I have not yet been to Negril (1st visit in 1 week) so I have no experienced opinion, but am reading these threads carefully so as to learn what is appropriate.
I take it that for the most part I should charter a taxi (red plate of course) unless maybe I'm just going up the road a bit during mid day? 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?
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?
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)?
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?
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?
As mentioned, I haven't yet been there, so perhaps I'm out to lunch and it's been tried & scrapped for some reason in the past...just trying to find a way for visitors of modest means to make visiting Negril and getting around while there, work.
And yes, if anyone has names & numbers of safe & reasonably priced red plated charter drivers, who don't mind being called out for a 5 minute (or less) drive, please share!