Taxis & Remis Services

[Punter 127]

I arrived Sat and was picked up by Ana, she was on time, and looking HOT!

Thanks Ana!

Punter 127

[Moore]

He was furious and kicked my bag in disgust. In retaliation, I reacted by kicking him in the shin. He continued to whine and limped toward his door. I started to follow him to really beat the shit out of him.

Smart move by the driver - wisely, he backed off before you pulled a Rambo on him.

Sounds like you were about pull out the jammy and flat blast him, but didn't wanna mess up your thirty-seven hundred dollar lynx coat, so instead...you chilled.

[Dickhead]

A guy came from EZE to the mansion, arriving at 3 AM. I went to let him in and the taxi driver had entered the house a few feet. I immediately was suspicious because he had no luggage in his hands. So, I blocked him from walking in any further. Then the guest, who spoke no Spanish, told me the driver was demanding 100 pesos instead of the agreed upon 50. I asked the driver what was going on and he said the guy had told him calle Vicente Lopez instead of partido Vicente Lopez and / or Barrio Haedo instead of Calle Haedo. I pointed out that the guest had the exact directions to the mansion, written in both Spanish and English, in his hand and they clearly stated calle Haedo in partido Vicente Lopez. He said, "No no el tiene que pagar." I shoved him gently but firmly out the door and shut it in his face.

[Monger514]

Personally, I don't understand why anyone would feel compelled to schedule someone to pick them up at the airport, which requires that you must pay for them to park their car while they wait for your arrival, or where you may have to carry and load your own luggage, or when they might be delayed and you might find yourself wandering the airport with your luggage looking for your ride, or where they may have scheduled to pickup another passenger on your flight, which may also delay your departure and over-burden your taxi with double the luggage, all for the privilege of paying more for the ride, and paying extra for the parking and the tolls

It is of course because we all have a secret hope that Ana will fall in love with us. Silly mongers.

[Sconjo USA]

I am sorry you had so much trowble with one lousy bastard. I was told that it is very hard to get a taxi driver license. If so this guy was a waco. To take a chance on loosing his licence for som, e smsll change. I guess we all would have handled it differntly. I think this shows how some dirt balls hate us gringos. I hope the police do there job and stick it to him.

Sconjo USA

[Mpexy]

I'm sorry to hear that you ran into a bad apple Mpexy.

There are a few things I don't understand. First, I don't ever remember being demanded a tip for anything here. OK maybe there was a rude English-speaking scumbag working the door at Affaire Recoleta that asked me for a tip once or twice (yeah right) I almost always just round up the cab fare and most times the driver will say "muy amable". I can only guess that your appearance / etc obviously mark you as an American and that this exceptionally fucked-up driver believes that Americans always tip (again just a guess) Locals and Europeans don't tip.

What I really don't understand is how a driver could overpower you. He could prevent you from exiting on the drivers side? It just doesnt seem possible.

In such a case, though it may seem less threatening in hindsight, you have to assume the worst and do anything to get out of that situation while you still have only one "captor" and not three. This guy has to steer, etc - why werent you punching the hell out of him if you truly couldnt get out of the back door? Take your keys out and gouge his eye. A mace carrying woman should unload immediately.

I would have beat the shit out of that guy, especially when he started to "slap / grab" me in a corner. Besides, as an average American guy I don't remember seeing more than a half-dozen Argentine men in 5 years that were physically intimidating.

Easy answers -

1. In almost 4 months, I haven't been in a situation other than this one where the driver actually demanded a propina or tip. So I'd agree that it's very rare.

2. I am obviously a gringo by the way I appear and dress, yes. However, like you I just usually round up the cab fare and again, in nearly 4 months of living here have not had a problem other than this one time. The cab fare came to something like 3.7 pesos, so I rounded up and gave the guy 4 pesos. His screaming objections and demand for propina was that I give him 5 pesos.

3. Read my post again - I was very explicit and clear that the driver did not overpower me, he simply drove off, physically blocked it so that I could not open the passenger side door when the cab came to a rest which was only twice in 20 min, but I could try to get out the driver side door on those occasions.

However, as I stated, when the cab was stopped he "physically grabbed and slapped at me to prevent me getting out the driver side rear door. I have no idea if I had really fought back whether I could have successfully gotten out or not, I'm thinking yes but I preferred the yell for the cops strategy.".

To repeat - if I had actually fought back it's probable I could have made it out. However, also probable running through my mind was that as long as the crazy idiot was just driving me around and only lightly flailing around with his hand when stopped, it really wasn't worth any risk to me to try. I just did what I thought was safer and simply yell out the window for the police. Once you hit a certain position in life, I think it's fairly understandable to have a low tolerance for risk when there is zero need to take any more than needed. I didn't include the info in the first post as I tried to keep it short, but it was full daytime, the crazy driver wasnt driving me to what I thought of as some dump and bury me location - just drove from recoleta where I started and mainly on large main roads like Sante Fe to Libertador.

4. I haven't really been trying to hide it but neither have I openly advertised it in public here, but I suppose it's not much of a surprise to state that I am a doctor and like almost all USA trained physicians went through my residency in a major teaching hospital. So I've seen my fair share of blunt and not so blunt trauma from human vs. human contacts, and I've seen far too many non-intimidating little guys that truly wreaked havoc on the far larger guy. So again, in my mind there was really no reason to take any more risk than needed as I saw it at the time even if more often than not the not so intimidating guy might truly be a cakewalk.

I think assuming the worst in certain situations isn't a bad call. In this case though, it seemed the other way around.

[Moore]

I'm sorry to hear that you ran into a bad apple Mpexy.

There are a few things I don't understand. First, I don't ever remember being demanded a tip for anything here. OK maybe there was a rude English-speaking scumbag working the door at Affaire Recoleta that asked me for a tip once or twice (yeah right). I almost always just round up the cab fare and most times the driver will say "muy amable". I can only guess that your appearance/etc obviously mark you as an American and that this exceptionally fucked-up driver believes that Americans always tip (again just a guess). Locals and Europeans don't tip.

What I really don't understand is how a driver could overpower you. He could prevent you from exiting on the drivers side? It just doesnt seem possible.

In such a case, though it may seem less threatening in hindsight, you have to assume the worst and do anything to get out of that situation while you still have only one "captor" and not three. This guy has to steer, etc - why werent you punching the hell out of him if you truly couldnt get out of the back door? Take your keys out and gouge his eye. A mace carrying woman should unload immediately.

I would have beat the shit out of that guy, especially when he started to "slap/grab" me in a corner. Besides, as an average American guy I don't remember seeing more than a half-dozen Argentine men in 5 years that were physically intimidating.

[Mpexy]

I still believe radio taxis are safe. But I suppose to provide at least one exception to the urban legend theory, I was kidnapped once on a radio taxi ride.

Long story short - I got in a radio taxi in the heart of Recoleta, nice new car, short hop later was about to get out but refused to give the driver a propina that he demanded. I gave exact change plus a little rounding due to the rudeness of demanding a 1 peso propina, and started to open the door. Crazy taxi driver takes off, and keeps going yelling essentially something to the effect of I'd better pay him or he's not letting me out. I can't say I was seriously thinking it was a real kidnapping, but if you define the pure technicality of "kidnap" as to take you against your will and hold you from leaving, then that's what happened. For 20 min the guy drove around screaming stuff at me and not letting me out, with me of course yelling for the police out the window.

Each time he had to stop at a light, which wasn't that many, twice in the whole 20 min, he parked up right against a car so I couldnt open the passenger door, and physically grabbed and slapped at me to prevent me getting out the driver side rear door. I have no idea if I had really fought back whether I could have successfully gotten out or not, I'm thinking yes but I preferred the yell for the cops strategy, which in the end worked because he dumped me out eventually where luckily a cop was near, stopped him, had me fill out whatever is the forms for pressing charges. It's been nearly a month and I seriously doubt the guy will ever be charged with anything, I think they let me fill out the forms to keep the gringo thinking the wheels of justice was turning.

Anyways, still like and think radio taxis are safe. But I can't say every story is an urban legend because I did have this one bizarre and very real experience.

[Daddy Rulz]

I agree with the rest about taxis and think that the fear of them is mostly urban ledgen "my cousin Juans, novias, sisters boyfriends uncle got robbed once" sort of thing. Though myself I usually won't get in non radio taxis. Could be unreasonable but I like the idea of somebody working for somebody. Also if its a place I'm unfamiliar with I won't get in the first one in the Q. Again prolly stupid but its what I do.

[El Perro]

I agree, though with far less experience than Moore. The taxi phobia seems misplaced to me. I never eyeball the taxi. I hail whatever is coming down the road. Other than one fast meter that was obvious, no problems. Ironically, the worst ride I have had was with a called in radio taxi when I was leaving for the airport in September. Broken down, piece of shit old Peugeot who stopped for "gas", and bored me with alot of piquetero talk. Clearly there are people who have had some bad, and very bad experiences, but the percentage must be very low.

[Moore]

It surprises me how fearful and cautious many people are with taxis here. I've taken possibly 3000 rides all over the city / country / provincia / airport without incident, except one time that I had a disagreement about the meter. I never bother checking to see if its a radio taxi, etc. The first one I see on the street is the one I take.

I talk with the drivers all the time and often tell them I'm from USA if they ask. I've had many interesting conversations and taxi drivers are of course excellent sources of local info, usually.

I estimate that there are no more "shady characters" driving taxis than in any other sector of the population. Many of the drivers seem to be stand-up guys, many educated ones, working 15 hour days to feed their family because they have no other opportunities. And most seem to do a good job (know the city/routes well, etc).

Maybe I'm naive, lucky, fearless, all three, or none. Its worked for the first 5 years.

Hi Moore,

I agree with you. I have no idea why anyone should have any anxieties about using the BA taxi system.

Thanks,

Jackson

[Thomaso276]

I minimize my Spanish conversations with cab drivers. Althought I am sure they pick it up, I prefer they not know I am a foreigner.

On a long trip from the airport I would stay away from hailing cabs. Too many security issues and too many out of the way neighborhoods until you get to Centro. I wouldn't feel too good if the driver suddenly had car problems and was pulling off an exit before arriving downtown.

You might want to practise the phrase "please take all my money and don't shoot me."

[Strad]

Immediately after you exit this area, you will come upon the blue and white "Taxi Ezeiza" booth, where on this day I paid their posted rate of $53 pesos to downtown. For guests of Capt Dave's Mansion, they had a posted rate of $45 pesos to Vicente Lopez.

The total cost: $53 pesos for the ride, $2 pesos to the porter, and a $5 peso tip for the driver = $60 pesos, tips and tolls included.

Well, I usually grab a "Radio Taxi" right outside of the terminal, where many are already there. Making eye contact far away, and the cab is mine. Their fixed rate to Recoleta is $40, I give $40 pesos+toll+tip in the end and never have any problem. In most cases, these drivers don't speak English, so during the ride, I take out a phrase book, get to practice my Spanish conversation with the driver.

Strad

Hi Strad,

I've done that also, but technically it's not permitted, and I've seen the police at the airport prevent taxis that have just unloaded departing travelers from accepting arriving travelers.

Thanks,

Jackson

[Moore]

One more point Jackson is not factoring: sometimes Taxis are in short supply. Twice in the last year I waited a half hour, whch would normally be no problema or at least no problema grande, but it was a real pain after flying all night. Ana is a good choice; she has never failed to be there at the gate when I was coming in.

Ive arrived to Ezeiza about 50 times during the last five years and I never waited more than 2 minutes between exiting baggage claim an entering a taxi (not reserved). Reserving a driver is somewhat like using a full-service stockbroker. You can go thru the hassle of dealing with a broker and pay him $200 for your purchase of 100 shares, or you can directly buy the shares online for $10 in 5 seconds whenever you want. $300 for an attractive broker.

PS I can't remember the last time someone "met me at the gate". Wasn't that banned sometime around when smoking on airplanes was banned?

Personally, I don't understand why anyone would feel compelled to schedule someone to pick them up at the airport, which requires that you must pay for them to park their car while they wait for your arrival, or where you may have to carry and load your own luggage, or when they might be delayed and you might find yourself wandering the airport with your luggage looking for your ride, or where they may have scheduled to pickup another passenger on your flight, which may also delay your departure and over-burden your taxi with double the luggage, all for the privilege of paying more for the ride, and paying extra for the parking and the tolls.

I don't understand this because there are taxi services pre-positioned at the airport waiting to depart immediately, but hey, maybe it's just me.

Couldnt agree more. But remember, there are "folks" that go to AAA motor club in order to have them map out their drive from Indianapolis to Cincinatti, gladly paying for this "service" and refusing to look at a map by themselves. Never underestimate the market value of handholding, even when its a pain in the ass.

[Jaimito Cartero]

Oh, I thought that subject line would get his attention.

I had to wait about 5 minutes my last trip to get a taxi. The time Ana was supposed to pick me up, I waited for more than 30 minutes, called her twice, and she never picked me up, or even answered her phone!

Even though it cost a little more (a lot more now) than a normal taxi, I'm always willing to support people on the ArgPriv board. However, if they don't deliver, then we should be able to let the other board members know about it.

This is a sacred cow issue, and if you dare say anything negative, even if it's true, then you get all her supporters dogpiling on you. She has gotten mixed reviews on www.flyertalk.com as well from the non-mongering public.

I do like Ana. I went on the tour with her, and she was certainly pleasant.

Oh, and Jackson didn't even mention Ana.