Last November I posted a blog note about people hitch hiking here in Mockba. Turns out I was wrong. As I explained then it looked to me like when someone wanted a ride they’d stand along the curb and stick their arm out extended downward. When a car stopped the person would talk to the driver presumably to ask if he/she was going in the right direction.
While I was right that people were looking for a ride, what they were actually doing is haling a gypsy (unmarked) cab. Just like it Manhattan there are licensed medallion cabs, usually yellow with a lighted sign on the roof telling you if the cab was occupied or not. Then there are unmarked gypsy cabs that don’t have a meter – you have to negotiate the fare before moving on. The conventional wisdom is you’re likely to get ripped off if you flag down a gypsy cab.
It turns out that there are a lot of gypsy cabs, also un-metered, cruising around the streets of Mockba looking for fares. While not always the case, many are Russia Ladas, a small “basic” car produced in Russia about the size of a Nissan Almera. When the car stopped the “hitch hiker” was not asking where the driver was going but rather negotiating a fare.
Gypsy cabs in Mockba have the same reputation as they do in Manhattan – watch your wallet! On the other hand licensed cabs in Mockba have about the same reputation for being rip offs.
Bottom line: don’t take any type of cab in Mockba unless you’re really desperate.
До следующего раза ...
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