Expat Community > Ecuador

DUNMOVN
Joined 2011
Posts: 1991

Taxi bandits in Quito

12 years ago

I flew into Quito from Cuenca last evening. I had a room at the Holiday Inn Express, which in not listed on electronic list of hotels, so I had to take a taxi. As I walked out of the terminal, an Ecuadorian said TAXI; I said Si. He grabbed my rolling suitcase and started walking down the sidewalk away from the terminal. I asked him where his taxi was and he pointed to a side street. An alarm bell went off in my head which I ignored, I was tired and just wanted to get into bed, so I got into his taxi. About 10 minutes into the trip he pulled into a gas station and tried to hit me up for $20 for gas. I said no take me to the hotel. When we got the Holiday Inn, he parked out in the street expecting me to get out and pay him and drag my luggage up the driveway. It took several minutes for me to convince him that I wasn't going anywhere until he pulled into the driveway of the hotel. Then he tried to hit me up for $10 for the ride. I said I had to go inside and get change. I asked the desk attendant what the taxi fare should be from the airport and $5 was the reply. So I went out and pad him. He wasn't happy but he went away. The advice I have is to only get into a taxi that is parked at the curb just outside baggage claim, there is usually a line just like any other airport. And, ask what the fare is to your destination, there are no taxi meters in Ecuador.

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