Good things do happen

[El Queso]

Last Thursday a bunch of us ex-pats went to dinner together, to a place called Navegando (Honduras 5291 in Palermo) and had a good meal (more about that in another thread)

We went by taxi and on arrival, I offered to pay. It was dark and the light in the taxi wasn't very good. I opened my wallet and pulled out what I thought was a 10 and a 2, to pay an 11.50 fare. The taxi driver hesitated a minute when I handed him the money, then showed me what I had thought was the 10 and said "I think you meant to give me something smaller." Turns out it was a 100!

He could easily have pocketed that and given me the.50 change, and wait to see if I complained. But he was very honest and good-natured about the mistake.

I should also mention that we took 2 cabs because there were 8 of us. Our cab arrived first, even though we left second, and only cost 11.50. The other cab arrived about 5 minutes later and cost 18 pesos. Though there are dishonest cabbies, we managed to find an honest one, and actually my experience with cabbies is much more toward the honest ones than the problems.

[Punter 127]

I was sitting behind the driver, not paying close attention, as is normal for me. Anyone who has ever been in a taxi with Sid will understand why I'm.... ROFLMAO!

[El Queso]

I wasn't going to name names, but yeah Sid was in the other cab:)

[Jackson]

I was sitting behind the driver, not paying close attention, as is normal for me. BA's foremost taxi expert, gave driver ''free reign'' to find the restaurant. I looked up and noticed we were driving on Cordoba. Way out of the way! The correct directions were to travel on Las Heras, Santa Fe, then left a few blocks to Guatemala. We arrived, the bill fare was 18, one man paid 5, the expert paid 0, and I was stuck with the remainder of 13 pesos. Only later did I learn of the address, and how we got fuked! NEVER GIVE A TAXI ''FREE REIGN''!Sidney,

What is the purpose of your innuendo that I am "BA's foremost taxi expert"?

The only advice I've ever given you is that you should stop bitching about being ripped off by taxi drivers taking indirect routes when all you have to do is specify the route.

How the fuck that advice makes me "BA's foremost taxi expert" I'll never figure out.

The fact is that I told the driver the address where we wanted to go, but nobody in the taxi, including you, asked him to take a specific route.

Yes, he took a route down Cordoba that added a whopping $1.30 USD to the fare, which amounted to 43 cents each.

For such a rich financial genius you claim to be, you sure do cry a lot over 43 cents.

Do you think you can handle the loss?

And yes, I didn't pay for the taxi ride to the restaurant because, as is customarily among men, these taxi fares amounts are simply too small to split, the general practice being for guys to alternate paying for the taxi, which is why I paid for the taxi ride back to Recoleta.

Anyway, the next time I see you, I'll put 43 cents in your tin cup.

Thanks,

Jackson

[El Queso]

Fernando made a comment in another thread that I seem to have a higher than usual proportion of bad experiences. While I don't think so, it does remind me of Sid's experiences in taxis.

I'm not sure why it's such a small number, but I have had maybe three or four bad trips in taxis since I've LIVED here for three years, and about 4 months before that as a visitor. Must have had literally a couple of hundred rides at least. To me, not a bad percentage at all.

But poor Sid, man. It doesn't matter whether he's the one giving the directions or just sitting back and letting someone else give them, he seems to attract bad taxi stories at a rate much higher than most of the rest of us!

Jackson, I think he was just projecting his issues, trying to feel better about the taxi anomaly, and blaming you so that he didn't wrack up one more taxi story that could be attributed soley to him:)

[Meforu 2000]

Hey guys.

I read the variuos posts here and had to laugh. When I get a cab in BA I look at the cabie to see his face before I hail him down, I make sure he is at least 60 years old but thats, just an old man doing his job, and not a rip off. And those guys have the best story's and it make the ride alittle more plasurable.

I allways give a tip to good service, so if the ride is quick and the least km posible he gets a tip. If I see thats hes going allover the place no tip, and then I ask him what the fuck you doing, you know how the get there quick.

I've had all kinds. But the older the better I think.

Meforu

[Whiskas]

Hey guys.

I read the variuos posts here and had to laugh. When I get a cab in BA I look at the cabie to see his face before I hail him down, I make sure he is at least 60 years old but thats, just an old man doing his job, and not a rip off. And those guys have the best story's and it make the ride alittle more plasurable.

I allways give a tip to good service, so if the ride is quick and the least km posible he gets a tip. If I see thats hes going allover the place no tip, and then I ask him what the fuck you doing, you know how the get there quick.

I've had all kinds. But the older the better I think.

MeforuAgree with you Meforu, while in BsAs I always had better experiences with older drivers, if you are able to listen they will behave very good, I recall a guy who said he had been a teacher in the University for many years and took a job as a cabbie because his pension was too little for him and his wife. This guy could talk about politics, philosophy, economy and law in such way that my old man and I couldn't believe it. Seems like Latin America never stops surprising you even if you are a Latinoamericano.

Cheers.

Whiskas