I love route taxis

[Blake]

Blake do you have some skin in the route taxi business? If you want to use them, its your choice. It has been discussed plenty that the cost of charter service is reasonable when it is for 2 or more people.

A single person does not by default get a hotel room for half price...

No, like Rob said, I don't have any skin in the game, which is why I feel it's important for people like me to point out how ridiculous it is to say route taxis aren't safe, based on ONE event.

Blake,

You're pointless protests are becoming tiring. You have the luxury of not having to be responsible for anything other than your own opinion. I, on the other hand have some 50 to 60 thousand unique readers this month to provide helpful, useful and beneficial information to help make their hard earned vacation time the best possible.

This is not a joke for me or Negril.com. This has to do with our 20 year reputation and making our visitors have the best time possible. If we presented anything other than accurate, beneficial and helpful advice, we would cease to exist...

As I have said, go ahead and take any taxi you want. But if something bad happens to you, the onus is on you now, and you have no one to blame but the person you see in the mirror....

Hopefully you will remember all of this when you make blanket statements saying things like route taxis aren't safe.

I've said my peace, I'm not going to sit here going back and forth over whether route taxis are safe or not, I just hope people are able to make their own informed decision based on evidence instead of based on what people say is safe or not.

You can run your site the way you see fit, I'm merely stating I feel you're portraying route taxis unfairly and that there is a conflict of interest because you do take money from private drivers.

Blake,
As I have said, go ahead and take any taxi you want. But if something bad happens to you, the onus is on you now, and you have no one to blame but the person you see in the mirror....

Classy, so because I refuse to use private drivers if I were to become a victim it would be my fault.

Maybe you should take a long look in the mirror if you start to think blaming victims makes sense.

[Kiknback]

Remember that 99.5% of visitors riding in the taxi doesn't understand one word of what's being said. Do you understand patois?

No. But I don't understand Indonesian, Thai, or Vietnamese either, but was able to use public transportation just fine in all of those countries.

BTW..there's a name for a visitor who will take up a route cab seat to save 1.00US.....cheap Charlie

I see no help in name calling here, Captaind.

You can run your site the way you see fit, I'm merely stating I feel you're portraying route taxis unfairly and that there is a conflict of interest because you do take money from private drivers.

100% agree.

[captaind]

No. But I don't understand Indonesian, Thai, or Vietnamese either, but was able to use public transportation just fine in all of those countries.
I see no help in name calling here, Captaind.
100% agree.

I apologize ....Now that I've been back for 4 years I see things from a different prospective.

[Alisa]

We have been approx 12 trips to Negril since 1993 and I am just learning in the last 2 yrs from this sight to take red plated taxi only and how the taxi system works. We have always offered about 7 dollars to take us(2adults and child) from White Sands to Xtabi, have never had anyone say no and have always hoped it was enough. I may have taken a charter and not known because last year was the only time I really paid attention and made sure it was a route and red plated taxi. Now after reading this year about the crime involving route taxi and how I should really be using charter I would like to know more about how to spot a charter. I am assuming if it is red plated and doesn't say route taxi that it is a charter? It would be helpful if a charter taxi would come and post here stating what his fare is from point A to point B. I know how this can be difficult as many locations to pick up and drop off but really would help those of us that want to ride safe and be paying a fair price. We never have phone to call so just start walking and wait for red plate to stop. Do charters just cruise around like the routes looking for someone to pick up? Many cars stopping and honking to see if you need ride so I first look to see if it has red plate so now must I make sure it doesn't say route? Ohh just when I think I have it down 😳

[Accompong]

We have been approx 12 trips to Negril since 1993 and I am just learning in the last 2 yrs from this sight to take red plated taxi only and how the taxi system works. We have always offered about 7 dollars to take us(2adults and child) from White Sands to Xtabi, have never had anyone say no and have always hoped it was enough. I may have taken a charter and not known because last year was the only time I really paid attention and made sure it was a route and red plated taxi. Now after reading this year about the crime involving route taxi and how I should really be using charter I would like to know more about how to spot a charter. I am assuming if it is red plated and doesn't say route taxi that it is a charter? It would be helpful if a charter taxi would come and post here stating what his fare is from point A to point B. I know how this can be difficult as many locations to pick up and drop off but really would help those of us that want to ride safe and be paying a fair price. We never have phone to call so just start walking and wait for red plate to stop. Do charters just cruise around like the routes looking for someone to pick up? Many cars stopping and honking to see if you need ride so I first look to see if it has red plate so now must I make sure it doesn't say route? Ohh just when I think I have it down 

Any route taxi that doesn't have a passenger already on board is a potential "charter" and some will "charter" after leaving off the passenger.

For the most part, they don't cruise around looking for charters but will rarely turn one down as beating the heck out of your car to go back and forth a bazillion times is pointless if you can make a day's wages or more with one comfortable trip.

There are some "recommended" prices for charters to certain destinations but feel free to barter for a good price. Nothing wrong with saving a buck or two and if it is too likkle I am sure the taxi driver will let you know and offer a higher price.

Peace and Guidance

[Kiknback]

We have been approx 12 trips to Negril since 1993 and I am just learning in the last 2 yrs from this sight to take red plated taxi only and how the taxi system works. We have always offered about 7 dollars to take us(2adults and child) from White Sands to Xtabi, have never had anyone say no and have always hoped it was enough. I may have taken a charter and not known because last year was the only time I really paid attention and made sure it was a route and red plated taxi. Now after reading this year about the crime involving route taxi and how I should really be using charter I would like to know more about how to spot a charter. I am assuming if it is red plated and doesn't say route taxi that it is a charter? It would be helpful if a charter taxi would come and post here stating what his fare is from point A to point B. I know how this can be difficult as many locations to pick up and drop off but really would help those of us that want to ride safe and be paying a fair price. We never have phone to call so just start walking and wait for red plate to stop. Do charters just cruise around like the routes looking for someone to pick up? Many cars stopping and honking to see if you need ride so I first look to see if it has red plate so now must I make sure it doesn't say route? Ohh just when I think I have it down 

That is where a lot of the debate comes from. If I understand Rob's view correctly, every taxi you have ever taken in Negril has been unsafe, and the only safe way to get around is to use a known, trusted driver. You cannot simply get a random red plate.

[Rob]

That is where a lot of the debate comes from. If I understand Rob's view correctly, every taxi you have ever taken in Negril has been unsafe, and the only safe way to get around is to use a known, trusted driver. You cannot simply get a random red plate.

No, it seems you do not understand my view at all. I really wish you would read what I have stated in these threads a little more closely before putting word in my mouth that I have never said and never meant. Here is a quote from November that I re-quoted here once already:

"As I have stated, the majority of route taxi operators are hard working, honest and decent drivers trying to make a living. But you, as a visitor, do not have the years and years of daily experience with the route taxi system that all Jamaicans living here have - it is second nature to them. They instinctively know which taxis to use and not to get in, they were taught this as a child. There is no visitor to the island that has that same ability, and sometimes that even fails experienced Jamaicans."

[smith744]

................. It would be helpful if a charter taxi would come and post here stating what his fare is from point A to point B. ..................

lol
lol
lol
lol
lol


my-friend & fellow-boardie,
that is sooooooooooooooo true-true:::: it would be VERY *helpful*, indeed.

but THAT will NEVER happen..!!!!..

lol
lol
lol
lol

self-SAY:::>>> "...ain't this a *funny* thread...??..."
mi-SAY:::>>>> "...yep yep .... 'tis hilarious.."

[Rob]

...Classy, so because I refuse to use private drivers if I were to become a victim it would be my fault.

Maybe you should take a long look in the mirror if you start to think blaming victims makes sense.

Blake,

You have been warned that incidents have happened and even have a first hand account. If I warn you not to put your hand in the flame or you will be burnt, and then you put your hand in the flame are burnt, is it the flames fault or yours?

There is a sign at Ricks Cafe that says cliff jumping is dangerous and you are jumping at your own risk. And anyone with knowledge of gravity, water and velocity has all the tools necessary to figure this out for themselves. Years ago, a class action suit was filed against Ricks and it was essentially thrown out of court because the court ruled the victim should have known better. They had been warned.

If you come here and rent a scooter, lay it down and end up with road rash, do you blame the road or the person who rented the scooter? Or is the driver at fault?

We warn people not to walk in the unlit areas of the beach at night for a reason, because bad things can happen. If someone who has been warned chooses to walk in the unlit areas and something bad happens - it was their choice to walk there in the first place. Sure, it is the criminal who committed the crime and is guilty, but the victim was the one who chose to walk there after being warned not to.

You have been warned about problems that have, did and will occur in the future with route taxis. It is your choice if that us$1 per leg extra is worth the extra safety that a recommended private charter can provide. If you choose $1 is not worth it, it would be your choice, no one else is to blame. You make the choice.

[Blake]

Blake,

You have been warned that incidents have happened and even have a first hand account. If I warn you not to put your hand in the flame or you will be burnt, and then you put your hand in the flame are burnt, is it the flames fault or yours?

Is there more than one reported incident of a route taxi robbing it's customer?

There have been multiple robberies of cab passengers in pretty much every state in the USA, yet we take cabs on a daily basis because we recognize they ARE rare and that the criminals are to blame, not the passengers.

Seriously, your victim blaming is ridiculous and your claiming that route taxis aren't safe is beyond reprehensible and is offensive to every route taxi driver out there.

It's obvious you aren't going to listen to reason when it comes to offering a balanced perspective, I'm done with this thread and most likely these boards, the blatant conflict of interest and FALSE information being spread by a supposed authority on all things Negril sickens me and I'm NOT the only one that feels that way.

Hopefully you'll recognize when you're wrong(we all make mistakes, owning up to them is much harder than denying it), and you'll recognize you're painting route taxis as being unsafe when they're as safe as any other mode of transportation/daily living.

Yes, crime happens, you don't blame the victim and you don't stop living life afterwards, you move on, blame the criminal, and recognize that it can happen anywhere for any reason.