Good comments on safety and red plates. I already voiced my opinion on route taxis on previous threads, and it stays the same so I am not going to get into it again.

Do you still take route taxis?

One thing in your points I do not understand. Why should someone only get into cabs with at least one Jamaican in the back? I would not stand there and let empty cabs go by because there was not a JA passenger in the back. It is usually just me or sometimes me and a friend --either Jamaican or other traveler so I don't crowd a cab and have rarely ridden in cabs that fill to capacity. I understand the point of larger groups taking charter taxis--maybe that was more the point you were making.