Getting Around: Nice Taxi Drivers In Manila

There's no reason to keep on harping about that one crazy cab driver who took me for a ride to the gas station and back when there were really some very decent ones in Manila. So far I have not met any who tried to snatch my bag or take me to some mysterious place which was not my destination.

The airports and the hotels in Manila do like to promote their special taxi services, at a price. That would usually be three or four times the usual metered fare eg normal cab ride from the airport to the shopping mall is 100 pesos (S$3.20), but the airport cab or the hotel service would charge 300 pesos (about S$9.60). If that was your first time in the Philippines, or if you're all by yourself, or you look expensive and dripping in gold and diamonds, or have lots of luggage to carry, or simply want peace of mind and a nice, smooth ride in a well-maintained vehicle, do accept the special cab services.
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If you're like me, hail any metered cab (may be an old, smelly, beaten up one) from the roadside and save some pesos for the shopping later. Of course I have already forgotten how many times I've been to the Philippines, and I try to look like a poor church mouse instead of a rich Singaporean. And of course, I know how to pray without ceasing. And I did get some nice, decent cab drivers.

There was one I remembered who took me from the Glorietta shopping mall back to the hotel in Makati, and he tried to strike up a conversation:

He: (with a big smile) You... Japanese?

Me: No.

He: Korean?

Me: No.

He: (looked puzzled and at a loss for words)

Me: (looked out of the window and ignored him)

He: Not... Korean?

Me: No.

He: (very persistent) So... er... where... why...

Me: Church. Missionary.

He: Ahhhhhhhhh! Not... Korean?

Me: No.

Destination reached. I was glad to shove him a tract, plus a 100-peso bill. The metered fare said something like 60 pesos but never mind, he was very happy anyway, and kept saying 'God bless you!' as I exited the cab.

Me: Same to you too, and do read the tract!

And then there was this other cab driver who looked like he ought to be still in school. Eh, are you old enough to get a driver's licence... but anyway, I got in, praying without ceasing, and gave my destination, still praying without ceasing. He knew how to drive, thank goodness, but he didn't know which hotel I was going to. He seemed very concerned, and turned around to ask me a couple of times, very politely, like a little boy would ask his mother for permission to go out to play, you know. And I tried my best to give directions. It was a relief for both of us to find the place at last. I think the boy... I mean the driver was more relieved than me.

From the boy driver to the grandpa, and he could hardly speak any English. Ah yoh. He and I could only communicate with one word, Makati, cos I spoke English which he didn't know and he spoke Tagalog which I couldn't figure out. Ah yoh. Just when I thought grandpa was going to take me on a tour up and down every street in Makati, which might take us till the next day, I spotted a familiar landmark. Phew!

Adele and I didn't meet any funny cab drivers during our latest trip, and we took cabs in all the major cities, in Manila, Iloilo and Cebu. Thank God for being good to us.