every one who has ever taken a taxi anywhere can tell a story. however, usually the best drivers i have ever met were in aruba.

i certainly have a few taxi stories to tell. how about you.

what did a cab driver do or not do that surprised you? how did they help you? what makes them unique?

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Hey!

Something wrong with NY cab drivers??

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OK - we usually do not take cabs from the airport but this year we needed a large cab to hold one couple and 2 teen-age girls worth of stuff. After we got outside and saw the longggg line, DH headed to the left at the end of the line, but where cabs were first entering the lane and cut everyone else off by hailing a Toyota Rav. Ricky our driver filled us in on all the new developments on the island. He took a great short cut thru town to by-pass traffic. He unloaded all our stuff (and there was alot of stuff) into the LaCabana lobby.
Thank you, Ricky!

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actually they are almost the bravest drivers in the world. you have to be to battle your way thru rush hour in nyc. however, in order to do that they scare the heck out of most sane people, lol.

the bravest and worst are in dakar senegal but that's a story for a different day, lol.

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The secret is just to drive as bad as they do! I cut them off all the time.

Dakar - I can't imagine......

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My best story about an Aruban Taxi driver is about #62. A few years ago I rode in his taxi from the Olde Mill Restaurant and mentioned that I would like to buy his license plate as I have a 1962 Corvette. A couple of years later we got to use #62 again coming from the Le Dome and I mentioned again that I would love to have his old license plate.
He said he would deliver one to me in a day or two at our hotel. When I told him we were leaving the the next morning at 9:00 am and would try to hook up with him next time we were in Aruba.
Just before we checked out of the Amsterdam Manor there he was at 8:30 am. And he had two plates to give me. When I tried to pay him he would not accept anything.
If you are lucky enough to ride with the driver of #62 tell him I will never forget him and I would like to buy him a drink when we are there this season.

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"El Muchacho De Eagle Beach"
Eagle-Beach Boy
Ontario, Canada

This happened to a friend/former co-worker. She stopped on Aruba during a cruise. After the ship set sail, she realized that she had left her purse in a taxi. She doesn't remember the number.

A few weeks later her purse showed up at her house. The driver mail it and all its belonging to her.

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Aruba for me

several years ago a friend of ours lost their wallet filled with most of their money and credit cards. he had no idea where and wondered if it had been picked out of his pocket. he went back to cdm and a few hours later was called to the desk. he had left it in a cab and the cabbie checked all of the hotels and timeshares until he found the right one. the friend never even got to thank him because he left it at the front desk.

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Two years ago, I left my small change purse with over $100 in cash, debit and credit card, and two $100 travellers cheques in it. It also had my Aruba Plus card. The next morning, I decided I would retrace my steps. No luck, then I checked my email. There was an email from VisitAruba that told me if I was still on the island to go to a jewelery store in Renassance Mall (I think it was Columbian Emeralds?) as someone had turned it in. Everything was there!! I was in tears thanking them. Such honesty, someone had found it at a pay phone I tried to use and brought it into the store and the clerk there contacted Visit Aruba.

I can never thank them enough.

K

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Need some ideas

Okay, this isn't an anecdote and it doesn't involve just taxi drivers; it is a commentary about all drivers on Aruba. I have never seen a more courteous bunch of motorists when it comes to yielding to pedestrians. Even if there is nobody behind them and it would really be just as easy to wait until the car has passed by before crossing the street, they will stop and wave you through.

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Once in a while you can get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right.

On our first visit to Aruba, I left a fairly new, relatively expensive camera in the back seat of the taxi. Realizing it, I rushed back out of the hotel hoping to catch the driver. No such luck. I am a slow runner When the doorman realized my distress, he talked with the lovely woman at the front desk who began to make calls to Taxi's. This was not needed however, as the driver discovered the camera at his next stop and returned my camera to me before delivering his next passengers. What a great first impression on my first night on the island.

This is the type of kindness I have learned is typical in Aruba.

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dixie luvs aruba

Aruba October 5-12, 2007

Woohoo!!!!!!

We took the taxi from the airport and in our excitement of arriving at our hotel, we left all of our cash, hotel reservation, passports and airline tickets in the back of the cab. It only took us a few minutes to realize our mistake.

We were in luck though, as the front desk chased after the taxi, he was already turning around as he noticed we had left a bag behind. Had he kept on driving, our vacation would have been ruined.

This type of kindness and honest people of Aruba is what makes this island so special for our stupid, careless mistake.

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Cathy

When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I've never tried before

Just wanted to comment that in our experience, Aruba's cab drivers are consistently nice, courteous, and interested in why we chose to come to Aruba, what we like & dislike about their country, etc. It's such a friendly exchange.
My strangest cab experience--a cab we took in Mexico was missing a rear door. The seat next to that door did have a functional seatbelt and I was the lucky person sitting next to the wide open spaces! There were 4 of us so I just had my friend hold onto me for the short trip.
Next strangest cab experience--In Jamaica, we flew from Montego Bay to Negril and got a cab to take us from the Negril Aerodrome to the resort. He pulled out of the air field lot, crossed the road, and pulled into the resort parking lot! It only cost us $5 but KNOW before you go, LOL!

I think most of you know how busy the L. G. Smith Blvd. between downtown and the resorts are.

A few years back the six of us went down to the Hooters which now has moved to celebrate St. Patty's Day, we took a cab down and a had a great night. As we were about to leave I called for a cab to bring us back and went outside to wait, time past and no cab, I called back and they said that is was busy and that they were trying to find a cab for 6. As time went on we went out to the road side and tried to hail a cab, after about 15 minutes a older VW bus pulled over and the young driver shouted out that he was not a cab or a cab driver but would try to help us out, we all piled into the VW and he made his way to the resort we were staying that time. As we got out I tried to pay him and he refused say it was his pleasure to help us out.

Up to today we all recant that night and how the people of Aruba are out there tying to help there visitors out and show there friendly ness.

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We only have positive things to say about 99% of the Aruba taxi drivers.
It is now a few years ago, but after several years of visiting Aruba, we spent a week in Curacao. The taxis were like night and day. Our experience was that the fleet were mostly "junkers", drivers were rude, prices varied for outbound and inbound trips. Not a positive impression!

I truly believe that NYC taxi drivers are awesome!
Think about it.... do you ever see any accidents? Yes, they drive crazy but they are used to it. That is how they HAVE to drive!

Sherry, one of my favorite Aruba taxi stories---I was in Aruba alone (for the first time)---took a cab from a downtown hotel to my timeshare on 12/26. The lovely female cab driver asked what I had planned for New Year's Eve. I told her I would stay at CDM for the entertainment, etc. She said, "You can't be alone New Year's Eve. I want you to come to my house." Being an American I politely refused. New Year's Eve I was downstairs in the restaurant/bar and the phone rang. The bartender said, "Mary, it's for you." It was the cab driver saying, "My son is on the way to CDM to bring you to my house." Out I went, got into this stranger's car and we were off to her house somewhere in Orangestad. A tradition for Arubans is to see all their friends and family New Year's Eve to say goodbye to the old year and hello to the new year. Well, after walking all around the neighborhood eating at several homes I announced that I'd had a great time and would accept a ride home. "Oh no---we have to go to the BIG party." Into the cab we went---and off to somewhere in the cunucu to a lovely home where there were what seemed to be every Aruban cab. I was the sole American, and was treated like royalty. The band played, we ate, drank and sometime prior to sunrise I was driven back to my timeshare with several boxes of food. I shall never forget it.

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Cab driver stories make the best stories to tell. You are right...EVERYONE has one to tell most of them coming from JFK New York !

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Mare Jada
Accountant
LaGuardia Airport
New York City Airport Hotel