Arriving at a strange place after a long flight can be an unsettling
experience for a traveler, even a seasoned one. And if the time should
be late at night when the city is asleep, the discomfort and
apprehensions about safety increase. Most major cities have unscrupulous
“pirate” taxis which may seem to be the same as legitimate taxis but
which are not from a registered taxi company
and are not governed by any operational guidelines or standards. At
best you could get ripped off on the amount you pay for your journey and
at worst, well...
There some things you can do when you take a taxi from the airport to
make your trip a safer one. The first one is to take a taxi from a taxi
stand. Taxi drivers are very competitive and normally will not allow a
pirate taxi to park in a regular taxi stand. As far as possible try and
avoid taking a taxi that is cruising around looking for fares when there
is a stand nearby. Next, look around to see if anyone is standing very
close to you when you telling the taxi driver where you want to go. If
someone is trying to eavesdrop on you, there must be a reason for it and
it probably will not be a good one.
There are two things you need to ensure before you get into a taxi.
First of all look to see if the driver’s license is properly displayed
and that the driver’s photo matches the license. When you are tired
after a long trip and are hassled with various pieces of baggage it’s
easy to forget about one and leave it behind. Check all the luggage as
it is put into the trunk and ensure that everything is accounted for. If
you have a vast amount of luggage, make sure the taxi driver or the
porter does not stuff everything into the trunk with no thought of the
damage that could be done. Hard luggage could get scratched or cracked
and in the case of soft luggage, there could be tears or the contents of
the suitcase could be damaged. There’s nothing worse than reaching your
destination to find that a shampoo bottle has broken and all your
clothes are covered with a soapy liquid. Also try and keep your laptops,
briefcase, handbag, backpack etc. on the seat next to you.
When you get in the cab, check to see if the door handles are in
place and the windows roll down so you cannot be trapped in the taxi.
Next check to see if there is a meter. Any reliable taxi will have a
meter to display the fare and give you receipt at the end of your
journey.
Beware of the pleasant looking stranger who ‘just happens’ to
overhear you telling the taxi driver your destination and says that he
is going in the same direction and offers to share your cab. He may be
totally innocent, but is it worthwhile taking a risk just to save a few
dollars?
If you find yourself driving through dark deserted streets, make it a
point to pull out your cell phone and make a call to a friend telling
him or her where you are and mentioning the driver’s name and the taxi
number. Even if you don’t want to disturb a friend, you can pretend to
make the call. Just make sure that the driver knows that you are doing
it.
And finally, pay the fare while you are in the taxi and put your
wallet safely back in place before exiting. And check that all your
belongings and luggage are with you before the taxi drives off.
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