DavidSays

Thieving Manila taxicab drivers are tourists’ worst nightmares

By DAVID CASUCO

THE  cheating taxi drivers in Manila could be one of the reasons why the tourism industry in the Philippines is not as robust compared to the other countries in Southeast Asia.

Sure, the tourists and balikbayans are having more fun in the islands where the sun, the sand, and the sea come together in perfect accord that any which way one slices it, paradise is served. And yet, the Philippines remains a tourism lightweight compares to Thailand and Vietnam.

I have a compelling reason to think that the dishonest taxi drivers have a lot to do with the lackluster Philippine tourism. I was writing my story at the South Mall Starbucks store when a fifty-something Californian told me tales of woe that I, myself, had experienced firsthand.

Now, if you think that it is more fun in the Philippines, you definitely have another think coming.

I was talking to an American pastor/missionary over my cell phone and shades of my California accent caught the attention of a guy at a table nearby, who introduced himself as Kurt.

“Are you a Californian?” asked the guy.

“I sure lived in California for a good 23 years, sir,” I answered. “But my English is still bad.”

“Oh, I am glad to meet somebody from California. My name is Kurt, I am here for a two-week vacation,” he stood up and shook my hand.  “I love Boracay. Man, it is one heck of an island resort. It is paradise!” he said.

“It sure is.  Thank you sir… That does mean you will soon be going back there with your friends or family?” I surmised.

“Oh no, I am not going back there. Never,” he said, visibly agitated.

“Well, I don’t understand. I thought you like it here,” I said.

“Yeah, I like the place and the people are warm, but the taxi drivers in Manila gave me hell-time. Most of them are thieves…” he said.

Then he told me a string of ugly stories about how the Manila taxi drivers ripped him off with impunity. Then he said, “That is the reason why I am not going back to the Philippines.”

All I did was respond with “I know, I know. I understand.”

Was Kurt’s experience an isolated case? Was his decision never to revisit Manila not unsettling enough?  Is there anything the PH government can do about this?

 I had a close encounter of this abominable kind when I stayed in Manila for over a month last year. I had a lot to do and was moving around using mass public transportation. But when the buses and the FXs were not available in places where I had to go like the Global City, I had to ride taxicabs.

Needless to say, riding a taxicab in Manila is a nightmare far worse than Fred Krueger could deliver.

Though I had to admit that there are good and honest taxicab drivers, they come very few and far between; they are like black pearls, rare and precious. The stark reality is that the chance of a taxi passenger getting ripped off in Manila, especially when one does not have any clue about the nuances of the city roads and traffic, is very high.

I am supposed to be smart enough because I covered the sports beat in Manila for good number of years. I was moving around confidently until these thieving and lying taxi hooligans started ripping me off; an average of twice every day.

One time the driver wanted to do it “pakyawan” (an illegal transaction picking up passengers without flagging down the taxi meter). I refused. So then, the driver rolled off hesitantly, but after two corners he turned off his LPG and dumped me on the side of the road, saying the engine conked out.

The truth is, he just switched off his LPG-powered taxicab, or so the honest driver who saw me dumped by the wayside, told me so.

“Tumanggi ka sa pakyawan ano? (You refused to deal, didn’t you?)” asked the good driver.

“Bakit alam mo? (how did you know?).

“Kilala ko ang mga ito. Gawain nila yan. (I know these guys. That is their modus operandi).”

“He can go to hell!” I said, still seething. “That is probably the reason why a lot of tourists do not come back to the Philippines because of these morons plying the streets. These uncircumcised fools cannot understand the damage they are doing to the country’s tourism!”

Another time I took a cab from The Fort to the NAIA , where I was to meet somebody. The usual fare for that distance is 170 pesos. It was a Saturday evening and the traffic was light. But the taxi driver kept asking me where and which turns will he make.  I told him, “Just take the shortest route. You are the driver; you are supposed to know that.”

Of course he knew the shortest route, but his cheating heart tells him to go round and round, until I can no longer hold my tongue, telling the driver, “Are you sure we are still in Metro Manila?”

“Opo,” answered the son of perdition.

The fare was reading: 370 pesos. Meaning the thieving taxi driver had clearly stolen 200 pesos from my pocket. I was so upset, I told the driver, “Alam mo ba ang sabi ni P-noy Aquino? Sundan natin ang matuwid na daan para marating natin ang ating mithiin (Did you hear what Pres. Aquino said? Let us follow the straight road so we can reach home faster.”

Then, I realized I am in the Philippines, a place where journalists can’t have so many words. I had to bite my tongue the rest of the trip.

(David Casuco graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Santo Tomas. He took expanded theological studies at the Angelus Bible Institute in Los Angeles. He writes tourism, sports, and spirituality. Email reax to davecasuco@yahoo.com)

P.S. During the term of Gloria M. Arroyo, the tourism industry was eyeing a total of six million arrivals. It did not happen. The tourists went to Vietnam and Thailand. Then, the administration of Noynoy Aquino saw a gold mine in the tourism sector, launched a more comprehensive tourism program and boldly predicted this much increase in tourist arrival. Again, it did not happen.

The tourism officials hardly care. And why should they? A new administration comes in and another group of officials take over; people that do not have passion to promote the Philippines; people who only intend to serve themselves rather than their country. They are just there because an influential padrino put them in. Some of these appointee are  virtual idiots. But if these officials are patriotic enough and take a closer look at the program, there are things that can be done to make the tourism industry in the Philippines a lot better— like addressing the problem of dishonest and thieving taxi drivers.