Over the past three months I've heard at least a half a dozen stories of tourists being robbed when getting in the wrong car in Negril. On Tuesday I actually met a couple that it happened to.
Folks - when getting a taxi please be sure to get in a car with a RED PLATE. That red plate requires the driver to properly license and insure himself and his vehicle to carry passengers. This is a sizeable expense as well as a time consuming endeavor - these drivers have too much to lose should they decide to become a part-time thief.
After many discussions with residents here, I am retracting my original statement about "go ahead and use route taxis" on a regular basis. Too many tourists using this system does indeed impact Jamaicans going to and from work.
IF you are going to attempt the route taxi system here:
1. Make sure before you get into the cab that there is at least 1 Jamaican passenger IN THE BACK SEAT. (This would mean that if you are a party of 4, this would not be an option for you.)
2. Make sure that the route printed on the side of the cab is the route that you are on - if on the cliffs, it should say "West End", if on the beach it should say "Beach" or "Green Island".
If you are new to Negril I highly recommend you charter a taxi - a red plated recommended driver. Get used to the surroundings, the lay of the land. I live here part time and I am not beholden to route taxis - for trips out to Half Moon Beach and even Long Bay at times I hire my driver to carry me. It doesn't make you less of a "newbie" or more "local" to take route taxis everywhere - its a matter of convenience and depending on how many are in your party its not that much more expensive to charter.
The couple I met were coming out of the bank when they were picked up by a white plated car. Make no mistake - they were watched. When coming from a bank or ATM do not get in a cab right away. I usually walk a block or two, maybe run some errands before I get into a RED PLATED route taxi to go home.
Stay safe.
Originally Posted by suzengrace
