Airport taxi warning

[cvchief]

Christi or Dave could say for sure but I am virtually certain the taxis and the vans are all part of the same union. Naive I may be but I think it is silly to speculate on how they could have done it better on the basis of what you know (and more to the point, what you don't know) about their situation from spending a few days a year there. Armchair quarterbacking, as it were. Their system works fine as far as I am concerned and I believe that unloading the airport with taxis would be a logistical nightmare and a stupid idea, for the reasons I have already stated and some I was too lazy to type. On the face of it it appears that someone there agrees.

So me spending 30 days on the island make me an idiot for speculating, but you then turn around and speculate that it would be a logistical nightmare. Can you hand me in my armchair a cervesa and a cigar without getting out of your armchair? And stop hogging the remote.....

 

[nodakdive]

From the looks of the cars in the lot compared to the drive into the terminal, it looks easy enough to get dozens of taxis lined up...

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And it's a mile from Melgar to the circle. Plenty of more room...

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LOL!! Don, your practicality is, as always, amazing.

I dunno. Maybe it's a mass conspiracy. Maybe it's the Unions. Maybe they know we're all just itching to take a taxi to the hotel so they're, by God, not gonna let us do it. They even know it would cause less traffic and taxi stress. They know it would be just as easy as the vans. Maybe they know it'd be easier, in fact, on everyone if they just let people take taxis away from the airport. And cheaper. And more fun. Etc.

Chief, you watch your tongue in those taxis so you don't wash up in Cuba, but I'm tellin' ya, if you ever take a van from the airport again, keep it extra hush, hush, because the van union, with all their power and money to lock the taxistas out of the airport arrival terminal, makes the taxi union look like a box full of shut eyed kittens. heh.

Honestly, the first picture, especially the two vans sticking out, reinforced my gut feeling about the infrastructure and the impact of lined up taxis. (And the efficiency of backed up vans.) There isn't a ton of frontage there. Looks like it's only two lanes too. I'm just sayin'....

It really would be fun to know exactly why they do it this way.

-Blair

 

[sddiver]

One point I think plays a role and that hasn't been mentioned is that there is likely a concession involved in this situation. Unlike in the states and other places where there is a locally controlled "airport authority" or some other quasi gov't entity, the Cozumel airport and also Cancun are among about 10 airports run by ASUR. ASUR is paid or pays whoever owns the actual airport and sells concessions to anyone who does business there. As an example the timeshare sharks employers pay ASUR to operate in that area between the two sets of glass doors. Same thing in Cancun. It's big business to get their hooks into newly arriving passengers. I'd be very surprised if the owner of the vans were not paying for the privilege of being the only vendor for passengers at the terminal. Unlike the taxis the vans are owned by one company that can be easily billed. The Taxis are all individually owned and if the tables were turned it would be much more difficult for ASUR to get their cut out of how many potential owners. Like most things in Mexico the money talks and I'd bet the money is talking in this situation as well.

Rich

 

[cvchief]

LOL!! Don, your practicality is, as always, amazing.

I dunno. Maybe it's a mass conspiracy. Maybe it's the Unions. Maybe they know we're all just itching to take a taxi to the hotel so they're, by God, not gonna let us do it. They even know it would cause less traffic and taxi stress. They know it would be just as easy as the vans. Maybe they know it'd be easier, in fact, on everyone if they just let people take taxis away from the airport. And cheaper. And more fun. Etc.

Well I am arguing more about the lack of conclusiveness. Maybe congestion is why they started it. Maybe because it is too congested at the piers and they don't want the same thing. I dunno.

Chief, you watch your tongue in those taxis so you don't wash up in Cuba, but I'm tellin' ya, if you ever take a van from the airport again, keep it extra hush, hush, because the van union, with all their power and money to lock the taxistas out of the airport arrival terminal, makes the taxi union look like a box full of shut eyed kittens. heh.

Seriously! NEVER screw with the taxi union. Just insert "Cozumel Taxis" where you think you heard Chicago:

[youtubehq]2ScvAJG51V4[/youtubehq]

Honestly, the first picture, especially the two vans sticking out, reinforced my gut feeling about the infrastructure and the impact of lined up taxis. (And the efficiency of backed up vans.) There isn't a ton of frontage there. Looks like it's only two lanes too. I'm just sayin'....

It really would be fun to know exactly why they do it this way.

-Blair

Yea. Who knows? That's my point. For instance have you seen the new bus stop shelters, for instance? The city signed a contract and got paid a pile of money and got these free shelters that were to carry advertising. The took the money I guess but dragged their feet getting them up. Finally under pressure I guess they started to put them up. They stuck one on the airport road, which blocked the path the kids walked to the CBIS school. The kids then had to walk in the street around it. Safety first! Again for clarity, I am NOT saying why they did anything or that taxis might be better. However, if it is ever considered, we will see every taxi and ever 5th car sporting a sunscreen in favor of it!

 

[ggunn]

So me spending 30 days on the island make me an idiot for speculating, but you then turn around and speculate that it would be a logistical nightmare. Can you hand me in my armchair a cervesa and a cigar without getting out of your armchair? And stop hogging the remote.....

The difference, my dear chief, is that my points are in support of what is actually in place. No one is accused of armchair quarterbacking when they say that a play was run well, only when they say, "I could have thrown that pass better". Right. Suit up and show me.

 

[cvchief]

The difference, my dear chief, is that my points are in support of what is actually in place. No one is accused of armchair quarterbacking when they say that a play was run well, only when they say, "I could have thrown that pass better". Right. Suit up and show me.

Oh, I see. So if you say it is the BEST way of doing it, that ain't speculation. Since we are friends, can I cut to the chase and say I think you are wrong again. I *believe* armchair quarterbacking is the practice of commenting or offering an opinion on something which someone has no expertise, without regard as to whether you agree with the status quo or not.

I will readily confess, I have no expertise in the traffic engineering nor the contractual relationships that a specific to the Cozumel airport. Are you willing to do the same and accept we are just chewing the fat here?

I might not go as far as sddiver, but that doesn't mean I don't consider it very possible he might be correct. I have a friend who has a small shop on La Isla. Taxis bring people in and he pays the taxis a cut of what the people buy. Money does talk. Wait, shouldn't you be on the side of money corrupting things, Gunn?

 

[nodakdive]

Only 120? That wouldn't be an issue at all, I don't think.

How long are those little cars? Maybe you're right.

Now your saying for instance, 20,000 people on one day don't strain the taxis more and than 3 or 4 planes would?

Well, not the taxis, the airport. I suspect it would be a strain on the airport flow.

Now I know what you are going to say next, the cruise ships are staggared. However here is a daily schedule:

No, I meant that the excursions were staggered. (though all of it is to some degree). If I'm doing the jeep tour, "meet on the poop deck at 8am". If I'm doing the jungle excursion, "meet on the poop deck at 8:30am". Like that. They have too, because if everyone just tried to go out the doors at once, no one would get out.

And those plane people have to clear customs, so they come out in a steady stream. For instance, I was told when several planes landed the Saturday before Christmas, it took them around three hours to process the people out of the airport. So they were 'staggered' too and even less of a transportation problem.

Once the baggage arrives it's pretty steady. I don't know what the red light percentage is for sure, as it's nearing 100 percent for me. And as far as the airport was concerned, if it took 3 hours, they probably weren't feeling like their problems were lessened. My guess is that the people there, passengers and employees alike, thought things were busy. In other words, case in point. 4 planes at once practically brings the place to a standstill.

As for the idea that most use excursions that have transportation, I think my first instinct is to call *BS*. I freely admit that is just a guess, but for instance I know of NO dive op that provides transportation. Taxis run in and out of Caleta all morning dropping people off. Sure I have seen the camo open bus. and the cute little weegee cars lined up and some jeeps. I have also seen A BOAT load (get it? Boat load?) of taxis lined up. I think alot of people ride in taxis. Ride around town on Sunday and see all the taxis parted at houses. I read somewhere there are like 750 or more on the road at anytime. Where are they making their money if not cruisers? Trust me when I say it is an SOB when I am running late, weaving my way through the taxis to get to caleta. Thankfully the taxi always show me which red lights mean stop and which ones are more like a request for caution crossing the intersection.....

Lol! You're right. You're guessing. Even I am guessing, but I've been on two cruises, and from what I saw, many of the people schedule stuff. Btw, Scuba is probably the least used excursion, at least from what I saw. Cozumel would be a big dive stop though. Remember, and I'm not trying to pick on cruisers, many/most of the people on those boats don't want to think about anything. They don't want to carry money. They just want to do whatever is easiest. I'm blown away by the price they pay for some of these excursions, like the "day at the beach" things. It's been awhile since I looked, but I think they were paying $50 for a ride to the beach and lunch. Cheap compared to showing up at the Presidente, but still... "Get me there. Booze me up. Get me back." Though I think it's really not consequential to your argument, I was on a cruise that docked at Playa del Carmen (Calica), and I heard the port talk. If anything, the Mexican ports have more people staying on the boat instead of "taking their chances." And, btw, the beach across from CDM is, or at least used to be, the site of ship excursions for snorkeling, etc. I've never paid attention, but they not walking, and they're not taking taxis. If they are taking vans, and here's my point, they were scheduled, and they weren't an hour late because of snow in Houston.

As DD points out, you could stack a boat load of taxis and load and go and load and go, just as fast as they clear the xrays. Get me I am not saying they should or it would be better. If flying into Coz was more convenient for me, I don't know if I would walk off or take a van. I really don't feel strongly about it. Now as someone said it is the rule. As far as I know, it is the rule that only vans can pick up for a fare at the airport. I don't know there is any rule that says I can't walk off the airport grounds.

I don't know that he pointed out all that, but I commented on the pictures above. There isn't that much frontage, but who knows. Maybe it would be a world of rainbows and unicorns if people could take taxis out of the airport.


---------- Post added January 2nd, 2014 at 11:16 PM ----------

I love a taxi thread. Kills time until Carnival.

Oh, that's right. I just confirmed my trip and I'm there at the same time. I'll be the one in the back of the van with the flippers in my face.
-Blair

 

[cvchief]

Oh, that's right. I just confirmed my trip and I'm there at the same time. I'll be the one in the back of the van with the flippers in my face.
-Blair

Awesome. We can argue WITH beer. I will bring the armchairs? Much better. Ill be the one in a private van from CUN and sucking a brew on the band deck on Ultramar.

 

[DandyDon]

Yeah, whether it's one plane, two, three, or more - people are going to leave the international terminal only as fast as Customs lets them go. Not much chance of a bottleneck. You are more likely to see congestion for departing planes as there is nothing to keep a hundred cabs from arriving at the same time for the three planes taking off within 20 minutes of each other. See Cozumel Airport Flights Info but the flights that leave at the same time are actually code shares on the same plane. Bag porters can be in short supply arriving or departing, I know well, but they seem to handle departing passengers without much congestion, so arriving passengers coming out of the Customs funnel should be a snap.

I think the only challenges they have is getting vans fully packed as they don't like to leave with an empty seat. It takes much longer to cram a van totally full than it could possibly take for a cab to load and leave. "Next hombre!"

 

[cvchief]

Yeah, whether it's one plane, two, three, or more - people are going to leave the international terminal only as fast as Customs lets them go. Not much chance of a bottleneck. You are more likely to see congestion for departing planes as there is nothing to keep a hundred cabs from arriving at the same time for the three planes taking off within 20 minutes of each other. See Cozumel Airport Flights Info but the flights that leave at the same time are actually code shares on the same plane. Bag porters can be in short supply arriving or departing, I know well, but they seem to handle departing passengers without much congestion, so arriving passengers coming out of the Customs funnel should be a snap.

I think the only challenges they have is getting vans fully packed as they don't like to leave with an empty seat. It takes much longer to cram a van totally full than it could possibly take for a cab to load and leave. "Next hombre!"

Wow. That is a fresh perspective. Good point. Can I hand you a beer and cigar? I think I can reach your armchair from mine, mi amigo!