On the Subject of Taxis....

[Rob]

I just remembered that on my last trip the same thing happened when a "taxi" pulled up and asked if we needed a ride. We were walking but getting tired, so I thought about it, then peeked around the back of the car to check the plate....so he immediately starts getting all worked up about why am I checking the plate, blah blah blah...I just said no thanks, we are just going to walk. He was not happy but whatever. That is the ONLY time I can ever recall having any issue regarding something like that.

The reason the driver got "worked up" was that they were an illegal taxi. Legal taxis have no worry about such issues. For decades there has been a thriving illegal taxi market that benefited from tourists not knowing the difference. Thanks to sites like this, tourist now know the easy rule to always use red plated legal taxis. Knowledge is power.

Does that mean that I should stick either with my hotel's driver (even though it may be quite expensive, ie: $10 down the beach, $20 from beach to ciffs, one way) or else I'd need to find someone I can call?

Hotel drivers are the easiest, but not the cheapest choice. It is a convenience and you will pay for the convenience. The drivers are allowed to park their vehicles at the resort to wait for a fare, but the hotel does expect some sort of compensation for allowing them to park there. The hotel will generally get a "cut" of the fare which explains why they charge more. The hotel will often set the price based on what their clientele can afford. The more expensive the lodging, the more they will charge. Please note, it is not a big money maker for the hotel - their main business is providing room and board, not transportation.

If I'm walking and a red plate route taxi driver, with no passengers stops to ask if I want a ride, I should decline if I figure it's getting close to the end of the workday?

A route taxi will not stop and ask you if you need a ride. A route taxi would no more stop and ask you for a ride than would a public transportation bus stop for each person they see walking. If any legal taxi stops without you flagging them down, they will be a charter taxi - not a route taxi. As for accepting the ride, at that point it is up to your whether you want a ride or not. This is capitalism at its finest, you pay only the amount you are willing to pay, and the driver can then choose to accept it or not. If they dont accept it - just wait for the next taxi to come along.

If it's the middle of the afternoon & there doesn't appear to be many locals requiring rides, I should never ask a route taxi driver if he's willing to provide a charter service for an agreed upon price? (say from Country Country to the Canoe Bar)?

To stop a route taxi and ask if they will become a charter for you is once again capitalism at is most basic level. It is up to the driver to decide whether they want to become a charter. But realistically, there are so many non-route taxis available there is little need to ask a route taxi to act as a charter taxi.

I don't intend any attitude whatsoever, I'm just getting confused, I thought I'd just gotten the protocol down by reading others' advice & now it appears that I need to rethink all that. If I need to stick to the high end taxi prices, it is going to limit, by quite a bit, where I go while there, and how often. As mentioned in a thread I started here a few days ago, I don't have a lot of money so holidays are few and far between for me. I started that thread inquiring which restaurants offer complimentary pick up and some comments hinted that I shouldn't be so cheap as I can get anywhere for $5. I doubt that would be correct if I rely on using charter taxis priced similarly to the drivers at my hotel.

Not all tourists are well off. I don't own a house. I would not fall into the middle class category. If I had "money" I wouldn't have a problem throwing money around while there. Does that mean that I should stay home?

This whole subject sounds confusing but it is really very simple. You never have to pay more than you want. It is called CAPITALISM. If you want to pay no more than $5us to go to HiLo, tell the driver "I will give you $5us to go to HiLo" - then it will be up to them to accept or decline the offer. There is no reason to stay home, but lets be realistic again, you are a vacation, dont sweat the pocket change.

If route taxis are not for tourists, and the government can't afford a bus or shuttle system for tourists to use, is there no one who could start a legit, safe shuttle service that maybe runs every half hour or 20 minutes up & down, from long beach through to the west end, for perhaps $3-$4 pp? Is that not financially feasible?

Route taxis were not designed with tourists in mind. This is a simple truth. But what you suggest isnt going to happen anytime in the near future. As I mentioned in previous threads, I have been going to meetings for nearly 2 decades with the most influential folks in the Negril community, and no viable option has been able to be decided upon. So until a new system is developed, it will remain capitalism at is most basic level. As for your direct question about $3-$4us pp from the beach to cliffs, I dont know any legit taxi who would not take you up on that offer. Just stand firm on your price, and you will find a ride at the price.