Taxi adventures

I spent this Sunday and Labor Day with relatives in Violago
Parkwoods. We don't have a car so we always take a taxi to and from
there.

When I told the taxi driver that our destination was Violago
Parkwoods near Montalban in Rizal, he said that we already know the
arrangement for a trip that far (it's about 20-25 kms. North from
where we live in Manila). It sounded so much like the answering
machine at one call center before it records your message: "You know
the drill.")

Anyway, what the driver meant was that we should add
substantially to whatever amount would reflect in the taxi meter.

From the corner of Batasan and Litex Roads, I took note of
the taxi meter: Php 172.50. When we got off, the fare showed Php
217.50. I gave him Php 270.00 to cover the area from Batasan to
Parkwoods where he had little chance of being hailed. He demanded
additional Php 20.00. He said that trips that far should already be
by contract and not metered.

This arrangement is actually a lot better than one my sister
and I had a few years ago. My sister agreed to double to the fare.
For a Php 250.00 metered fare, we paid Php 500.00.

Tonight, my mother and I went to SM City Sta. Mesa
(Centerpoint) to do more shopping. The taxi driver didn't give the
Php 2.50 change when we went there.

When we went home from SM, our metered fare was Php 55.00.
I gave taxi driver the exact fare though he said that Php 50.00 would
do. But his kind is dying in this business.

sayong
05-01-06 11:45pm