It’s interesting how many people are just terrified at the thought of getting ripped off by a Rome taxi driver. I’m not saying it doesn’t happen. It does. Frequently. I’ve even written about Rome Taxis and have gifted you with a widget that tells you what a taxi should cost in the Eternal City so you can “know before you go” or something.
But enough about Rome. I gleefully read the article about New York Cabbies on Gladdling this morn, New York cabbies caught overcharging passengers – 1.8 million times
That’s a lot.
It also shows how the world is much the same. It’s amazing to me that many rural-based American folks who wouldn’t dare set a tootsie in New York for fear of getting mugged (or ripped off by a taxi driver) will head off for a visit to Rome without a care in the world.
What I’m sayin’ is that street smarts is street smarts, wherever you go. Big cities everywhere are are full of people who make a better living than their peers by relying on their cleverness to extract more money from a client who is not paying attention.
So pay attention. Don’t just watch—see!
That said, I have chosen a house in a rural area of Italy. Taxi drivers have so far been wonderfully civil in the Lunigiana. You might consider getting out in the country if you’re afraid of cities—or unwilling to pay attention to your surroundings.
On the other hand, Rome is a wonderfully diverse city of surprises, art, and Roman ruins. If you pay 20 Euro too much for a taxi, what’s it matter in the grand scheme of things? You can get mad, you can huff and puff, the veins can stand out grandly on your forehead and still, it won’t make a bit of difference. Trust me, you’ll have a great story to tell which will leave folks clucking and shaking their heads over how superior their country is.