Taxi Fares, Tel Aviv-Yafo

Since it is a felony to not use their meter, the cabbies have other tricks:
1.) quickly shutting off the meter before you can see it and quoting you a higher fare.
2.) quoting you a higher price as they jump out of the cab to get your bags from the trunk, hoping you willl quickly follow.
3.) quoting your fare before you get in the cab, then risking not setting the meter.

Cabbies are ruthlessly aggressive in Israel. I quickly figured out the very easy bus system and used it. I saved money and had the satisfaction of leaving them off. In Jerusalem and TA, the cnetral bus stations have information boths and they are most helpful. Both stations have banks, post offices to change money, restraunts. All along the street are the bus route signs you cannot miss. Go online and look at the schedules. I went all over the country using buses and they were excellent. The Egged system has a great site. In Jeruslame my last encounter was with a cabbie who became enraged when I told him to set the meter because I didn't believe it would take 75 shekels to get me to Talpiot. I got out, went under the tunnel to the other side of the street and caught the number 7 and it cost me 5 shekels. I decided then to use my brain and get around.

Try not to take a taxi from the one waiting for suckers at these places as they overcharge and are not legal taxi . Walk a little or take a bus - there are lots of legal taxi in Tel Aviv and they are not expensive and work with a meter

If you wish to take a taxi from the Tel Aviv Train Station located at Arlozoroff Street, make sure the driver puts on the taxi meter - before you get in ask him if he will put it on. If not, just go to one of the main roads, Arlozoroff or Derech Namir. You can see these roads ( just a few meters away) from the station. Bye the way, it is against the law not to use meters.