Questions about Nassau taxis

[Bollycats]

I posted this on the Bahamas board but no one has answered yet and we leave on Monday. Thought I would try here too.

 

If we are shopping on Bay Street and want to take a taxi to the fish fry, about how much does it cost? Do we just hail it in the street like we do here in the US?

 

 

[ShakyBeef]

Yes, you hail one.  There will be plenty hovering (making the rounds up and down the street).  It's been a couple years since I've taken a taxi in Nassau, but I want to say that's going to be somewhere between $15 and $25.  The most important Nassau taxi advice i can give you is:  find out/negotiate the price for your party to your specific location before getting into the cab.  If you don't like the price taxi driver offers, say "no thanks' and try another.  Their prices can vary greatly.  

[Bollycats]

Thank you for answering, ShakyBeef. I've been wanting to ask you----how did you come up with your name? I laugh every time I see it!

[ShakyBeef]

32 minutes ago, Bollycats said:

Thank you for answering, ShakyBeef. I've been wanting to ask you----how did you come up with your name? I laugh every time I see it!

 

Oh boy, here goes: 

 

First, the advice:  Don't choose your screen name for an online forum when on a near-starvation weight-loss diet.  You will be obsessed with food.  All the names you will be able to come up with will be food-oriented.  Trust me on this.  And then you will be stuck with this name forever after.

 

Next:  The rest of the backstory:  Bò lúc lắc is one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes.  Bò lúc lắc (pronounced baw look lock) translates, loosely, to "shaky beef," because of the way the pan is shaken while quick-frying the dish.

 

I was very hungry when I picked my CC name.😔😋

[Bollycats]

30 minutes ago, ShakyBeef said:

 

Oh boy, here goes: 

 

First, the advice:  Don't choose your screen name for an online forum when on a near-starvation weight-loss diet.  You will be obsessed with food.  All the names you will be able to come up with will be food-oriented.  Trust me on this.  And then you will be stuck with this name forever after.

 

Next:  The rest of the backstory:  Bò lúc lắc is one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes.  Bò lúc lắc (pronounced baw look lock) translates, loosely, to "shaky beef," because of the way the pan is shaken while quick-frying the dish.

 

I was very hungry when I picked my CC name.😔😋

Too funny!

[sparks1093]

16 hours ago, ShakyBeef said:

 

Oh boy, here goes: 

 

First, the advice:  Don't choose your screen name for an online forum when on a near-starvation weight-loss diet.  You will be obsessed with food.  All the names you will be able to come up with will be food-oriented.  Trust me on this.  And then you will be stuck with this name forever after.

 

Next:  The rest of the backstory:  Bò lúc lắc is one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes.  Bò lúc lắc (pronounced baw look lock) translates, loosely, to "shaky beef," because of the way the pan is shaken while quick-frying the dish.

 

I was very hungry when I picked my CC name.😔😋

I've read the story a couple of times and still love it! 

[ninjacat123]

16 hours ago, ShakyBeef said:

 

Oh boy, here goes: 

 

First, the advice:  Don't choose your screen name for an online forum when on a near-starvation weight-loss diet.  You will be obsessed with food.  All the names you will be able to come up with will be food-oriented.  Trust me on this.  And then you will be stuck with this name forever after.

 

Next:  The rest of the backstory:  Bò lúc lắc is one of my favourite Vietnamese dishes.  Bò lúc lắc (pronounced baw look lock) translates, loosely, to "shaky beef," because of the way the pan is shaken while quick-frying the dish.

 

I was very hungry when I picked my CC name.😔😋

Then my handle should be "any carb"  since I'm on high protein.😉

[Cruisesfun65]

23 hours ago, Bollycats said:

If we are shopping on Bay Street and want to take a taxi to the fish fry, about how much does it cost? Do we just hail it in the street like we do here in the US?

 

 

I have kind of the similar question. We just need to go to Margarittaville when we dock. It's a short distance but not walkable for my mother. Will the taxi drivers be ticked off for such a short (cheap) drive?

[Old Fart Cruisers]

24 minutes ago, Cruisesfun65 said:

I have kind of the similar question. We just need to go to Margarittaville when we dock. It's a short distance but not walkable for my mother. Will the taxi drivers be ticked off for such a short (cheap) drive?

 

It shouldn't be a problem as long as they know ahead of time where you are going.  And if you give them a little extra tip I'm sure they will be happy.

[ShakyBeef]

47 minutes ago, Cruisesfun65 said:

I have kind of the similar question. We just need to go to Margarittaville when we dock. It's a short distance but not walkable for my mother. Will the taxi drivers be ticked off for such a short (cheap) drive?

Before getting into the cab, ask the driver if he will take you to Margaritaville and how much it will cost for your party.  If he doesn't want to do that short trip, he'll turn it down.  You can then ask the taxi driver next to him, and so on.  I'm sure you will find one willing to take you there for a price you are willing to pay.  There are a lot of taxi drivers in Nassau - a lot of competition.  Someone will be hungry enough for a fare to take you. 

 

Don't worry about the drivers being ticked off.  They can be aggressive trying to get your attention, to beat their competitors to your fare, but I have never seen one get visibly annoyed about any fare - not to say it never happens, we're all human and have bad days and bad moods sometimes, just that in all my many trips to Nassau, I've never seen it or heard of it happening.  They'll just say "no" if they don't want it.  Good luck, and happy travels!

 

PS - I have had several Nassau drivers volunteer to come back and get us from wherever they dropped us off, either at a set time or by them giving us their phone number and telling us to call when we want them.  I suspect this is in response to the generous tip we add on to the fare when arriving at our first stop.  It has been a very nice convenience provided by some really friendly drivers and has made things work smoother for us on a few occasions.  This might be helpful for you to arrange with your taxi driver when you get to Margaritaville, so that you know you can get your mom safely back to the ship when you want to.

Edited October 8, 2022 by ShakyBeef
typo

[starstruck05]

3 hours ago, Cruisesfun65 said:

I have kind of the similar question. We just need to go to Margarittaville when we dock. It's a short distance but not walkable for my mother. Will the taxi drivers be ticked off for such a short (cheap) drive?

Actually I can answer your Margaritaville question too because we did the exact same thing. We did take a taxi from the pier to Margaritaville, since my mom had mobility issues. The driver ended up taking a whole group of us rather than just me and my mom. It was actually harder getting a ride back because it was just us but the team over there was wonderful in helping. I want to say they charged less than $15 for the two of us but YMMV on that. So you'll have better luck getting there if you are willing to share a ride.

[bguppies]

On 10/8/2022 at 3:12 PM, starstruck05 said:

Actually I can answer your Margaritaville question too because we did the exact same thing. We did take a taxi from the pier to Margaritaville, since my mom had mobility issues. The driver ended up taking a whole group of us rather than just me and my mom. It was actually harder getting a ride back because it was just us but the team over there was wonderful in helping. I want to say they charged less than $15 for the two of us but YMMV on that. So you'll have better luck getting there if you are willing to share a ride.

That is sad they charged 2 people $15 for such a short ride.

Is it even a half mile walk? (I'm pretty sure Junakanoo Beach, past Margaritaville is about a mile)

[ShakyBeef]

2 hours ago, bguppies said:

That is sad they charged 2 people $15 for such a short ride.

Is it even a half mile walk? (I'm pretty sure Junakanoo Beach, past Margaritaville is about a mile)

 

I realize it's a very short drive, but I don't feel that it's sad to be charged $15 for it.  Gas is expensive, even more so in the Bahamas.  And for the amount of time that driver is going to be out of the cruise port taxi line-up, not getting any other fares, I think it's reasonable of him to expect compensation to make the short drive worth it.  Life is expensive in the Bahamas.  Those taxi drivers are hustling the whole time the ships are in port to make a living.  We cruiseship passengers are on vacation, spending money all over the place on all kinds of things less important than transportation for a mobility-challenged loved one.  If I don't focus on the actual distance of the drive, and just think about it as "How much is it worth to me that Mom gets safely and comfortably to Margaritaville?", I would think $15 is quite a small amount for that service.  Heck, just one drink from the Alchemy Bar, before tip, costs as much as that. 

 

Just my different way of looking at it, not trying to say you're wrong for feeling the way you do.🙂

[Host Carolyn]

Kinda crazy....still no response on Bahamas for this! At least there are some here....wierd

[ShakyBeef]

33 minutes ago, Host Carolyn said:

Kinda crazy....still no response on Bahamas for this! At least there are some here....wierd

 

Yeah, the Bahamas boards are always pretty slow.  Thanks for leaving this one here so that OP and others could get their responses.

[bguppies]

4 hours ago, ShakyBeef said:

 

I realize it's a very short drive, but I don't feel that it's sad to be charged $15 for it.  Gas is expensive, even more so in the Bahamas.  And for the amount of time that driver is going to be out of the cruise port taxi line-up, not getting any other fares, I think it's reasonable of him to expect compensation to make the short drive worth it.  Life is expensive in the Bahamas.  Those taxi drivers are hustling the whole time the ships are in port to make a living.  We cruiseship passengers are on vacation, spending money all over the place on all kinds of things less important than transportation for a mobility-challenged loved one.  If I don't focus on the actual distance of the drive, and just think about it as "How much is it worth to me that Mom gets safely and comfortably to Margaritaville?", I would think $15 is quite a small amount for that service.  Heck, just one drink from the Alchemy Bar, before tip, costs as much as that. 

 

Just my different way of looking at it, not trying to say you're wrong for feeling the way you do.🙂

Unfortunately I would have to pay it also.

 

And I am keenly aware gas is extremely expensive in the Bahamas. (I remember driving through Freeport and being stunned they were paying over $8 a gallon or liter a decade ago)

but $15 for a less than 1 mile drive is just exhorbitant. (So say they are paying $15 a gallon now, you feel that charging a full tank of gas for a 2 minute, less than a mile drive is fair compensation?)

And I can totally understand a cabbie not wanting to lose his spot in the cue for a incredibly short drive, versus running somebody out to Cable Beach, etc.

 

But no matter how you look at it, it is wrong to charge that much for that drive.

[PA Dutchman]

2 weeks ago we got a taxi from the pier entrance to Atlantis, going $17 coming back $20, for 2 people or we could go with a few people and pay $15 . Gas prices are high I think around $8 a gal.

[sparks1093]

2 hours ago, bguppies said:

Unfortunately I would have to pay it also.

 

And I am keenly aware gas is extremely expensive in the Bahamas. (I remember driving through Freeport and being stunned they were paying over $8 a gallon or liter a decade ago)

but $15 for a less than 1 mile drive is just exhorbitant. (So say they are paying $15 a gallon now, you feel that charging a full tank of gas for a 2 minute, less than a mile drive is fair compensation?)

And I can totally understand a cabbie not wanting to lose his spot in the cue for a incredibly short drive, versus running somebody out to Cable Beach, etc.

 

But no matter how you look at it, it is wrong to charge that much for that drive.

It's what the market bears in that economy, not a question of right or wrong.

[ShakyBeef]

4 hours ago, bguppies said:

Unfortunately I would have to pay it also.

 

And I am keenly aware gas is extremely expensive in the Bahamas. (I remember driving through Freeport and being stunned they were paying over $8 a gallon or liter a decade ago)

but $15 for a less than 1 mile drive is just exhorbitant. (So say they are paying $15 a gallon now, you feel that charging a full tank of gas for a 2 minute, less than a mile drive is fair compensation?)

And I can totally understand a cabbie not wanting to lose his spot in the cue for a incredibly short drive, versus running somebody out to Cable Beach, etc.

 

But no matter how you look at it, it is wrong to charge that much for that drive.

 

We'll just have to (strongly) disagree on this (the line of yours I bolded). 

 

And to answer your question (So say they are paying $15 a gallon now, you feel that charging a full tank of gas for a 2 minute, less than a mile drive is fair compensation?): 

 

Yes, I absolutely do feel $15 is fair compensation for that short ride, if the driver is asking only $15.  And I would, of course, be adding a tip on top of that $15.  Gladly and gratefully for the service provided me.  Fifteen dollars is practically nothing in my vacation big picture.  Like I said, I spend that on one cocktail onboard the ship. 

 

But I'm confused by you calling it "a full tank of gas".  In your example, it would be one gallon of gas.  I know of no cars that have a one-gallon tank.  Specific gas prices and gas tank sizes aside, you are not just paying for the gas when taking a taxi.  You are paying for convenience and time and service.  When have you ever taken a cab ride anywhere and decided the fairness of the compensation based on whether or not it only covered the gas that the car consumed during your ride?

 

Again, I'm in no way trying to tell you you're wrong for feeling the way you do, or having your own opinion on this.  But also, again, the wording of your last statement I strongly disagree with, because, the way I look at it, it is far from wrong to charge that price.  It is a small price to pay for the service provided.

[bguppies]

10 hours ago, ShakyBeef said:

But also, again, the wording of your last statement I strongly disagree with, because, the way I look at it, it is far from wrong to charge that price.  It is a small price to pay for the service provided.

Yeah that was a typo.

I meant  $15 for a gallon, yet only using a fraction of that gallon to go that distance. (sorry after my stroke, the brain and the fingers don't always connect. Why I have so many missing letters or words in my posts)[how many trips to Margaritaville and back could you make on that gallon?]

$17-20 to go to Atlantis even seems a bit high, but at least that is a destination 10-15 minute drive away.

Margaritaville, even with a walker, wouldn't take 10-15 minutes to walk.

It would take you longer to pile in the cab than it would to drive around the corner and stop.

 

Even with a meter in NYC, I can't imagine after paying a minimum price to start, you could ever come close to $15 for that ride.

If you were talking about a cab with a lift or ramp on it (like they all seemed to have in London) that made the trip easier or more accessible, I could see paying a premium for such a short trip.

 

But I can't see how the driver's time is worth so much more for a 5 minute trip and back.

 

[mjkacmom]

5 hours ago, bguppies said:

Yeah that was a typo.

I meant  $15 for a gallon, yet only using a fraction of that gallon to go that distance. (sorry after my stroke, the brain and the fingers don't always connect. Why I have so many missing letters or words in my posts)[how many trips to Margaritaville and back could you make on that gallon?]

$17-20 to go to Atlantis even seems a bit high, but at least that is a destination 10-15 minute drive away.

Margaritaville, even with a walker, wouldn't take 10-15 minutes to walk.

It would take you longer to pile in the cab than it would to drive around the corner and stop.

 

Even with a meter in NYC, I can't imagine after paying a minimum price to start, you could ever come close to $15 for that ride.

If you were talking about a cab with a lift or ramp on it (like they all seemed to have in London) that made the trip easier or more accessible, I could see paying a premium for such a short trip.

 

But I can't see how the driver's time is worth so much more for a 5 minute trip and back.

 

I disagree about NYC, I’m in NJ 10 miles outside Manhattan, just for fun I looked into an Uber from my house to Newark airport, 20 minutes, $37, I’ve paid more (my kids took an Uber xl from the airport this summer and were charged $75 for 20 minutes). If you are from SC you know how inexpensive goods and services are there. I can’t imagine paying under $15 for a taxi or Uber.

[starstruck05]

TBH the $15 for 2 people was less than I expected. I budgeted for $10 each there and back. The ride also longer than it appears on a map because you can't go straight there. Mind you this was back in I think April.