Tourists are planning their trips to the island and asking how much to pay a cab. Someone suggested yesterday that to go to the Villa Vera area from Centro, you should just give the cabbie 15 pesos when you get there and get out of the cab!
Let me suggest that if you cannot afford 20 pesos, the tourist rate, you might consider a stay-cation. I mean, that's $1.50 for a cab for you and your honey to get out of the chaotic reconstruction of the main drag in Centro!
The recession, a decline in tourism, the rise in gasoline prices and related cost of living increases, has made this a difficult time for the cab drivers.
Many have left the island. Owners of the cars and union licenses, have gone from 12 hour shifts in which they collected 200 pesos, to 16 hour shift in which they are charging the drivers 300 pesos. It is hard with the population being as it is, underemployed, to collect the rental and gasoline money!
So, the first $25US collected, goes to the cab owner. I, as a local, don't feel in the least put out, to pay 100 pesos to someone who takes me into town, gets me past the construction, waits while I hop into the Seven-11 for the ATM, and takes me home. That would be $7.50 in US terms.
Yes, I have a reputation of being thrifty amongst my friends and detractors as well. But I am a reasonable person. I don't know how or why these cabbies continue to drive. But some do and we are lucky to have them.
So, if you are going to, say, La Gloria, from Centro, consider 20 pesos to be a fare rate, and a more just one. You are arriving during a deep recession in Mexico, one with inflation like you have not seen oversees, with gasoline prices higher than in the US, and people with families to feed and electric bills, unlike anything seen virtually anywhere else in the world, facing the drivers. And yes, the rest of us here as well.
5 comments:
I don't mind paying a fair price to the taxi drivers, either. I also tip them each time. They work hard and are very polite and helpful to me.
Most Americans have NO idea that the Mexicans are paid such a LOW wage! I have always tipped more that normal.
I usually rent a golf cart but asked Denise who is on the island now to cancel my reservation. There is no parking on Juarez so I will be taking taxies to get around out of el centro this trip.
We were very happy to pay 20 pesos per ride from Centro to Zina's and vice versa. Similar cab rides at home would be $7-10. Sometimes we were quoted cheaper prices if we were going a shorter distance and asked the price, but often we didn't ask and just paid the 20 pesos recommended by Zina. We like the way cabs fill up here as long as everyone's going the same direction. Much more efficient than at home, where we are all scared of each other!
Christina, you are were a great guest. Sorry we didn't see each other in Centro, but hey, maybe tonight!
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