Taxi blockade at airport

[DandyDon]

It's not hard to understand.

Not for me.

 

[Mark IV]

For Cozumel taxis? Many think they charge too much even if they charge correct rates, union controlled, no competition, and don't tip. If I think they charged me a fair rate, the cab is clean and doesn't smell, and he runs the AC when it's hot, I will - especially if he helps with my gear bag. Some will charge more than their rate cards allow tho, and I don't understand Spanish so I am a disadvantage. If I get that hunch, I'll walk down the street and wait for another to drive by.

I don't mean this as a condescending lecture or anything, just trying to be helpful, but anytime you're in another country, it always helps a lot to learn even a few words and phrases (most folks get the biggies right away......like 'please', 'thank you', 'beer', and ' bathroom', LOL!).
It's generally a much appreciated sign of respect, and (at least to some degree) helps distinguish you from the normal, clueless tourist. Asking "How much to Villa Blanca?", in the local lingo, before hopping in, is always a good idea, as is having an idea of what a fair rate for that trip should be, if possible.
Taxi drivers are hustling bandits, in pretty much every country, but if you can conceal your annoyance, and jokingly counter their price with something more reasonable, it usually works. Once you've taken the trip, then it's too late to negotiate.
Another thing i always used to recommend to folks, is to get and carry a good bit of small bills, so you can easily pay with exact change, or very close to it.
One of the taxistas favorite scams is the time-honored, "no hay cambio" (" I don't have change".)
Hell, I used to get that routine every week at the friggin' laundromat, LOL!!

 

[ggunn]

No, you are enduring chaos because a group of people don't like that their monopoly is being busted.

Of course they don't. Would you? I don't know if this is about Uber and Lyft, but those operations aren't grassroots "little guy" endeavors, they are multinational corporations that are trying to wrest the revenue stream away from the local drivers who depend on it to feed their families.

I know this isn't a popular mindset on this forum, but I don't have a problem with the Cozumel taxi union. It provides cheap reliable transportation all over the island and provides income to guys (mostly guys) who live on the island. If all the taxi drivers would become Uber and Lyft drivers, they would make less money and a big piece of the revenue thus generated would be exported to the companies' mother ships. Maybe the rides would get cheaper, but so what? They are already pretty cheap.

 

[WetInPortland]

Not for me.

Post your top three taxi trips, and I'll do a step-by-step walk through calculating the taxi fare. Easier than clearing a mask, but it can be a little intimidating the first time.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

For now, I'm a tourist. Not the Viva Mexico sombrero wearing, Hawaiian shirt, sandles and knee high black socks wearing tourist,carrying a balloon animal and a plastic yard of beer...but I'm not a local. I expect to be hit with the gringo tax several times and I fully understand that I have little to no recourse for paying more than I should have to. I doubt Progresso (?) would take a lot of interest in me getting gigged an extra few dollars for a cab ride. I confirm the price before we grab a cab and if it is more than it should be, I just don't tip. I tip well otherwise for friendly service.

That being said, if there was any policing of the cab drivers in charging the gringo tax, tourists would feel a little better. We have many many places in Cozumel that know us and treat us damn near like family. That's the main reason we go other than the diving. My Spanish is passable and gets better after a few days. I know when I'm getting scammed, and I also know most of what they are saying about me. Si, gringo gordo habla poquito espanol.

Do any of the locals know if there is ever anyone dressing as a tourist with pasty white but sunburned skin checking to make sure the rates charged are the rates published? I would think a couple of fines then loss of the taxi plate/license would damn near eliminate tourist gouging. As I understand it, it's a pretty good job.

I also don't know why the cabs have not adopted a Uber like platform. I'm a technological idiot, but having an app just like Uber for Cozumel taxis could eliminate the need to flag a cab down in the back street, keep all the money with the taxi owners, and the fares could be established by the app before the cab arrives.

Crap, I hate it when tourists bitch about Mexico and try and change things or make them more like their home country. I just did that..although not really bitching. I understand that the system works fine for Cozumel so there is no driving need to change it. As my Gringo Tax, I'll buy you a Bohemia Obscura next time we're in Cozumel together.

Safe travels everyone, see you on the reefs!
Jay

 

[DandyDon]

Post your top three taxi trips, and I'll do a step-by-step walk through calculating the taxi fare. Easier than clearing a mask, but it can be a little intimidating the first time.

My problem is understanding the language and maps.

I really have no problems with the taxis other than the ones who lie about rates.

 

[Yellowdog]

I always ask the price of the fare before I get in. If not reasonable I say no thank you. Usually the driver offers a more reasonable rate but if not no problem, there are plenty of taxis and the next one may have a more reasonable fare. I don’t want to have to argue about it or feel like I got taken at the end of the ride.

 

[mediumone]

I always get in, pay the driver the CORRECT fare, thank him/her and walk away.

 

[Steelyeyes]

I've never thought cabs anywhere in Mexico were expensive, except those with the permit to operate at the airport. Of course that's just like in the good old USA. While I believe in the freedom to join any group you want and collectively bargain for wages that allow you to live I don't like the special exceptions the airport services get for doing the same thing as any other cabbie with the addition of a captive clientele.

So when the option presents itself I simply walk out to the curb. It's easy in Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta. In Loreto not so much but I rent a car there anyway. The only place I felt ripped off, and we were too tired to care, was in Bali and that was again, at the airport.

I generally give a bit of a tip. I don't want them to think I'm from Canada or the Netherlands.

 

[DandyDon]

I’ll argue & dicker at times.