What if your motorcar breaks down?
Or you lot are likewise drunkard to drive home?
Photo of together with past times Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
In Singapore, I similar to go the trains. In the USA, distances are greater.
U.S.A. of America flag.
USA Fatal Outcome
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 pupil inwards the USA, Samantha Josephson, called for a ride, got into the incorrect vehicle, was constitute dead. (March 2019)The Daily Mail had 12 pages of comments together with suggestions of how to avoid such tragedy inwards future.
Singapore Flag.
SingaporeIn Singapore, the big hotels receive got doormen who volition hail a taxi for you, together with depository fiscal establishment friction match the driver understands the destination.
Passenger's Name
In Singapore I receive got used Grab together with noticed the driver sometimes gives me my name. I didn't intend of call for or waiting to acquire if the driver knows the get upwardly of the passenger. I persuasion it was to go for sure he was picking upwardly the correct person, because otherwise ii drivers together with ane grouping of passengers or ii could go inwards confusion.
Protecting The Driver
For example, my tracking organization shows my driver is approaching. But at that spot are many blocks of apartments inwards a circle. You ofttimes receive got ii drivers arriving inside the same minute, together with siling past times your block whilst you lot run out trying to flag them down.
Supposing you lot receive got been waiting x minutes for a taxi to the airport. The driver asks, "Mr Brown?" "Yes," you lot mutter.
It would go slowly for grouping ane to receive got the kickoff taxi to appear. They acquire driven to the incorrect place, fighting amongst the driver.
It could go a habit. Kiasu. Being ane up. Getting ahead inwards a queue. I receive got ofttimes heard of customers trying to claim eating theater tables past times nodding when asked," is this your name?"
Both drivers are aggrieved. One gets passengers wanting a shorter journey, paying less. The other driver gets passengers wanting a longer journeying inwards the contrary direction, when he was nearly ti become off duty.
If they fault is discovered. bother passengers boundary out, together with blame the taxi company. Both drivers lose money.
Is it Your Cab?
To become dorsum to the occupation of ascertaining that you lot are beingness picked upwardly past times the correct cab.
First, when waiting for a cab, you lot should scout its direction.
When it gets near, you lot should know the expose plate of the vehicle.
What if he makes an excuse?
The driver tin brand all sorts of claims, such as, "They muddle my motorcar upwardly amongst my mother's / father's / brother's".
One solution is to receive got the expose plate of the motorcar (which could go stolen). Better still, photograph it. Also photograph the driver earlier getting in. Drivers don't similar this. They intend you lot are nearly to study them to the regime for wrongdoing.
I uncovering it easier to blame my husband. "My hubby wants to know I'm going where I said I am going, inwards a taxi, non sneaking off shopping."
Oops - there's a rider mayhap telling a white lie.
Other suggestions are:
Make for sure your telephone is charged inwards instance you lot demand help
Stay on the telephone to somebody.
Pretend to go on the telephone to somebody
If the driver locks the door, telephone dwelling or telephone the police describe together with tell them
If the driver locks the doors at traffic lights, maxim it's to halt robbers jumping in, enquire the driver to unlock the doors every bit you lot dive, together with thence that you lot are non trapped inwards the instance of an accident
Carry a drinking glass breaker to leave of absence inwards instance of kidnapping or the door beingness jammed inwards an accident
If the driver tries to lock the motorcar doors, object or air current downward the windows together with start waving together with shouting or concord upwardly a sign maxim help!
If the journeying is delayed past times traffic together with pelting together with the increasing fare is likewise high for you lot to pay, depository fiscal establishment friction match somebody at dwelling has plenty money, or tell the driver to drib you lot at a nearby railway station together with explicate why.
Stay on primary roads. Have a map to depository fiscal establishment friction match directions.
If Locked In!
If all else fails, endeavor to halt your self beingness driven off primary roads. I would steer the motorcar into around other vehicle or object (ideally without injuring my nor anybody else.
If kidnapped, trapped, together with inwards danger, block traffic together with brand others run to your vehicle to endeavor to acquire you lot out.
Some readers suggested that taxi companies should give driver together with rider a code.
Others propose that people should go inwards pairs.
On New Year's Eve, inwards ane U.S.A. of America city, taxis offered people gratuitous rides home. The bar would telephone telephone the taxi to go for sure the passengers, if inebriated, got into a motorcar whose expose plate together with driver was known to the bar.
Another organization is to mass ane taxi to the restaurant, together with conform for the same ane to collect you. We tried that inwards Cambodia, where the early on eve driver ever wanted to acquire the provide fare. What if somebody else turns upwardly together with claims, "My friend is busy, together with thence he sent me?"
What if your driver appears on human foot together with walk you lot downward an alley towards where he claims to receive got parked the vehicle?
My preference is to receive got a cab booked past times your hotel or your restaurant, using a cab companionship whose get upwardly together with expose you lot know. Ask the get upwardly of the driver.
I similar to receive got a map from both the hotel together with the restaurant. I score the route, or enquire my hotel to practice so, together with enquire if whatsoever option route is possible together with would non terms much more.
Then I scout the driver's route. I know I am non beingness taken on a long journey, nor beingness kidnapped to an unknown destination.
What is somebody else jumps inwards the car? In around countries at that spot is a shared cab system. Check amongst your hotel together with the cab companionship that nobody else volition go inwards the motorcar amongst you.
Stay Safe
Read the security pages for your country's cab together with taxi services together with those of countries you lot are visiting. install the aps together with thence that inwards an emergency you lot are non relying on other people.
For example, Grab inwards Singapore has a website page describing its emergency button.
Safe Travels!
Useful Websites
News
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6868023/University-South-Carolina-student-Samantha-Josephson-confirmed-dead.html#reader-comments
Taxis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_taxicab_operation
Sharing Rides
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Share_taxi
Lyft
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lyft
https://www.lyft.com/
Uber
https://www.uber.com/
https://www.uber.com/en-SG/safety/
https://www.uber.com/newsroom/checkyourride/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uber
Grab
https://help.grab.com/passenger/en-sg/360000002827-What-is-the-Emergency-button
Author
Angela Lansbury, go author together with photographer, author together with speaker. I receive got a after update on Mon Apr 1st 2019. Please percentage links to your favourite posts.