Let's start by looking at the different methods of public transport. Roughly in order of cost.
- Jeepney - Ply pre-set routes & have around 20 passengers in the back
- Tricycle - Or "Motorbike and Side-car". For smaller distances usually house to the main road.
- Bus - All over Manila & Beyond
- Air Conditioned Bus - All over Manila and Beyond. Many have TVs and DVD players.
- MRT / LRT - A pretty good system that covers most (but not all) of Metro Manila
- FX - SUV's that ply the same kind of routes as Jeepney's with up to 10 passengers inside
- Taxi
As you can see there are lots of options to the taxi. Generally the people taking the taxis are considered "well off" here due to the cheaper alternatives that exist.
Taxis in Manila work on a different system from everywhere else in the world. Just because you see a taxi and successfully get it to stop doesn't mean you are actually going anywhere.
Here is my "Top 10" list taxi's have given us. They are either to ask for "Additional" payment to the meter, or to flat-out refuse to take us.
10. The rain damaged my meter
9. How much are you going to pay per litre?
8. He's too heavy! (pointing to me 200lbs or so)
7. It's too far!
6. It's too close!
5. There's too much traffic! (said at any time)
4. I'm hungry!
3. I don't have any passengers coming back!
2. I'm not going that way!
1. No. I don't want to!
9. How much are you going to pay per litre?
8. He's too heavy! (pointing to me 200lbs or so)
7. It's too far!
6. It's too close!
5. There's too much traffic! (said at any time)
4. I'm hungry!
3. I don't have any passengers coming back!
2. I'm not going that way!
1. No. I don't want to!
Some list eh? Anybody would think that they're carrying you piggyback to your destination. Or they would just like to stay stationary at the side of the road whilst you give them money.
After you have negotiated your way into a taxi you still can't relax. It is common for taxis to pull into a garage. Here they will fix their car, add oil / air / gas or perhaps take a leak themselves. All the while the meter is running...
Whilst actually in motion many drivers will feel the need to commentate for you. Utterances such as "Tsk, tsk, tsk!" and "Traffic!" are commonplace. This should serve to remind you how lucky you were that the taxi stopped in the first place. Get ready - another request for "Additional" could well be on the cards soon. A few taxi drivers seem to get visually irritated and pound the steering wheel in frustration or accelerate madly for short-distances.
You should also consider that races with jeepneys, buses and FX add extra entertainment to your trip. Likewise, so do near-misses with motorbikes and pedestrians. Pedestrians however seem to at least be participating in the game. They cross the road and hold their hand up in a "Halt!" motion whilst looking the other way. For extra excitement this game is best observed in the rain at night.
It is easy to assume that a lot of the problems I report are due to being a foreigner. Again, one can assume that this is normal for any foreigner in any country. However, the attitude of the taxi drivers here is also hurting the local economy.
If you go to some parts of Manila between 5 - 7pm or so you will see many young professionals lining the streets. Taxis curb-crawl up and down the street going from one group to the next, trying to cherry-pick just the right fare.People can wait 1 - 2 hours for a ride home. We did.
Don't believe me? Check these links out:
The last website has some good tips. Always have change on you. It's not just taxi drivers as many people who run businesses (like the post-office even) do not have change. If the smallest note you have is 500 pesos you could really be asking for trouble. Whenever I go to the ATM here I always withdraw in 900s or 400s (example 1,900 instead of 2,000). People collecting whiskey bottles of small denominations just do not happen in the Philippines. Nor does finding "loose change" down the back of the sofa. Even 1 pesos coins are used for tricycyles, jeepneys etc, etc.
Going back to the taxis what can be done? Well, one government initiative is to get them to issue receipts. Australia does this and you can even pay with bank cards. There is a telephone number to call to report taxis who do not convey passengers. However, this does not seem to work as a deterrent. It won't get you a taxi either.
If you have to take a taxi be prepared to be asked for an "Additional" 50 - 100 pesos. This depends on weather, traffic and location. Be prepared that you might have to see up to 3 or 4 taxis come and go before you get one. If the taxi changes the rules of the game in motion (they also do this) stop the taxi somewhere safe and give him 50 pesos or so and send him on his way. There's nothing worse than being traumatized by the journey and then having to pay for the pleasure.
I would like to add that not all taxi drivers are like this. We take maybe 6 - 8 taxis a week and get some good ones who just charge the meter and drive. We always give a tip to these guys and hope we get them again.
Ingat Lagi (Take care always) + thanks for reading my blog.
Simon.
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