They say it is dangerous to take a random taxi in Colombia. Can someone recommend a driver that can pick me up at the Bogota airport or a safe taxi service (there are some listed for Medellin but none for Bogota).

Here's a quick tip when taking cabbies. if it's a short trip from point A to B, nothing more than 10,000. if it's higher , they are trying to rob you. All cabs have a card with numbers telling you the price sheet with the timer in card. You have to learn to read them carefully. As for another tip. make sure you have 10,000 and 5,000 pesos handy. So if they try to rob you for a short trip, hand them 5,0000 pesos and get off the cab cursing at them. If it was a somewhat long trip hand them a 10,000 and curse them on the way out.

Good tips. The card is just about imposable to read unless you live there or know the city really well and drinking all night doesn't help any ether.
The 10,000 for a long trip and 5.000 for a shorter trip is generally the way i go most of the time. Getting from the airport to the zona rosa is always 20 000. Agree on this price before you get into the cab. Had one try to pull a fast one and wanted $20 once we got to the zona rosa.

In Bogota right now. When you exited the airport there is a taxi stand. You give them your address and they print out a recent with the price and address and give you hand to the taxi driver. There is not a problem with getting overcharged. The also have taxi stands at some of the malls with the same function.

When you take a taxi other places you can ask the price or the normally use the meter. Haven't had any problem with the price of the taxi.

The MAJOR PROBLEM in Bogota is catching a taxi during rush hour. The line at Unicentro mall was close to 2 hours the other day. Today we just could not catch a taxi. We had to take the bus to get home. Some taxis will stop and it if they think the ride is too far they will drive off. We are staying in the north of Bogota so we are far from a lot of things.

Staying in an area that is close to the places you are going to visit would solve some of the problems. At night it is not a problem to get a taxi. I think it is from 500pm to 730 pm or so that is so hard to catch a taxi.

I have never seen or heard of a place that can be so hard to catch a taxi. You can call a taxi if you have their cell number but you would have to be in the same area.

Riotime,
Taxi's can be dangerous in Bogota. At night especially. If u are in a restaurant or club always have them call a taxi for you. I have been to Bogota a half dozen times this year and have stayed in the North most of the time. Be careful if you have an early morning flight to the airport Hdogger and myself almost missed our flight because of getting a taxi during morning rush hour. We call for a taxi from the apartment and waited over 45 minutes and still no taxi. so we walked down to the main drag to catch a cab at it took another 25 minutes to get an empty cab.Hundreds of taxis went by us all carrying a fare. Also my Novias uncle got robbed by a taxi at 7pm and lost his whole pay.