General Info

[QUOTE=The Rooster1]Jambo,

I feel your pain. I have had several incidents as well, most ending with me stopping, getting out and finding another taxi. This happens right when I get in the taxi. I don't shut the door and start moving until the meter is turned on or I agree on a price before leaving. I learned early on in my PI experience that you need to be stern and don't fall to the scam, which was taught to me by local foreigners and local filipina's both.

But after a while, sometimes I just don't care or need the fight over $1 USA Dollar. I know its the principle, but it's worth my extra dollar they charge me to walk into my next destination with a smile rather than pissed off with it on my mind. Just my opinion.

My advice, drink a beer, look over at the beautiful Pinay sitting next to you and take a deep breath. And say WTF? It would cost me $50 you. S in the states for this $3 dollar ride in the PI.

Peace out![/QUOTE]

I agree with you Rooster, especially late at night. For some nominal fee on a taxi ride, I'm not going to trip. My main thing is for the taxi drivers in regards to going to the airport. This whole airport thing is kind of crap. Great they have these new yellow taxis that supposedly use this meter that is hard to read when they're driving as it's kind of some funky numbers and bam when you get there they hit a button and there's the amount. I have actually had some bullshit in regards to them lately. These yellow airport taxis only take people from the airport when they collect fares and they drive 24 hour shifts. It's kind of crap to me.

And then you have to get a cab to the airport which the regular taxi meters don't really want to do because if they can't get someone savvy enough to go the departures level to catch them, they aren't allowed to get a ride out of there and probably have to go far away from there to look for a customer. To me, it's worth it to give them a little more than the meter here. It's too bad they don't do away with the yellow airport taxis and just allow metered taxis both ways and that's assuming the metered taxis play fair. Threatening to bring back the metered cabs may do it, but it's been going on for a long time them not being able to take out arriving passengers.

It's funny that some of us will trip out over 20-40 pesos more than the meter or a little bit more. Check out the crap in Angeles on what you pay for some short ass ride over there in a damn trike. It's not even close to what you get for a metered taxi in Manila. Look at what people pay to get picked up at Clark Airport to a hotel in Angeles. 350 pesos or so? Shit, a metered taxi for those rides in Manila is probably an average around 50 pesos. I took a metered taxi from Malate to Makati the other night, and it cost me 80 pesos. Normally on the way back it's over 100 pesos. I don't like getting ripped off, but for some reason, I don't think paying slightly over the meter rates going to kill me or is worth getting all heated up about personally. Got to stay cool especially outside of your own country.

[QUOTE=Jambo]Seems every time I go to the PI, I get in an argument with one or more Taxi drivers over the fare and use of the meter.[/QUOTE]Stop worrying about the meters.. its small change to us. Im in Manila often, just do what I and all the locals do, stick your head in the cab, ask if he will take you to [insert destination]. If the answer is yes, ask 'how much?". If the price is within a reasonable range smile say "ok" & get in, if not say "no thanks" & close the door. Now was that so hard? The majority of cab drivers are ok dudes if you chum up to them especially if you are with a local.

AV

[QUOTE=Jambo]Seems every time I go to the PI, I get in an argument with one or more Taxi drivers over the fare and use of the meter. Now I do believe I understand when "off the meter" is unavoidable. What gets me in a fighting mood is when I ask the driver, before we get in, "on the meter, right?", he says yes, and then maybe a block away, starts in with something like (fill in rediculous amount here).

This last one, we were returning to Makati from Ermita area, going with the traffic, and at about 4pm. I tell him to stop, I give him whats showing on the meter, and then the jerk proceeds to spend the next 15-20 minutes stalking us with his car, and trying to enlist the help of locals on the corners. It took way to long to get another car.

Meanwhile, I look like someone out of control to my girl, and any onlookers. I've nearly come to blows with drivers before. And this is in daylight, no drinking involved...

Need counseling...or maybe just hire a car and driver..[/QUOTE]Since I have been living here for close to two years, I find that I am slowly losing my mind with all the bullshit:( From taxis that seems to pray on anyone (locals also) and waiting in line for service. I was in Globe's office in Mall of Asia to check on my roaming for my cell (wouldn't turn on) and I arrived at 10:05, they opened at 10:00. I was already number 4 in line and two were being helped. The air conditioner was broke, it was hotter then shit and I sat there 45 minutes and they were still with the same customers. By this time there was 25 customers waiting and everyone was sweating and no one but me asked what is the problem. As soon as I said something, they started calling numbers. I think that Filipinos are used to waiting, Jeepney's that don't move until they fill up, waiting for taxis/buses on the roadside, so they accept waiting and scamming as normal:(

Robb

During my first couple of years here, the general incompetence and mindlessness of the "systems" and practices that characterize most transactions here totally stressed me out, and I would often flip at the absurdity of it all and because of the inordinate amounts of time it would cause me to waste. I still do it occasionally, but I'm better at just accepting it now. I guess the balance is different for everyone, but for me, the upside of living here still outweighs the downside and I'm more able to go with the flow. I'm also getting far better at avoiding these circumstances. For example, I'll use my driver to go pay my cell phone bills, the water bill and the electric bill, thus avoiding having to wait in line.

If you let all the crap associated with living here get to you on a consistent basis, you're going to spend lots of time being angry, and it's a pointless anger since you're not going to change anything. In my case, I've learned to cope somewhat better than I did at first.

GE

[quote]it's a pointless anger since you're not going to change anything.[/quote]Good advice GE. Perhaps I will arm myself with a Maitai before every cab ride.

Here's a couple of other taxi stories.

- Me and my Navy shipmates are coming off a night of shore leave at Texas Street in Pusan, Korea. There's a bunch of taxi's waiting there to snag us. We get in the first one, start out. I notice the meter is off (and every taxi we used in the daytime was on the meter no questions asked). I know whats up so I reach up and flip the meter on myself! Don't [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord140][CodeWord140][/url] off a ROK! I'm glad I don't speak Korean. He turns around and takes us back to Texas St. Weeelll, we walk out to the back of the line, and easily find a driver willing to take us on the meter. Maybe later his buds beat him up, I dunno.

- Onlongapo PI. Coming back to the boat from shore leave again. I get on a jeepney. I forget to get off. Jeepny stops at the end of his line (And seems like he's done for the day). We are like at the outer edge of the town. He drives me back to the river. Nice guy.

[QUOTE=Jambo]Seems every time I go to the PI, I get in an argument with one or more Taxi drivers over the fare and use of the meter. Now I do believe I understand when "off the meter" is unavoidable. What gets me in a fighting mood is when I ask the driver, before we get in, "on the meter, right? ", he says yes, and then maybe a block away, starts in with something like (fill in rediculous amount here).

This last one, we were returning to Makati from Ermita area, going with the traffic, and at about 4pm. I tell him to stop, I give him whats showing on the meter, and then the jerk proceeds to spend the next 15-20 minutes stalking us with his car, and trying to enlist the help of locals on the corners. It took way to long to get another car.

Meanwhile, I look like someone out of control to my girl, and any onlookers. I've nearly come to blows with drivers before. And this is in daylight, no drinking involved.

Need counseling. Or maybe just hire a car and driver.[/QUOTE]To Jambo

You need to relax a bit you are on vacation, most cab driver are nice guy afew bad apple, they just trying yo make a living in a tough world, if I get into a cab get a quote in reason just let it go why fight for just a few peso, taxi in Manila is one of the cheapest in Asia anyway look at it as a tip.

Fast Eddie 48

[QUOTE=Key Master]It's funny that some of us will trip out over 20-40 pesos more than the meter or a little bit more. [/QUOTE]Some people will pay $100/night (5000 PHP) for a luxury suite and then 5000 PHP for a piece of pinay ass, and then complain over being overcharged 20-40 Pesos for a cab ride.

Penny wise and pound foolish.

[QUOTE=Chocha Monger]Just hire a car and driver. If the taxi driver decides to break the initial agreement en route there is nothing more you can do except politely tell him to stop and pay whatever is on the meter like you did. Remaining in the taxi and agreeing to be ripped off is not an option. The other option is to negotiate a flat fee from point A to point B off the meter before getting in. Wherever you go you'll always encounter slick cab drivers even here in the US.[/QUOTE]


You can also threaten to call PNP (philippine national police) if they pull some BS on you. It has worked for me more than a couple of times.

[QUOTE=Robbaf]Since I have been living here for close to two years, I find that I am slowly losing my mind with all the bullshit:( From taxis that seems to pray on anyone (locals also) and waiting in line for service.[/QUOTE]Rejoice in the reasons why you chose this place to live & ignore the other stuff.. life is too short Rob..

[QUOTE=Robbaf]I was in Globe's office in Mall of Asia to check on my roaming for my cell (wouldn't turn on) and I arrived at 10:05, they opened at 10:00. I was already number 4 in line and two were being helped. The air conditioner was broke, it was hotter then shit and I sat there 45 minutes and they were still with the same customers. Robb[/QUOTE]Yes Globe offices suck everywhere I have had the misfortune to enter them. By comparison SMART seems to have their shit slightly better together in their offices.. YMMV. My way of coping with an occasional sojorn in a queue? Switch on my monger radar & survey the masses for a pretty girl to smile at... drift off into fantasy about what im doing to her or will do to her when i soon get her cell number.. ;)

Whenever possible delegate small jobs like bill paying etc. Flips (sorry Xman, _Pinoys_) love to do stuff like that for you. Saves you from ever having to stand around in hot crowded offices.

Cheers mate..
AV

[QUOTE=Amavida]
Yes Globe offices suck everywhere I have had the misfortune to enter them. By comparison SMART seems to have their shit slightly better together in their offices.. YMMV. My way of coping with an occasional sojorn in a queue? Switch on my monger radar & survey the masses for a pretty girl to smile at... drift off into fantasy about what im doing to her or will do to her when i soon get her cell number.. ;)


Cheers mate..
AV[/QUOTE]
The Globe office in SM Mall by Glorietta is a good place, been there many times Amavida, was there earlier this week to make my number roaming. Maybe because it is on the 4th floor and few know about it I always seems to be able to have quick service there.

What is the legal age of consent or legal fukking age?

Am arriving in 3 weeks and my wingman says its 16 and I, m saying 18.

I myself would not want a 16 yr old due to lack of experience and huge generationssss gap. Also I don't want to see inside of a Phills jail thank you. Nor do I want to bail out my wingman. But I have a couple 18 yr old 80 lb'ers from DIA that I, m meetin up with. Would it be wise to ask to see ID and check to make sure as they sure look young.

Me, I want a 20-30 yr old Mulatto who can squirt and she will find vandaddio gives good wallet when happy.

[blue]=============================================

Hi Vandaddio,

The Age of Consent is irrelevant to the situation you've described.

What you need to know is the [u]Age of Majority[/u], which among other things is the age in which they can vote, get married, enlist in the military, and participate in commercial sex activities.

Please exercise caution.

Thanks,

Jackson[/blue]

Agreed about the taxi charges. In 3 months of travel last year, with an average or 4 rides a day, I was only worked over twice. Both times in Manila for under a couple of bucks each.

I had to use a taxi last year here in the US, cost me $28 for 13 mile trip

[QUOTE=Robbaf]Since I have been living here for close to two years, I find that I am slowly losing my mind with all the bullshitto pray on anyone and waiting in line for service. I was in Globe's office in Mall of Asia to check on my roaming for my cell (wouldn't turn on) and I arrived at 10:05, they opened at 10:00. I was already number 4 in line and two were being helped. The air conditioner was broke, it was hotter then shit and I sat there 45 minutes and they were still with the same customers. By this time there was 25 customers waiting and everyone was sweating and no one but me asked what is the problem. As soon as I said something, they started calling numbers. I think that Filipinos are used to waiting, Jeepney's that don't move until they fill up, waiting for taxis/buses on the roadside, so they accept waiting and scamming as normal:(

Robb[/QUOTE]I was in the Immigration line this week departing NAIA.

There were 8 people in front of me, all Filipino, all OFW's (yes I'm experienced enough to know I should never do THAT, but the one directly in front of me was very pretty. And I was trying).

Meanwhile the one at the counter was getting the third degree from a very slow Immigration officer. She clearly wanted every bit of paper the poor girl ever had. I was tired, irritated from much too much SMB, too much sex and too little sleep. So I aasked for the supervisor. He came running and I said why is it that we payP 750 for " airport development" when clearly the need was for Immigration training and development.

Stated we had all been waiting for 30 minutes and were all left with a very poor last impression of his country.

2 minutes later, 2 lines opened up next to ours.2 of the Filipinos thanked me and said if they had complained no one would have done anything.

[QUOTE=Wicked Roger]The Globe office in SM Mall by Glorietta is a good place, been there many times Amavida, was there earlier this week to make my number roaming. Maybe because it is on the 4th floor and few know about it I always seems to be able to have quick service there.[/QUOTE]Thx mate, I always get lost there looking for those offices Roge. My dentist is up there... somewhere... I want her to do a little work on me again soon... hehehe ;)

AV

Taxis suck in Manila and everytime you tell them to turn on their meter they give some poor excuse and say flat rate is cheaper. So one run my friend pulls out his camera and takes a picture of the drivers taxi permit and the taxi driver and tells him he will report him to the police, he was accomading after that. Just tell them I know it is the law to use the meter, most will comply when you tell them that.

Island son

Counting the days til November whe will be back in the Philippines, where to go this time is the question, so many women so little time.