TAAAXXXXXIIIIII!!! by OsakaHatter
Taxis in Japan are expensive, to the point that if you can walk or just use public transport, do. However, we all find those moments when we have no other options so here are a couple of key pointers...1. Most importantly, shop around. Check the rear left passenger door window. There will be a price between 500 and 660 yen. This is the price for the first 3 kms, but the mileage ratio after this is also similarly varied. This adds up to a big saving. A taxi home in a 500 yen cab will cost me around 2,200 yen (about 20 U.S. dollars). A taxi home in 660 yen cab will cost me around 3,800 yen (about 35 U.S. dollars). It makes quite a difference quite quickly...
2. This may sound sarcastic (especially given the rest of my pages) but seriously, check the front seat of the cab. If there's a half empty bottle of whisky on the seat it's probably not a good idea to get in. If the bottle is empty, it's definitely not a good idea! You'd be surprised the number of times I've seen this...