Originally Posted by
bingocallerb22
I have taken taxis to and from the airport over 100 times (or more) this past year and not yet kidnapped or robbed
So you're optimistic that it will happen to you soon?
Originally Posted by
bingocallerb22
...except if I had used Taxi Green who charge me twice the rate I normally pay. I use taxis almost daily in Lima, and, like Siempre Viajando, never had a problem. Except once I broke one of his suggestions (didn't negatiate fare ahead) and had a quite heated discussion with the driver after - but I know how to argue in Peruvian.
I think this is the crux of the argument: people who are fluent (or at least comfortable) in Spanish will have fewer problems, not only because it makes negotiating a lower price much easier, but also because it's less likely to make them a mark as a clueless tourist. For those of us
gringos who aren't comfortable navigating in Spanish, we're simply trying to balance cost and safety.