Awesome things you may or may not know about Jamaica: Taxis
As you likely know, i've spent a good amount of time over the past 8 years serving in Jamaica. I typically spend a few months of the year on the island helping guide our ministry and leading short term mission teams. Jamaica is such a small country but is literally packed full of awesomeness. I am beginning a series of blog posts that will highlight some of my favorites of Jamaica. These will be communities, people, restaurants, beaches, churches, etc. I hope this gives you a further look into my heart for Jamaica and the uniqueness of the island.
That's right- taxis. They're everywhere in Jamaica. If you haven't had a chance to ride one, you need to. The shocking / awesome thing about Jamaican taxis is their affordability. We're not talking private taxi rides, we're talking the taxis that are part of the island's public transportation system. It essentially is comprised of large buses (in the city of Kingston and maybe a few in MoBay), smaller buses (privately owned) and tons of cars. I'd estimate that it costs less than $10.00 USD to travel from Negril to Kingston in these taxis... Oh yes, there's a catch. If time is money to you- you may want to avoid them. Or comfort... If that's important to you as well- steer clear. A common Jamaican taxi is a Toyota hatcback. Don't be surprised if you find yourself squeezed among at least 6-7 other people in a taxi that has proper / legal seating for 3 in addition to the driver.
I once was spending time with a church deacon in St. Elizabeth and he stopped to pickup a teacher and some students walking home from school. He offered to give them a ride. I looked around the vehicle thinking to myself, "what? We don't have anymore room." Silly me, I then remembered I was in Jamaica and there's always more room in vehicles. The driver easily popped his hatchback and added four grade school children into the back and away we went with about 8 bodies packed into our hatchback.
The Jamaican taxis can be easily identified by their red license plates. And by the number of people crammed into the vehicle, of course. You'll see the driver carrying a neatly folded wad of cash- typically Jamaican $100 and $500 bills. He's probably got the equivalent of $25 USD in his had as he collects cash payments and gives change. Your driver will likely know exactly who he's picking up and dropping off because he has a typical route as well. The majority of the population relies on this mode of transportation, due to the high cost of vehicle ownership and maintenance.
Give it a try sometime. Just set aside lots of time and be ready to practice your patience. Get ready to make a friend. As Jamaican's say- "Small up Yuhself!"
That's right- taxis. They're everywhere in Jamaica. If you haven't had a chance to ride one, you need to. The shocking / awesome thing about Jamaican taxis is their affordability. We're not talking private taxi rides, we're talking the taxis that are part of the island's public transportation system. It essentially is comprised of large buses (in the city of Kingston and maybe a few in MoBay), smaller buses (privately owned) and tons of cars. I'd estimate that it costs less than $10.00 USD to travel from Negril to Kingston in these taxis... Oh yes, there's a catch. If time is money to you- you may want to avoid them. Or comfort... If that's important to you as well- steer clear. A common Jamaican taxi is a Toyota hatcback. Don't be surprised if you find yourself squeezed among at least 6-7 other people in a taxi that has proper / legal seating for 3 in addition to the driver.
I once was spending time with a church deacon in St. Elizabeth and he stopped to pickup a teacher and some students walking home from school. He offered to give them a ride. I looked around the vehicle thinking to myself, "what? We don't have anymore room." Silly me, I then remembered I was in Jamaica and there's always more room in vehicles. The driver easily popped his hatchback and added four grade school children into the back and away we went with about 8 bodies packed into our hatchback.
The Jamaican taxis can be easily identified by their red license plates. And by the number of people crammed into the vehicle, of course. You'll see the driver carrying a neatly folded wad of cash- typically Jamaican $100 and $500 bills. He's probably got the equivalent of $25 USD in his had as he collects cash payments and gives change. Your driver will likely know exactly who he's picking up and dropping off because he has a typical route as well. The majority of the population relies on this mode of transportation, due to the high cost of vehicle ownership and maintenance.
Give it a try sometime. Just set aside lots of time and be ready to practice your patience. Get ready to make a friend. As Jamaican's say- "Small up Yuhself!"
Comments
Post a Comment