Taxi Rides

Since Chris and Chase are no longer here, I turned our rental car in last night. Today was my first day of taking the taxi’s by myself. It is quite the experience, but isn’t everything an experience here in the Marshall Islands?

The taxi’s cost fifty cents no matter where you go. The fifty cents will get you a block up the road or to the other end of the atoll one hour away. There is only one road in the RMI. It is a small two lane road that runs the length of the atoll. There are no stop signs or stop lights and the taxi’s are probably as plentiful as if you were in New York City. However, it isn’t quite the same… Taxi’s are beat up old cars, vans, pick ups or whoever decides they want their car to be a taxi. Also, whoever wants to get in the taxi can jump in. Today when I was taking my laundry, we were able to cram three adults, one baby, my huge laundry bag and diaper bag in the back seat, an extra passenger in the front and we probably could have picked up more. When you see your location, the local Marshallese wait until the taxi is right up on it and then announce that is where they want to get out. The taxi driver slams on the breaks (although at the 25 mile an hour speed limit it isn’t too bad) and drives up on the sidewalk. The taxi’s don’t just pull over, they literally drive off the road completely up on the sidewalk (well, what I consider a sidewalk of sorts).

Today I was in a total of four taxi’s and spent a grand total of $2.00. Two of my taxi’s stopped for gas, two didn’t have air conditioning. And all four got me safely to my destination. Tomorrow I get to do it all again.