Well, not all of them…
As you can read in this article here about a taxi driver in Bolivia being a real bro in trying to find me a motel to have sex at…
Some taxi drivers are helpful who won’ t try to fuck you over.
But, more common than not, I normally encounter taxi drivers down here who can’t resist trying to fuck you over a tiny bit at least.
Which is usually why I prefer Uber because I’ve never had an issue down here with Uber and find the drivers to be more professional and never try to fuck me over.
But with taxi drivers?
Well, with Uber, it’s like 0/100.
None of them have tried to fuck me over…
But with taxi drivers in Latin America…
It’s more like 60/40.
60% of them will try to fuck you over but 40% seem honest…
Though this also depends on what country you are in from what I have seen….
Geographical Differences
Though there are shit taxi drivers everywhere…
The places where I noticed the taxi drivers to be the scummiest are Colombia and the DR.
In Mexico, they seem a bit more honest generally speaking…
In Chile, I never had an issue nor in Argentina.
In Bolivia, I remember one taxi driver fucking me over because I was a bit drunk and forgot to ask for the price before I got in the taxi…
Which we will cover later in this article…
But you get the point – some areas of the world have more taxi drivers who want to fuck you over.
Like Colombia for example from what I have seen.
But let’s get to another difference…
Companies vs Informal Taxi Drivers
Generally speaking, taxi drivers associated with companies will be more professional and less likely to fuck you over.
While in some parts of Latin America like Bolivia…
It’s not uncommon to see random dudes driving around n beat up looking vehicles that look nothing like taxis…
But with the word “TAXI” spray painted on it while looking for potential clients.
I’ve never had issues taking those informal taxis but the common belief is that they are riskier.
More likely to find someone to fuck you over.
Though formal taxi drivers with specific companies can do the same but it is less likely…
Like one time when I was in Barranquilla, Colombia…
There was a specific part of the city where they had taxi cars lined up.
You would tell this dude that you need a taxi and for which area you are going to..
He would write down a number on a ticket that indicates the price based on what neighborhood you are going to…
Which is a bit more formal for taxis in general in Barranquilla as most you pick up from the street will negotiate with you…
A point we will get to later….
But either way, I gave this taxi driver the piece of paper I was given with the price on it…
And half way through the ride..
He looks at the paper and tries to blow smoke up my ass.
Where he makes some claim that I changed the number on it with a pen or something.
Like a 9 to an 8 or something – whatever he was trying to say, I forgot the specifics.
But the basics of it was that I somehow made the price on the ticket smaller.
Which is retarded because it was written in pen anyway. I can’t erase details with an eraser.
But I simply called the guy out – and to be honest – some folks have commented to me that sometimes I sound a little bit rough in my Spanish.
Rough like a little bit direct or confrontational – especially if someone is trying to fuck with me.
So I tell the guy “no joda, estas jodiendo conmigo pendejo, como puedo cambiar el numero?!?”
Or something along those lines.
But the guy looks up at me a little bit startled in the mirror next to him and shuts his mouth then and there.
No arguments to be had.
I paid the price on the ticket and that was it.
And that’s not uncommon in Colombia…
Taxi drivers trying to fuck you over…
But it wasn’t just the fact that I might have been a bit rough on that wannabe scammer taxi driver…
It was also the fact that…
Speak Spanish
Obviously, if you don’t speak Spanish…
The more likely someone will fuck with you.
Play on your ignorance about what they are saying and they assume you are ignorant about local prices and other shit down here…
And they try to get more money out of you.
I have noticed that the second a Latin American taxi driver realizes you actually do speak Spanish beyond “cuanto cuesta” when they are trying to fuck with you….
The more likely is it they drop the scam and go back with whatever price you two agreed upon when discussing it before getting into the taxi…
Which brings us to….
Don’t Fucking Get in the Taxi Until a Price
I don’t give a fuck if the taxi driver stopped in the middle of the fucking road with 80 vehicles behind him all honking their horns…
So chaotic!!!
His fucking problem, not mine.
Their fucking problem, not mine.
I ain’t getting into a fucking taxi until I agree with him on the price.
And if he pisses off, then another one will come quickly enough because you are probably in a high traffic area.
But most won’t – 99% won’t.
In fact, I suspect drivers who feel pressure from traffic honking at them from behind are more likely to accept a normal price.
Or at least that is what I have seen anyway.
Well, regardless, don’t get into a taxi until you agreed upon a price.
And if you don’t speak Spanish, you probably will have a hard time with this.
Now, you may wonder – how do I know what a good price is?
You will learn with time after some experience and also some locals can tell you ahead of time…
If you simply ask.
The lady at the front desk of the hotel you are at.
The apartment landlord you got…
Maybe the Latina chicks you setting up dates with from Tinder or Latin American cupid…
Or the other expats or locals you already know in the city…
Either way, for being a foreigner…
You should know some will try to fuck with you…
Simply knock on their taxi window or open the door to the passenger seat and ask for the price to wherever you are going.
Negotiate.
And if ain’t acceptable, just close the door and get the next taxi driver.
Some will yell at you to ask what better price you want or offer you a lower price if you walk away…
Take that if you want or find the next driver.
Your choice.
Just again – don’t enter the fucking taxi until you know he is either using a meter (like in Bogota or elsewhere) or you got a agreed upon price.
Another tip – when negotiating, don’t be a pussy.
Don’t be a dick but don’t be afraid to back up what you want especially if you speak Spanish.
A landlord of mine in Colombia sometimes negotiated taxi fares for me and he was a bit rough – the way he was and how he spoke was someone you would expect from a rougher background.
And he always got a better price because he wasn’t afraid to back up why his price was better – simple logic too – “we use this route every day and the price is ALWAYS THE PRICE!! Q TE PASA?!?!”
Which brings me to another point…
If you can get a local to negotiate the price or ask the initial price for you…
The better.
Especially if it is a male local.
Local women can be better but…
Women typically don’t negotiate prices very well from what I have seen…
If the initial offer is shit anyway.
And because they are not usually paying the taxi fee, then they don’t usually give a shit since it ain’t their money anyway.
And will just walk into the taxi sometimes without even offering a counter price.
So sometimes local women can be retarded when it comes to negotiating price.
And one last point…
Scams
Even when a taxi driver has agreed upon a price with you…
And even when it all seems fine…
As you can see in this video from Colombia here..
They can sometimes be affiliated with criminals who can try to fuck you over or just have some scam they got going themselves to fuck you over.
And in Mexico City, it’s not uncommon to hear stories of them raping chicks they pick up either.
Which, while most taxi drivers are not bad folks…
This brings me to a final issue…
Use Uber
I don’t care where you are.,
If Uber is available in your area, use that instead.
In Mexico City once, I tried finding a taxi driver to the airport and lowest fee was like 250.
With Uber, it was like 130.
Cheaper prices, less likely to get robbed, more professional and can skip all the price negotiating where the other person is trying to fuck you on the price for being a foreigner.
I know local taxi drivers don’t like Uber because of the competition…
FUCK THEM.
Yes, plenty are decent folks.
I don’t fucking care.
I’ve met enough taxi drivers down here in Latin America that were scumbags.
If Uber made them lose their jobs….
That would be sad but not my issue.
Anyway, competition is good!
Free market and all that jazz.
As you can see here – in places like Colombia apparently taxi drivers have been protesting the better competition of Uber drivers.
Haha haha haha haha…..
Eat shit, dumb cunts.
Anyway, I ain’t out here looking for the best interest of taxi drivers…
I’m out here looking out in my best interest.
And while most down here are fine folks, there’s enough scumbag taxi drivers I’ve seen that Uber is just simply the better option down here if it is available in your area of Latin America.
Either way…
That’s this article for you.
Some tips on how to use taxi drivers down here and also a final note to just use Uber.
Got any experiences with this topic or a question?
Leave it in the comment section below.
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Thanks.
Best regards,
Matt