Quote Originally Posted by Rob View Post
Blake,

I am assuming you know nothing of what transpired late last year to experienced Negril veterans, Hussyband & his wife, using what they thought was a normal route taxi. I am sorry that they have to relive this event by having it reposted here, but apparently it is necessary. Here is a link to their direct encounter, which we are glad they shared to let others become aware of the extra risks involved in using a system that you are not familiar:

http://negril.com/forum/showthread.p...put#post112924
Having read through that post, it wasn't a "normal" route taxi and it could have happened to anyone even taking a taxi from outside a restaurant and even with the right tags. A stolen car is a stolen car, unless you're using a driver you know personally it's impossible to know whether the driver is legitimate.

That doesn't mean you stop using the system, because if the system is NOT safe it should NOT exist. How many incidents other than the one last year involved a route taxi robbing it's passenger? Now compare that to how many visitors to Negril use the route taxis, frankly if you look at the numbers it's nothing but fear mongering to say if you use a route taxi you will be robbed, hell if you walk down the road you could get robbed.

Quote Originally Posted by Rob View Post
I then started a new thread explaining that there are extra risks involved when using the local route taxi system that a visitor to the island was not raised using. If you grew up using the system and were taught the "runninngs" as a child by your parents and teachers, it is not a dangerous system. You will instinctively know which taxis to take and not to take because you have had years and years of daily experience using it.

http://negril.com/forum/showthread.p...put#post112959
Very informative thread, I still believe that telling visitors to not use the route taxis is brushing the problems under a mat and ignoring it. Route Taxis are a convenient way to get around Negril, especially if you're by yourself. Chartered taxis are NOT the same price or even close to the same price as route taxis.

Quote Originally Posted by Rob View Post
Blake,
I grew up in America, Ohio to be exact, and in all those 34 years I never encountered anywhere across the 48 contiguous states a mass transit system that consisted of individual small cars/vehicles like the local, rural route taxi system used in Jamaica. In America I have used, buses, trolleys and trains, but the only time I rode in anything like a route taxi was when I flagged down or called a privately operated taxi cab. And they are not part of any states' mass transit system. Therefore there is no fair comparison.
The thing is that Negril does NOT have a bus system like the US, they have route taxis or "chartered" taxis, it would be ridiculous for me to tell visitors to the US to only use Yellow Cab taxis for ALL of their needs, because it's significantly more expensive than the bus system.

Just like using the drivers you recommend is much more expensive than using route taxis. Hell I don't feel comfortable using drivers in Negril BECAUSE the rates are not static, if Negril can learn from the US is that rates for taxis need to be static so that visitors to the island(especially rookies) are not getting screwed.

Quote Originally Posted by Rob View Post

The reality, not being so harsh, is that by calling any of the drivers listed in our transportation section, whom we know personally, you will minimize the chance of anything bad happening. You can also feel safe by calling any of the JUTA, JCal or Maxi operators - but be sure that they are indeed members in good standing in those associations. We do take the time to verify all the drivers in our transportation section. Accidents can always happen, but there is no chance that any of these folks will rob you. None. Zero.
The reality is that you're making money off of drivers listed in your transportation section, so I can't help but feel your view is slanted towards promoting private drivers. You are seen as a voice of information on all things Negril, so I kindly ask that you stay unbiased when it comes to things like route taxis, the odds of an incident happening are extremely minimal and the incident you linked wasn't even for a Negril Taxi. Those thugs could have robbed people walking down the road and hopped into their car afterwards, the end result would have been the same and no route taxi would have been involved.

Should people not walk down the street for the fear of getting robbed?

Either Negril is safe to visit or it isn't safe to visit, telling people to only take private taxis like JUTA or the transportation drivers you showcase is essentially telling people that the local transportation system isn't safe enough for them.

What's next? Only eating at "approved" restaurants? Only using "approved" travel services?

Sorry, but I look at an incident and then look at overall statistics, yes there will always be robberies happening, but if it doesn't happen on route taxis it will happen on the streets as you walk to the entrance of the hotel.

Just my opinion, I'm not going to stop using route taxis because of fear mongering, especially when the only alternative IS more expensive and just as shady with "haggling" required just to get a reasonable price.