Pope John Paul George & Ringo
2005-04-14 18:28:17 UTC
I went to a doctor in Nuevo Laredo yesterday and took a taxi because
I didn't know where it was or what bus to take. I went to Plaza
Hidalgo and carefully studied the nice, large, colored sign showing
the official city taxi fares to each of a dozen or so geographical
sectors. My clinic was in Sector 4 and the official fare was listed
as 35 pesos, so I told the pinche taxista where I was going and that
it was going to cost 35 pesos and even though we were standing in
front of the damn sign he still had the audacity to tell me "oh no,
señor, ees 45 pesos!" I had been planning on a 15 peso tip for an
even 50 pesos, so I still gave him 50 pesos - I'll be damned if I'm
going to base his tip on an illegally-inflated price. Oh, and then
the SOB was a kamikaze pilot in a past life, he raced down the
street, not even slowing for pedestrians and missing them by an inch.
And apparently the concept of using turn signals is alien to Mexico,
the taxista zigzagged back and forth across several lanes to pass and
never once used a signal. I suggest avoiding his cab - Sitio
Independencia #27.
Once I got there I realized I was like half a mile off Guerrero and
took the bus back for 4 pesos. I didn't want to take a taxi back
anyway, as from previous experiences I have discovered that they
charge 3x or more to take you back from the place they took you. I
remember as a kid my parents, brother, and me went to Acapulco and
the taxi to the cliffdiving restaurant cost like $5 and when we
wanted to go back to the hotel the pinche taxista refused to do it
for less than $20; my father was so mad he made us walk several
miles all the way back to the hotel. And of course there was my
trip to Mexico City where the taxi from the bridge to the NL bus
station was $3, and upon my return two weeks later the trip from
the bus station to the bridge was $10.
I didn't know where it was or what bus to take. I went to Plaza
Hidalgo and carefully studied the nice, large, colored sign showing
the official city taxi fares to each of a dozen or so geographical
sectors. My clinic was in Sector 4 and the official fare was listed
as 35 pesos, so I told the pinche taxista where I was going and that
it was going to cost 35 pesos and even though we were standing in
front of the damn sign he still had the audacity to tell me "oh no,
señor, ees 45 pesos!" I had been planning on a 15 peso tip for an
even 50 pesos, so I still gave him 50 pesos - I'll be damned if I'm
going to base his tip on an illegally-inflated price. Oh, and then
the SOB was a kamikaze pilot in a past life, he raced down the
street, not even slowing for pedestrians and missing them by an inch.
And apparently the concept of using turn signals is alien to Mexico,
the taxista zigzagged back and forth across several lanes to pass and
never once used a signal. I suggest avoiding his cab - Sitio
Independencia #27.
Once I got there I realized I was like half a mile off Guerrero and
took the bus back for 4 pesos. I didn't want to take a taxi back
anyway, as from previous experiences I have discovered that they
charge 3x or more to take you back from the place they took you. I
remember as a kid my parents, brother, and me went to Acapulco and
the taxi to the cliffdiving restaurant cost like $5 and when we
wanted to go back to the hotel the pinche taxista refused to do it
for less than $20; my father was so mad he made us walk several
miles all the way back to the hotel. And of course there was my
trip to Mexico City where the taxi from the bridge to the NL bus
station was $3, and upon my return two weeks later the trip from
the bus station to the bridge was $10.