Watch out for the Yellow Cab drivers out in front of Adelitas. I always thought they were ok to use, but I basically got hijacked yesterday by one of them, and he got pissed when I said I would not go into the massage parlor.

He was supposed to be taking me to an atm machine, and instead took this as his opportunity to earn some money by delivering a client to one of the massage parlors.

And I speak plenty of spanish so that it was definitely not a misunderstanding.

I will post more about it later but watch these guys.......because that was the second time yesterday I had a driver try to get me to go to a massage parlor even after I turned down the first offer.

That's why I don't use Yellow Cab anymore. I also remember them charging me $6 on weekends and asking for a tip. I would usually say five dollars before I get into the cab so there is no misunderstanding but they would still ask for tips sometimes. Also they would not drop me off on the side closest to the border saying it would cost a dollar more. I now use Taxi Libre exclusively. They only charge a dollar and change and are happy when I give them three dollars. Surprisingly, Yellow cab drivers are now sometimes offering three or four dollar fares back to the border but I tell everyone to teach them a lesson and use Taxi Libre instead.

Futbolito, see my recent post about taxis in TJ under the transportation section. I've had 3 irritating encounters over the past year with the Yellow Cab fuckers. They basically tried to take me to some club other than Adelitas even after I told them I wasn't interested- I speak OK spanish so this also wasn't some misunderstanding.

I make an serious effort to avoid using Yellow Cab taxis when I am leaving Adleitas/ Chicago Club. It is a little harder to avoid using them when entering TJ though.

I got a Taxi Libre taxi yesterday and the driver had some interesting insights into my experiences.
1) He said that Adelitas told the Yellow Cab taxis not to wait around outside their club anymore. I dunno why they decided to do this as I fogot to ask him.
2) This caused the Yellow Cab Co. to retaliate by trying to 'direct' clients to other clubs. The Taxi Libre driver was pretty adamant that the other clubs weren't actually paying Yellow Cab Co. to take anyone to them, however.
3) The Yellow Cab's Union can 'discipline' anyone who doesn't adhere to #2. I told my driver I thought this was ridiculous since way too many North Americans come to TJ for the expressed reason of going to AB/CC. You'd basically have to discipline everyone. The driver kept insisting he was right, however.

For anyone reading this who primarily goes to AB/CC, I recommend making sure well ahead of time that the driver knows where you want to go and understands HE WON'T GET PAID unless he takes you to that exact place.

My spanish is not as good as others but I would say something to the effect:
'Tomame a Adelitas (or some other place) por cinco'.
Eng: Take me to Adeltias for 5 (dollars).

If he refuses, say 'Yo uso un otro coche si usted tiene una problema con esto'
Eng: I'll use another car if you have a problem with this.

and 'Yo no pago usted hasta llegamos a Adelitas'.
Eng: I won't pay you until we arrive at Adelitas.

Sp. Speakers please correct my Spanish if I messed up anywhere. But, if you still get an asshole who argues with you, you might try the Taxi Libre stand that is (as you're coming from US) to the right of the Yellow Cab stand. You have to cross the street to get to this stand and it is in a circular thoroughfare.

The Taxi Libre driver also mentioned that the Yellow Cab drivers were the only ones who got to use the taxi stand immediately across the US border because of their company's seniority. He made it sound like the other companies weren't even bothering to contest this lucrative advantage.

WHats funny is you see signs in certian clubs syaing
Take a yellow taxi its safer.
Everytime I pas the yellow cab stand I let them know they are losing a lot of business becuase they fuck with people.

The signs should read don't take a Yellow cab unless you want to be fucked with.

One thing I noticed when I was in TJ a couple of weeks ago was that the cab drivers standing around on Revo trying to solicit passengers all accompanied their pitch with an offer to take me to a massage place. A high percentage of them did, at least... much more than I'm used to.

Sometime last year, in the late afternoon, I got a taxi from the border to Adelitas and the yellow cab driver/scam artist motherfucker charged me $13. I said for what!!?? He said it was the going rate for that time of the afternoon.

I said,"Bullshit, I'm not a fucking tourist here. I come here all the time. I know what the rates are from cab drivers to whores to shoe shine boys on the street corners"

He still insisted it was $13 and he had the audacity to ask me for a tip. I eventully paid it because it wasn't worth the continuous back and forth bullshit. But definitely no tip. From that day forward I swore I'd never again ever get into a yellow cab, I don't care what time of night it is, I refuse to get ripped off by these assholes. So because of one dishonest yellow cab driver, everybody suffers.

from that day since, every time I cross the border I have to pass a yellow gauntlet of taxi drivers all asking me if I want a taxi. I walk across that bridge every time, always rememebring that old adage, "Fuck me once, shame on you. Fuck me twice, shame on me."

I don't patronize these people at all. Sure, we all need to make a buck, but I don't steal and I don't expect anyone to try and rip me off especially when they're providing a sevice.

Master Bates.

The yellow cab hawkers were pretty damn aggressive Friday night. I was just standing out in front of AB minding my own business when all of a sudden the taxi hawker abruptly steps right in front of me and starts yelling Taxi, taxi to the patrons coming out of the bar. I guess he thought I was blocking his view or else the taxi libre cabs parked on the curb were making him nervous.

I did notice that very few people were actually taking the yellow cabs however, as they would flag down a passing cab.

Masterbates that prety much confirms you are the biggest loser in the board among other things.

I can;t beleive that. Do you have one single tuff guy bone in your whole body???

if you want to get back into my good graces each time you pass one of those yellow cabs and they try to get you in tell them that they are losing business to the Libres and tell them why.
Thats what I do.
I walk past all of them saying 2.50 no mas !!
And walk right past them to the Libres.

Right on Milky! Did that last time I was down, middle of the night on the way back to VZ. Guy damn near spit his beer! I have to admit that it felt good after getting screwed too many times by the Yellow Folks!

When I'm to lazy to walk to the Taxi Libre stand I take a yellow cab. The weather last nite(rain) made me take a yellow taxi.

These guys piss me off. This is the second time this happened. I always tell the first guy who approaches me. $3 for chicago and $4.00 todo con propina. They always back off and I start walking to Libre. They always concede.

So we stop but doesn't want to make the right to chicago. I tell him to make the right and he says he can't. What ever, so I give him the four and start to get out.

He gets all pissed off and says it's five. I don't speak spanish well when I'm worked up and tell him the other guy said 4 todo propina incluido. And just get out of the cab and walk towards chicago. He get out of the cab and in my face and tells me its five. He was in a hostile position. I'm acting tuff on the outside but on the inside I'm saying you don't want trouble. We argue more and I tell him to call the guy at the border. And walk a way. He comes up and stops me. And says he is getting the police. I tried to say, "Good. Go get them. I'll be in Chicago when you need me. I am right and you are wrong."

But my shitty spanish went like this, "Bien. Traigalos. Estare en Chicago cuando me necessitas. Tengo razon y tu no tiene razon."

He got my point, hop in his cab and drove off. I think I got lucky, being tuff in the zona can make more problems, but I can't stand this shit.

The first time, the guy threatened me with the police but never got out of his cab.

I've got to be smarter with the barker I seal the deal, that he communicates the price with his driver clearly.

Just to add:

I've gotten the Adelitas is closed bit a few times this past year from these yellow cabs and I have a stock reply.

"Really? That's ok, because I'm meeting a friend in front of AB"

And if the guy speaks english well I make bet with him.

I tell him if AB is closed I will tip him an extra buck on top of the four. If AB is open I will just give him the four. They shut up pretty quick.

I think the lesson here is to not be too lazy to walk to the taxi libre stand.

The thing is some of the Libre Taxis are getting greedy too.

I had to accost 3 different Libres before one would take me to Linea Sentri for 3 bucks. All said their meter was broken. I'm getting sick of that line.

The first two would take me for $5 not including tip. Gustavo was a nice guy and good driver to take me for 3.

That sucks. Be vigilant and you should still be able to get a ride at your price. And re: tipping, WHY?

When the libre meters are working I usually round up to cover a tip.

Should I not be tipping over what the meter reads?

When I took Yellow Taxis consistently I always added a buck for a tip.

Now I do my best to avoid them but I was so beat down from the traffic I wanted to get to putaville asap, and it was spend an extra buck to save time or walk another hundred yards to save a buck and get wet along the way.

My little head took over the wallet.

I never take a yellow cab back to the border.

The yellow & "blacks" are good for leaving the Chicago Club. I don't know if they hang at the border if you are looking to catch one coming in.

Yama,

There are two cab drivers in front of Chicago that are trust worthy.

They have been my option if I can't get a Libre Taxi. Some nites its tough to find one so then I walk to Chicago and give those guys my business.

I'll try to get their names some time.

The taxi libre's don't typically ever pull the broken meter bit on me except if I am getting in while in front of AB. If he doesn't want to turn the meter on, I stop him and get out before we leave the area.

The yellow cab guys at the border have started to get pretty unruly these days as I walk past them to Taxi Libre. They never used to mutter under their breath after I turned them down but I have a feeling they are starting to realize that their competition is not going away.

But only rarely do I take a yellow cab from the board to AB, because even if it is busy, the Taxi Libre taxi stand line goes very quickly.

The only thing you need to keep an eye on is whether or not there is a surplus of TL's across the rotary. If not, a long line could take a while.

Futbolito,

Very true. I've never gotten a broken meter line from a Libre driver when going to the zona only when trying to get from the zona to the border.

Not sure why of this consistency. I think they hate going to the border because it's kinda one way meaning they won't be catching a fair there or they hate the traffic.

Frontbc,

I have tried Taxi Liebre twice and both times got the broken meter crap. Like you, I used to take the Yellow Cab guys, but quit when I also started getting some bad experiences with them too.

These days I tend to take either a blue and white or blue and silver cab instead. I know some of these guys by name now. If I am going to pay $5 for the fare, I just as soon give the dough to someone I like instead of an asshole.

I have had great success with Taxi Libra, only one trip in eight rides did the driver fail to turn on the meter. One driver even shared his favorite music on the radio, which I had to agree sounded very good-he even got a $1 tip from me.

I haven't been down in sometime, but when I (hopefully) do get down there, I am going to stick with taxi libre. The worst off I can be is get the same price that the yellow cabs want. With yellow cab, they can really run it up to 6 or 7 bucks or for example masterbates post above.

Taxi Libre hasn't pulled that no meter stuff on me. If anyone has ever had to take a girl out of the zona and stop at her pad or a store or someplace, before going to wherever you two are going, you will know the regular taxis can really run up a bill on you. Thats the best time for a taxi libre.

My only holdback, I try to support union work. But at the same time, with taxi libre if my bill is $2, I am gonna give him $4 anyway. With the yellow taxi guys, if its their usual $5, you can be assured they are gonna ask you for a propina. The taxi libre guys usually don't ask for a tip.

One other consideration is if I get in a traffic accident, I would rather be riding in a yellow cab than a taxi libre. But if there was an accident, it would probably the yellow cab guys fault, they drive crazy. A ride with a few of those guys and you know where the mexican hubcap jokes came from.

The Taxi Libre guys almost always are shy and non-assuming. I have had only one ever question what I paid him.

With yellow taxis, as well as all others besides TL, if you make a stop and then go somewhere else, they charge you for each leg of the journey.

So if you are picking up some medicine and then a chica on your way to the movies, take a TL for $5-6, instead of a yellow for $15.

Fuck yellow cabs
you will not find yellow cabs anywhere in Mexico unless there is white tourist gringos to scam.
I have never had a problem with Libres but if you do just get out of the cab and flag down another.

yellow cabs do scam people quite often.
I remember one time when I was in Rosarito and a Libre cost under 14 dollars and these gringos got out of their yellow cab right near the RBH and it cost them 40 dollars !!!!!

I have had yellow cabs lock me in before when I refused to pay for their bogus rates and let them know that I am not some DWG.
After that I just used Taxi Libres or the buses. I often travel TJ with collectivos for 75 cents

Many locals refuse yellow cabs as well and will only travel in Libres and or collectivos /buses

I always tell the yellow cab guys I am not a stupid Gringo tourist.

I have been in Taxi libres without a meter and still pay $3 total with tip.

Only once when there was a huge line of idle taxi libres at the stand did a driver tell me he did not want to lose his spot for anything less than $4

Last night a did quick in and out (in at 7:00 P.M. - out around midnight). I took Taxi Libre on both legs and in both instances the drivers started off without starting their meters. Both times I pointed this out to the driver during the first minute in the cab & the meters were started. My toll coming in appeared as 19.50 pesos & I tried paying with a 50 peso bill. The driver said he had just started & could not break the small bill - So he gladly accepted $2 U.S.
On the ride back to the border the meter displayed 20.25 pesos (I was dropped off at the wrong {west} side. Again I paid with a 50 peso note and was given $3 change U.S.. This made the total cost of the return trip only about $1.53 since I received an exchange rate of 11.04 pesos to the dollar Sunday night.

I love Taxi Libre!

Had a similar encounter with the yellow cab driver one weekend just recently, on my way back to the border one evening after all the fun at Ab and the street corner behind Ab my amigo and I decided to take the yellow cab back to the border, while grabbing one in front of Ab he drives us back to the border for $5.00 we negoticiated on, while their he drops us off and before getting out like a good samaritan I gave him the $5.00, this sucker then had the nerve to ask for a tip so I tell him 5.00 is all I got and shuts the door ,he pulls up by me while blocking my entrance to cross San Ysidro he says in a non wanna be tough guy act why you slam my door? so I ignore him and he goes off and tells one of the policia after me helms me up and I told the policia the situation that he was mad cuz I didn't tip the old bastard, so the policia looks around for the cab driver but at that time he has already driven off, he then says next time you go to jail and I ask him for what slamming a taxi door he says yes and we got out of their quick to the border, so yeah the next day I still went back but wasn;t the same asshole though,don't let little things like that mess up your night forget and moved on .

I talked with one yellow cab driver while stuck in traffic and he stated that the all the drivers change location every night. If youre at the depot by the border one night you maybe at a hotel the next...etc to AB.

I also quit negotiating. Every time I said $ to the border they always countered with plus tip. So now I give the $5 bucks.

I had a funny experience with the yellow cab. My brother and I were leaving Amnesia on our way to AB when the yellow cab pulls up to give us a ride. The driver was a young guy named Dave. Dave spoke good English so there was no confusion where we wanted to go. First he tells me that AB is closed. I said that’s interesting because I just got off the phone with my favorita and she is waiting for me at AB. The next thing we know we are on a unwanted tour of all the MP and strip clubs that Dave recommends. The last stop before getting to AB was Luxor which is located right next to our hotel. My brother and I thought this was the funniest thing that happened on the whole trip. We were laughing so hard we trouble getting out of the cab. All this for $4.00, God how I love TJ.

It is funny when the pull this "closed" scam. I wonder if this had anything to do why yellow taxis don't drop off in front of CC anymore.

It's none of my business but I've always contemplated telling AB management that the yellow taxi drivers are pulling this "closed' scam.

Are the cabbies trying to get a commission by taking you to a different establishment?

MM

MM,

I am quite sure that is their motivation.

MM,

Have you ever left your house ;)..?