metered taxis!

very simple .. start reporting all of them  .. and i mean report EVERYONE ...... after a while word gets out that LTFRB ( taxi lisence board) is out in alabang... and it should drop...
i did that in Ermita the time i lived there.... reported about 200 of them in a week ... next week.. no problem ....

Great! I've similar anoying problem in my place.
Where to report at? Online, post...? Just a licence plate?

all taxis have a number on the back that says "how is my driving" and a cellphone number .. its the lisencing board's nuymber ... just register the number of the taxi...
Also .. dont tell them before you get into the taxi... get into the taxi, and tell them. when they demand contract , take up a notebook and say, " ok .. ill just take down your information .. lets see .. xby324 ( imagined lisenceplatenumber - should be written on the doors) .. and as you EXIT the car, call them, so the taxidriver can hear it.. " LTFRB , yes .. id like to report a taxi please.. he refused meter and threw me out of the car!!" ...

do this with EVERYONE that refuse you, or simply just text it .. i reported over 200 in one week when i lived in ermita.. it ended up with LTFRB sending one off their squads there for a week.... helped a lot.

I also talk a lot with the taxi drivers,.. i say im a consultant, i work for the LTFRB ... as a lawyer ...
.. or as a lawyer for the senate, the congress, or for the PNP ... it helps a LOT ...

hhaha! nice! i tried scaring them at first, told them ill report them but they just gave me a discount which is not really a discount anyway! i will seriously report these bastards over pricing people!
charging me around 800 from alabang to the fort. when it costs 300+ from the fort to alabang...
people from makati, the fort , ortigas use meter... it's just here that i never saw anyone use meter.. thanks for the infos

That's so cool, Vihalvor. But I'd rather prefer to stay anonymous since you never know who's about to behead you over here, in distant foreign country...

We stubbornly had spent hours looking for meter taxi at Manila's APT. And it was worth it. We paid only P350 to Quezon City, while those impatient, our travel mates were robbed by P2500 for the same route.

I would not suggest on taking taxis, you never know if they are reliable or not. You might end up somewhere raped/robbed or even killed. Or if you have to, try to get a taxi from a place where they are noting up the license plates.

Or, rent a car.. I have plenty of those

i need to get a driver! haha well they have the ones that take down the plate numbers in the fort and in makati, moa well ur right, i dont travel taxi by night tho..

i have had a few issues like that, where it became CLEAR that the taxi driver wasnt "clean" .. i started talking to him, explaining that im married to a PNP lt.colonel, and how" she's " always demanding me to txt her the name of the taxi company, along with the lisence plate number ...

not everyone can rent a car.. i sure cant ... but i havent had much trouble with taxis... an alternative is to have fake LTFRB "business cards" made up, and simply handing it to the driver as you get in, stating where you want to go ... no ifs, no buts, just the adress...

I've done that too ... .. the taxi drivers will ply anything they can to screw you.. screw them back ( just don't use your REAL name on the business card )
i once had a SMART taxi driver ( dollar taxi), stop at a PNP police booth, trying to employ their help for merienda... at that point - they demanded 1500 pesos - i told them that "
in MY country... im a lawyer .... and im on my way to a meeting with other lawyers. If i have done anything wrong, feel free to drag me to court...." ...
the PNP is VERY afraid of foreign lawyers....

haha! that's funny lol! glad it works for you! now i need to come up with my own trick
anyway ill do that, ill scare them off first with me calling the number.. if they dont then, ill report them.. it's about time someone reports these scumbags.. i heard from my friend that, nobody reports the one in alabang because they said that people from alabang are "rich" but like what if we are not even from here and we want a fair price right?... tsktsk! thanks for that! and will report these people..

.. when in  a country where the taxidrivers pray to madona before they turn around and screw you with a smile (or a curse) .. yeah .. definately.. a good defense is a PRECIEVED better offense

I try to pick up taxis at hotels or where there is a guard writing down plate numbers. But I did have one stop just outside on the road demanding more, so I got out and he lost his place in the queue.

If its raining, just pay up.  Now I drive myself so am thankful.

Congrats dhnindc,petrih!!! But now Petrol Companies are ripping us off.
How i wish that oil resources in KSA could have been here. It will cost you just 200 pesos for full tank.  

@ri3panda: try jeepney. its way cheaper than taxi.lol

Everybody understands, and most would agree on raised taxi fares, because of gas prices up, this and that etc...

Just make it official!

Well that how it goes... they are businessmen so don't expect to be that transparent!!!

haha im scared to take a jeep haha! had my iphone stolen idk how it happened.. tryna be careful haha :p

... and I cannot fit in it [jeepney]... Once barely in, I cannot see outside and get out...

Its more fun in the jeepeny's than taxi's..

@ri3panda: try not to use your phone in public vehicle then.

@protogama: try tricycles or FXs.. or buses

@Ratheesh: exactly!!!

There's fun in riding all types of public transportation.
I suggest that you guys try it...
Its hassle free! no need to worry about parking lot!
Just drop and go!

It's true, public transport is thrilling adventure, and I luv it!

But your own scooter would be an ultimate fun, I recon. I drove one in Italy for two weeks. I couldn't wait through the night to saddle it up again in the early morning... Although I also had between 4x4 truck and superbike to choose from, but scooter was the king!

I suggest you take MGE and EMP taxis, they never do contracts and stuffs and they are very strict in their policies so the drivers are disciplined enough. most of them also present a receipt along with the total amount so its gonna be up to you if you'd like to give them tips you can actually can them here are their numbers (MGE)
Phone number: +63 2 364-82-60
Phone number: +63 2 363-60-96
Phone number: +63 2 366-62-14
Phone number: +63 2 366-62-87

They will trace the taxi nearest you but the meter will start on the location they are at.
I hope this helps

haha i didnt use it.. just got shocked that it was stolen inside my gym bag..
:p

thank you sharmi

Whenever you encounter a good driver, try to ask for their number and it might be useful from time to time.

Depending on where you are in Manila (or the Philippines) the taxis tend to be better or worse. I find Quezon to be better and closer to the airport worse.

I live in Baguio and the drivers are virtually NEVER a problem. They go by meter, give you change and do not expect a tip. On top of that the meter rates are less. For me, whether or not you have to fight with taxi drivers actually factors in to choosing where to live or not live.

The taxi driver's behavior creates a lot of unnecessary stress in peoples lives. It also harms the Philippines image for tourists. It makes visitors feel ripped off, cheated and causes them to believe that Filipinos are bad people. Which on the whole is not true.

Diminishing the enjoyment of visitors hurts tourism and business in the Philippines. It reducing the money that comes to the Philippine and to virtually all Filipinos through the filtering effect. So, allowing the taxis drivers to cheat people to can cost  many thousands of pesos in repeat and referral visits. Cumulatively it could be millions or even billions of peso lost every year due to tourist and other visitors having to experience corruption first hand.

In Manila I have gotten out of a number of taxis when they will not go by meter or want to charge extra on top of the meter. More than half the time they will stick to the meter if you firmly say "Stop here, I'm getting out." Do not pay them even if they started the meter!

If you want to be a jerk then leave the door open so they have to get out come around and and close it. You can even do this when you ask about using the meter before you get in, and they say no. If enough people do this it will add to their stress every day. Maybe they will even start thinking twice about trying to rip off customers.

I take pictures of the taxi information too and will probably create a website for reporting them. If they are working for a company. My guess is that they may be ripping off the company when they do not turn the meter on. So reporting them to the taxi company might be effective in helping deter the cheating.

Local Filipinos and foreigners need to stand up to these corrupt taxi drivers by refusing to give them business. There also needs to be a system for reporting an getting rid of the bad ones.

As a matter of principle everybody should refuse to ride in taxis that won't use the meter or want to charge extra.

The gas prices and fare issues are not issues for the customer to solve. That is between the drivers and the government.

yeah, u guys encountered the most common situation happening nowadays whenever riding taxi. even us filipinos we do encounter that, so whenever i ride taxi, i say to the driver 'lets use the meter' in TAGALOG(KUYA, METRO LANG PO ANG GAMTIN NATIN HA? or KUYA, METRO LANG PO TAYO HA?)many would refuse, so i don't ride, and some would say yes, so credit to them.
and its good to know the roads, short cuts, and streets' names. u can always instruct the taxi driver where to pass, therefore he wudnt to charge u more as he thinks u r living here for a long time already, and u told him to 'USE THE METER'in the first place.

Good tip, letslearn2geder0612.

Before I enter the taxi I open the door and tell the driver where I'm going. If he refuses, then I won't have wasted my time by getting in the vehicle only to have to get out again.  Also if the driver doesn't refuse the trip outright but hesitates instead, chances are he's trying to decide how much to charge, either as an add-on to the meter or an excessive flat rate. That would be a good time to tell him meter rate only.

yeah xpatinphils thats right!, and youre welcome:)