Cultural Differences- Transportation

• Taxis do not have meters or listed prices. You have to negotiate when you get in the cab so it’s best you know what the normal prices are so you don’t get overcharged. Make sure you agree on a price before you get in the cab and start going.  Taxis like to charge per person so when the driver gives you a price make sure you ask if that is the total or per person.

• Certified Taxis have different license plates than normal cars. Look for the two red stripes. 

• Just because you’ve paid for a taxi and organized where to go doesn’t mean the taxi is yours. If there are available seats in the cab they will pick up other passengers that are going your same direction. 

• The cars and taxis don’t use blinkers!! They have an intricate system of honking their horns before they do anything. In most cities, there are no traffic lights or stop signs. The cars just seem to know who has the right of way and the other direction honks as they approach. It’s all very confusing but seems to work for them. 

• There are no seat belts on any mode of transportation be it taxi, mini van or chicken bus. However in a country where you see whole families piled onto motorcycles or bikes, you quickly realize that safety is not their number one concern. On multiple occasions we’ve seen fathers peddle the bike and mothers sitting side saddle on the bar holding a child and balancing an infant on the handle bars. How they do it, I do not know!

• You pay for bus rides at random times during the trip so do not have your money out and ready to pay when you enter the bus. The bus attendant seems especially skilled at remembering who has paid and who hasn’t. It doesn’t seem very systematic or efficient, but I have to admit I’ve never seen them miss a rider or double charge a rider yet. 

• Just FYI, they sell motorcycles in appliance stores!