There’s no way of avoiding taking cabs when you arrive in a strange new city whose streets you’re not familiar with. Recently, the American media published a few recommendations for tourists wishing to take taxis abroad: Firstly, you should first know the names of the legal taxi companies in that city. And secondly, ask hotel staff for help and advice on taking taxis. These two pieces of advice are especially useful in the ten cities mentioned below.

Phnom Penn, Cambodia
Perhaps it’s this city’s low latitude climate, but our image of Phnom Penn’s rhythm is usually a bit slower when compared to other bustling cities. However, the passionate driving by the taxi drivers here far exceeded our expectations. When they spot a customer, they quickly swoop in and try to become your personal travel companion. However, the down side of this is that all you have to do is nod your head and they will automatically think that they’ve ‘got’ you. No matter where you go, they will follow. Although abruptly refusing them may hurt their feelings, for the sake of safety and convenience its best to book a taxi in advance from a reputable taxi company.

Mumbai, India
When you’re sitting in a taxi in Mumbai, you’re taxi will most likely be in a contest with lots and lots of other cars, buses, pedestrians, even the occasional camel trying to cross the road, as well as the odd elephant or two. It’s most likely that you’ll feel a little overwhelmed by all this. What’s more, most taxi drivers don’t even pay attention to the traffic lights when crossing roads, so you’ll probably start feeling anxious about whether or not traffic police will come along and hand out a big fine. However, the one thing that you don’t have to worry about is your safety, especially during the rush hour period. The speed of the cars is so slow that walking isn’t that much slower. The only thing that’ll annoy you is the loud screeching of the horns.

Photo: in.daqi.com

Jakarta, Indonesia
Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta is another South East Asian city famous for its condensed traffic. Because the construction facilities are lagging behind here, Jakarta still doesn’t have an underground system and viaducts are also few and far between. You cannot avoid being stuck in an annoying traffic jam if you set out during morning and evening rush hours. Moreover, because the traffic control division has recently copied Singapore’s traffic regulations, there now have to be 3 or more people in every car. If you’re not relaxed about the terrible traffic situation and you don’t feel comfortable sharing a car with strangers, then taking an air-conditioned bus will probably be your best option. When all is said and done, only the opening of specially designated car lanes by the city government can guarantee a smooth and unhindered traffic flow.

Athens, Greece
Although there are about 14,000 yellow taxis scooting about in Athens, standing at the side of the road and trying to hail down a cab is not as easy as it seems. Whether or not a smoking taxi driver pulls over depends entirely on the volume of your voice and whether you’ve stated the name of your destination clear enough. They’ll only hit the breaks if they stumble upon someone who happens to be going in the same direction as them. There’s also one other small thing warranting attention: Greek taxi drivers do not like to give out receipts. If you want a receipt after you have already paid the fare, then you’re going to have to think of a good way of convincing him before he starts the car.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Although Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur is a South East Asian capital that has sprung to life in recent years, the same can’t be said for its taxi drivers. According to a report from September last year, a worldwide survey including more than 30 countries and 200 tourists indicated that 23 of the countries’ tourists thought that Kuala Lumpur’s taxi drivers seem to have huge problems in terms of quality of customer service, level of professionalism and hardware index. One of the main sources of complaint is the fact that the government is severely lacking in strict and effective monitoring methods.

New York, USA
Taking a cab in New York is a very “American” thing. You really get a feel for the true face of this multi-cultural society because 80% of this city’s taxi drivers come from abroad. However, unfortunately, you can stumble upon some not so desirable situations too; for example, some taxi drivers are not willing to take you to the airport. If you have to get to JFK Airport, finding a cab to take you there is far from easy. However, taxi prices from JFK Airport to Manhattan are fixed at $45, so there’s no need to figure out how much it will tally up to. Once you’ve gotten into the cab, you can pretty much count on getting to the airport.

Mexico City, Mexico
Mexico’s little green beetle cars all over the city are probably the prettiest taxis in the world. However, this beautiful scene is overshadowed by this city’s kidnappings and extortion problems. If you do want to take a cab though, the best way is to book one in advance from a reputable taxi company. Otherwise, go to a designated taxi pick up point to take a cab. No matter what time of the day, make sure you keep an eye on your money and valuables.

Manila, Philippines
The city of Manila is full of all sorts of strange forms of transportation. From the jingle sounds of carriages to the decked-out, gaudy “Jeepney” (A local vehicle that is a changed version of a Jeep). You’re sure to be dazzled when walking down the crowded streets here. However, don’t think that all is well when taking a cab on these chaotic streets. Taxis in Manila are well known for not turning on the taxi meter and charging however much they want. The counter-measure for this is to clearly instruct the driver to turn on the meter once you get in the cab, otherwise get out of the taxi immediately. Of course the best thing is if you can find a local Avis taxi. Taking a cab from this reputable taxi company will make you feel at ease.

Bangkok, Thailand
A lot of people probably don’t expect another South East Asian entertainment capital to be on the list. This is because a lot of people who have been to Thailand before leave with excellent memories of polite and refined local taxi drivers who even put on the air-conditioning. However, I’m afraid that even an air-conditioned car won’t prevent you from sweating when faced with Bangkok’s chaotic road situation as well as the various modes of transport that crowd the streets every day. Many locals give the flowing advice: its better traveling by waterway than being stuck in a traffic jam.

Moscow, Russia
Moscow has seemingly never been short of taxis. As long as people waved from the side of the road taxis would rush over fighting for the customer, regardless of whether it was a yellow taxi, a run-down black taxi or a normal private car. However, if you don’t speak Russian or are not familiar with the situation in advance, then once you’ve gotten on it will probably be very difficult to get back off.

Source: ifeng.com

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