Taxi Rides

I enjoy every cab ride I take because each one is always an adventure!  The Emirate has never had public transportation until about 2 months ago when a new bus system was introduced.  It has a few major routes and for now is free to ride.  It has been said that it will start costing 2 dirhams beginning in December, that's about 60 cents.  But I digress, which I tend to do often! Even though there are public buses now, they are limited and very crowded so the main source of "getting around" without your own vehicle is taxis.

There are two types of taxis in Abu Dhabi, the older white ones, which make up about 65% of the taxis and the newer silver ones. The silver ones always have air-conditioning, which is a very good thing in the summer months. Flagging down a cab is usually not too difficult, except for rush hour, but no different than it would be in any major city in the U.S. It's what happens after they stop that makes you remember quickly that this is the other side of the planet. 

First off, you have to ask the driver "You have meter?" Speaking with very poor grammar is essential in helping them understand you. Even though Abu Dhabi is a bi-lingual country it doesn't mean you can understand everything said and that everyone can understand you.  I fear what I might actually sound like upon my return to the States!  The majority of the cab drivers are from Pakistan and Egypt, although I have met them from Jordan, Oman, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. If they click the meter on you are okay to get in, if they say "no problem", or: "where you go?" you close the door and flag down the next cab, because they are an "illegal" cab and will rip you off!

This has only happened to me a few times and I just close the door and laugh and hail the next cab. I love chatting (surprised you, didn't I) with the cab drivers when they have enough English to do so. They love telling you where they are from and often ask where I'm from.  I have only had positive reactions like; I love U.S.A or I want to go to America, and my favorite response; "Go Superbowl!"

When you finally acquire a taxi you have to know where you are going.  It's not a large island and the streets are laid out very easily, with even number streets running up and down the island, and odds running across. Sounds simple right? Well, many of the streets are called by 2 different names and some 3.  Zayed the First is also 7th, but the locals call it Electra.  There is always something to laugh about here. The cabbies mostly use landmarks to get around., addresses don't exist so you just give them a general idea and point a lot!

The thing I like most about the taxis is that they are always an adventure and very cheap, usually between $1.50 and $4.00 U.S. dollars!! There's cheap entertainment for ya!!