Regarding the route taxi incident that happened to Hussyband....

[NiceLady]

Craig123,

With all due respect, I am getting VERY REAL. And thank you for proving my point. It is not reasonable to expect visitors to the island to have a complete understanding of the route taxi system and to realize the possible dangers. Which is exactly why I cannot in good conscience recommend that visitors take them when there is a system put in place, which was designed especially with them in mind, which is convenient, easy and safer to use.

By law the route taxi drivers are not allowed to discriminate, they must treat each potential fare equally, so they will stop for locals and tourists alike. No one can stop you from using them. That would be against the law.

But with cellphones being available practically for free (calls are around J$3 per minute -that is like 3 US cents per minute), and with plenty of safe, trustworthy and even JTB certified drivers phone numbers available, there is very very little, if any reason for visitors to use route taxis.

In my experience when I have asked establishments for a taxi, we have gotten a white plate. Specifically at Rockhouse this has happened more than once.

[smith744]

In my experience when I have asked establishments for a taxi, we have gotten a white plate. Specifically at Rockhouse this has happened more than once.

you, your-post here, and a couple others in this thread with *similar* mention, regarding an *establishment* calling/getting/securing a taxi for you reminds me of something(s).

Me-personally,
have in the past, early-on, before i *learned* the route-taxi system, would frequently ask the *establishment*, and/or the security-person at the front-entrance to the property to *assist* me in securing a *drive* (i.e., a taxi).

*they* would go out to the roadside,
and flag-down a route-taxi for me
(with red-plates, and appropriate signage/decal on the side)

...then chat-up the driver (in-brief, to advise 'em not to screw-up)
and telling the driver where i wanted to go,
and
i'd hop in and
off we'd go.

no problems

on MANY occasions, i've seen/observed other tourist-types doing the same thing with their security-person(s) where they'd be staying. For me and others this has happened at restaurants & bars, as well.


kinda-sorta just like if I or you were to leave a hotel here in tourist-town WashingtonDC, and you go outside and the bell-hop flags down a taxi. Or when you arrive at the UnionStation train station (here), and same thing happens.... a bell-hop type person flags a taxi.

my point:::>>> there're options
always options, in Jamaica and/or Negril.

of course,
as here in good-ole'-USof/WashingtonDC,
there's the limo (aka *charter*) option

by the way,
me-personally,
have received this wonderful Jamaican-hospitality (i.e., securing a safe & legal taxi for the foreigner) not only in Negril, but in rural areas of the island.

For example,
on my last-trip,
when i went to visit my Ja-play dawta at her home, in suburban Westmoreland, she (and her mom) called a safe & legal route-taxi man to meet me, and pick-me-up at the cross-road, where I disembarked from a route-taxi from Lucea.

so,
an option/strategy *could-be* to have some somebody help ya secure a *drive* if needed.