Basic taxi etiquette

Basic taxi etiquette

After a long day at work, I usually complain about the bad behaviour I come across on my journey to and from home.

My sister always relates. So I decided to dedicate this blog to a few passengers who may not be aware that there is a thing called taxi etiquette.

First things first, greet people when you get into the taxi. Even before then, greet the person you are behind in the queue. I found that this is very helpful because then you will know whether you’re in the correct queue or not and hopefully get some interesting stories to share with your colleagues when you get to work or with your family when you get home. Or blog about, like me.

Importantly, do not speak English when you want to inquire about taxis. Even when you’re going to Sandton. You’ll thank me later.

If you know you are going to get off soon, DO NOT SIT AT THE BACK; there is nothing I find more irritating than having to wait for more than five minutes, waiting for someone to get off. I am pretty sure I am not the only one. So don’t be that guy – sit at the front.

When you do sit at the front, make sure you know your basic maths skills. If you are not that good, take out your phone and use the calculator. I will never understand why people are ashamed of using a calculator when they are out there suffering. Could never be me. This way, you avoid a whole lot of things that may affect your day and our journey. Like the other day, the driver stopped the taxi in the middle of nowhere and threatened that he was going to go back to the taxi rank if the passengers did not give him the R5 that was short. Whose fault was it? The passenger in the front. Why? He did not count the money properly so he had to pay. Unfair, right? Not really. So stick to this rule if you want to avoid such problems.

I love putting my headset on and listen to my favourite artists when I’m not in the mood to converse with people or listen to Maskandi songs. The trick is to not play these too loud because they can be irritating to the person sitting next to you and you might miss important information given by the driver. A clear example of this was when the driver asked if there was anyone going to Phase 1 and everyone kept quiet, so the driver continued to drive. A girl wearing a headset threw a fit but was shushed by the driver because he did ask but she did not hear. So where did she get off? Phase 4, because that’s what you get when you don’t pay attention.

Last but not least, kindly close the door behind you when you get off. Close it, don’t slam it otherwise the door might fall off and you would have to fix it and answer questions such as: ‘Is that how you close the fridge at home?’ or ‘Does your dad even own a car?’ from the driver.

This is a plea to all taxi passengers. Let’s do better. Please.

Related articles: 

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/222218/taxi-chronicles-home-away-home/

https://www.citizen.co.za/sandton-chronicle/223891/my-atchar-chronicle-2/