that, but it
is so clear that stereotypes work both ways and are totally un-healthy…I would
rather stop asking anyone how is there and there and figure it out myself,
unless I miss some good stuff. Like paying lots of money for a short drive
around, a good opportunity for the ITD to take you from Universitate to Romana
making a round to Rahova and Colentina….but, hey, some people really deserve
their lessons!
I almost felt sorry that I didn’t go to the ITD to ask him to rip them off on
my account too…only to keep the reputation, so they will have something to
tell about when they go back to their own countries
March 18, 2007 Ruud
Elmendorp big
brother in Kenya
Taxi
drivers in Nairobi have mixed feelings about a new system that tracks all
their movements. Gone are the days of taking extra customers without the boss
knowing it.
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]]>Saudi Arabia
Taxi
I hate cab drivers in Riyadh because a) they will never miss a chance
to rip you off, b) they have no idea about the directions, and c) they
are rude. I don't know about you guys, but my experience with cab
drivers in Riyadh for the past three-and-a-half years has was really
awful.
Most of the time, this is how it goes: I ask the driver to take me
somewhere. "Do you know where exactly it is?" I ask to make sure. He
will look to the car roof, as if he was trying to remember the place,
and then, excitedly says, "Yes." After about 20 minutes, I find the
driver has taken me to a wrong destination. "This is not the right
place," I tell him. Now, try to imagine this: Instead of apologizing,
he starts yelling at me, "La inta ma fi kalam kitha! Inta yenzel hina
aw floos zeyada!" (Translation: "No! You didn't say that. You either
get off here, or I will take extra money from you!")
These idiotic drivers are very lucky I'm not that kind of person who
would react to such behavior with a fist in the face. I usually reply
calmly with something like this: "That's OK. Don't lose your temper
over shit. I will stop here." I prefer to pay the extra money to for
another idiot.
I think the reason of this problem is related to the fact that most of
the cab drivers in Riyadh are foreigners. Our streets are flooded with
a large number of these drivers, who don't have any kind of training.
They are simply given cars on the day they arrive here, and start
causing troubles and pollution. They are not just causing problems
with their customers, but they also put other drivers and pedestrians
in danger with their reckless driving style.
A few years ago, the minister of labor said the taxi business should
be limited to Saudis, and he was attacked harshly and unfairly by
those who benefit from the current situation. However, according to a
recent study, the number of taxis in Riyadh is about double the actual
demand of the city, and I think that eliminating the foreign drivers
could be a good solution to solve this problem, even if it was a
partial solution and not a final one.
Thank god that I finally managed to bring my car to Riyadh, so I can
get rid of all this crap. Plus, I can finally hang out at Al-Tahlia
Street on weekends like the Riyadh cool boys. (Well, I don't think
they are cool because they do that, but if that's what it takes to be
considered cool in this city, then, hell yeah I'm gonna do it!)
extra
fares
Dinc Arslan
Here is an
improvement in Russian transportation services: The drivers have
started embossing the extra fares on the plate.
-"Step on the gas, Chief" 250R (~9$)
-"OK, Just ignore the red light" 500R (~18$)
-"Take me to the airport in 15 minutes" 1500R (~56$)
-"Let's take a ride around Moscow" 5000R (~188$)
Photo: Turkrus.com
Do Bangkok Taxi Drivers Drive
You Crazy? Chris
on May 3rd, 2007
Driving with a Taxi is still a very
affordable version of transportation in most parts of Asia, even in
Singapore or Hong Kong.
If you’ve ever been using a Taxi in Bangkok (which Asia Traveler
hasn’t?) you probably can relate to Ali’s observations of the various
types of Taxi Drivers. Ali over from Thai Tales is a happy Londoner
Gal, living it up and teaching in Thailand’s capitol.
Much of the characters she met there might even be similar to Taxi
Drivers in most of today’s Metropolis Cities on our planet; but
Bangkok is truly a special kind. Besides flanking down a limousine,
you can still have here the original Tuk-Tuk Taxis, even though those
vehicles are slowly but steadily getting close to extinction.
Ali sorts her Taxi Drivers into
· Talkers (both Thai and English!)
· The Silent Types
· Spitters
· Speed Freaks
· Slow Pokes
· Flirts
· Worshippers
I remember having the pleasure to meet one of those Worshipper Types
in Singapore a few years back. He was Pakistani, but a surprisingly
strong Catholic! The whole drive from Woodlands to the CBD area he
tried to convince and convert me to Christianity, even though I didn’t
ask for it and surely didn’t show any interest at all for quite a
while. After 30 minutes of listening to his motor-mouth babblings, he
got me started as well and we were arguing and struggling the next 10
minutes about religious questions, the Virgin Mary, the meaning of the
Crucifix, cannibalism and the eating of bread and wine and suffering
for whole mankind and those kinds of controverse things.
The end of the song was: he missed the 3 or so exits to Chinatown and
we were doing the bigger round via Suntec. It doesn’t pay to argue
with Worshipper Taxi Drivers, I can tell you!
Here is the full version of Ali’s story, go check it out, it’s a great
read!
A LONDONER IN BANGKOK
An A-Z of Taxi Drivers
Ali
30 April 2007
Unlike in the UK taxis are a part of my every day life here. They ferry me to
and from work, home from the pub, they are a shelter from both the heat and
the rain and are the occasional place to nap in at times of extreme traffic.
In this time I have been able to observe the phenomenon that is the Thai Taxi
Driver.
1. Talkers
I am not a morning person and at 6:45 am I really do not want to engage in
conversation on the way to work. However, my grunts do little to halt the
barrage of questions I invariably get with this group. But we can further
break it down into 2 groups:
a) English talkers: With varying levels of English this taxi driver will
instigate a conversation about football, the weather and the state of the
traffic. While they will struggle through each English sentence you on the
other hand will be required to answer in thai. Yes I have had lessons but on
the way to school thai is beyond me - I have yet to have caffeine and I am so
space cadet it is very likely my underwear is on inside out.
b) Thai talkers: Encouraged by my basic thai of: I’ve lived here 18 months,
I’m a teacher, I come from England - this driver will then to continue to talk
at top speed about whatever comes into his head. I’ve found the best option is
just to smile and nod but I’ve yet to have such an entertaining conversation
as I did on Friday on my way home. I had gathered that he was telling me about
his day – several key words were popping up about places and traffic and
people, but although I did get the gist I had no idea about the specifics
about what had happened. But it must have been a very amusing story because he
could barely get it out he was laughing so much. His high pitched giggle was
accompanied by tears which streamed down his face (yes I was concerned whether
he could see or not) and a shaking body. I soon joined him and laughed all the
way home. At the end of the journey he shook my and said “you have very good
thai”. I couldn’t break it to him that I had no idea what he was going on
about.
2. The Silent Type
In contrast the silent type will not speak to you at all. You state your
destination and off they drive with no acknowledgement that they even know
where are you are going. When the destination is repeated several times to
ensure that this is where you will actually end up you may or may not be
greeted with a grunt. At the extreme end the silent type will both ignore you
AND refuse to drive anywhere. The first time this happens you may think that
they are just waiting for a break in the traffic in order to pull out. You
repeat where you are going and still they sit there. You try again. No
response. Eventually you sheepishly get out of the cab and try again.
3. Spitters
Yes my least favourite variety of driver. Throughout the journey they snort,
cough and wheeze until they manage to hawk up a big greenie. The door is then
opened (yes even when careering down a 6-lane road) and the offending slime is
expelled. A proficient spitter can repeat this every 3 minutes or so and is a
huge contributing factor to why I wait to get to work before eating breakfast.
4. Speed Freaks
I’m sure Bangkok is unique in the randomness of its flow of traffic. There is
no ‘rush hour’ as such, but you can be caught for hours at any time of day.
You can be stationary for a good half hour and then just as suddenly as you
stopped you start again and this is when the speed freak gets into action. He
MUST get past as many traffic lights as he can before we once again snarled up
in the traffic. He weaves from lane to lane while you slide from side to side
on the plastic seats in the back. His foot swaps from accelerator to break
with the speed of a rock drummer causing your stomach to dance to its beat.
Even the doubting Thomas’s find themselves sending up a little prayer and
kissing the ground when they finally arrive in one piece.
5. Slow Pokes
The yin to the speed freaks yang this driver is overtaken on all sides by horn
honking vehicles. Often lacking concentration he may try to eat, engage you in
conversation and play with the radio station while crawling along. Get out and
go on the skytrain!
6. Flirts
While Bangkok has been a dating desert for me I seem to attract taxi drivers.
I’m greeted with cries of ‘suay suay’ (beautiful, beautiful) and I have to try
not to notice the winks in the review mirror. Admittedly, they might just want
a good tip but sadly this actually perks my day up!
7. Worshippers
Unlike England teachers are actually respected here and once the taxi driver
has worked out what you do for a living you will be met with appreciative oohs
and aahs while you are questioned about the exact nature of your profession.
My driver yesterday puffed up with pride that he was ferrying a slightly damp
and disheveled teacher around (yes it was raining again) and insisted on
calling my Khun Kru Alex at every opportunity. For a moment I actually thought
he was going to get out and lay his coat over a puddle for me, but I guess
that really is reserved for royalty.
While you may be able to choose from an assortment of colours a Bangkok taxi
is like a box of chocolates – you never know what you are going to get on the
inside. Enjoy the adventure!
Ali
PEDAL CAB 2006
During a business trip to San Diego, Jennelle
Moore went for a short pedal cab ride from the waterfront to the Gas Lamp
District. A first-timer in a pedal cab—otherwise known as a pedicab or rickshaw—
Moore was eager to introduce Bostonians to a new means of transportation.
After a few weeks of researching the possibility of starting a pedal cab company
in Boston, Moore began to write a business plan that would launch her
entrepreneurial endeavor.
Moore says that pedal cabs can operate in
the winter and actually do quite well in cities such as New York City and
Denver. The pedal cabs have canopies that partially enclose the passengers. By
attaching additional material to the front of the cabs, the passenger will be
completely blocked from the wind. Heated blankets will be placed in the cabs for
passengers, too.
And with football season underway, Beanie Cabs is making its way to Gillette
Stadium to chauffer cold Pats fans to and from the stadium and the parking lot.
Moore owns two pedal cabs, which operate seven days a week, but plans to
purchase two more pedal cabs in the near future.
With the DNC over and residents and tourists back in Boston, Moore says the main
source of tips for drivers has been primarily the tourists. On average, drivers
make $140 per five-hour shift.
Moore says that advertising comprises approximately 70 percent of the current
gross revenue.
To date, the following companies advertise on Beanie Cabs:
Nine Zero Hotel/Spire Restaurant
Red Bull
Nantucket Nectars
Beantown Pub/Sam Adams Light
Look
out for Bugbugs in London's west end every night
We have a fleet of over 60 three-wheeled pedicabs which are designed to carry
up to three passengers on fun, safe and clean journeys.
All our pedicabs are built to the highest specification and are subject to
stringent regular maintenance checks.
As well as providing a great way to get around, they are also ideal for high
impact advertising - everyone looks at a pedicab.
Cuba
Saturday, October 01, 2005
The Tehran Taxi Pool
Iranvisitor tadatanome
With car pools now being hailed as the answer to urban traffic problems the
world over some credit must be given to Iran’s already long-established
system of taxi-sharing.
The key difference between a private cab and a shared taxi is that complete
strangers who happen to be going the same way will jump in with you. Drivers
position themselves at bus stops and other major junctions and either call
out a destination of their own choosing or be open to suggestions from a
largely fixed set of popular nearby locations. Some travellers simply choose
a strategic point on a main road and call out to passing cars – chances are
one or more of them will be a shared cab.
It might be that you have to take more than one shared cab and walk a little
to reach your destination but, at a fraction of the cost of a private cab,
the shared taxi is a cost effective and efficient mode of transport between
Tehran’s major centres and a lesson waiting to be learned by the West.
Iranvisitor
tadatanome
