Speaking of Johnny Cab....

So, me and Johnny Cab have become firm friends – He no longer stalks me, as he has caught his prize….. a regular fare to work in the morning. He charges KRW1000 (about 50p) more than the usual meter fare, but I allow this extravagance due to the fact he is almost always waiting for me outside the complex where we live. I also allow this, because I don’t have to repeat myself over and over to newly acquired drivers at the taxi rank and who have either no clue where I want to go, or simply refuse to try and understand my pronunciation of the place name where I work. I also get to lie back in the seat, and close my eyes if required (especially after a hard night drinking with the boys! – see earlier posts relating to this subject) and not worry about being taken on an expensive mystery tour around the industrial complex before I arrive at work.

I say he is almost always there, because he has let me down on occasion to pick up lucrative fares elsewhere in the city to places which will not let him get back to my pick-up within the prescribed time. To be fair, however, he does call me on my mobile to advise of this fact within a minute or so, of the allocated pick-up time. He tries his broken English, and I reply in broken Hangul, but we both get the message through, and I start making my way towards to rank to harangue an unwitting cab driver.

Basically, there are two types of cab available here in Ansan, much the same as elsewhere in Korea, especially Seoul. There are the standard grey cabs, some of which can be white but most are silver. These run at basic fare of KRW2,300 as soon as you get in, then add KRW for each Kilometre or minute for your trip. They are all comfy, most are new-ish, but with plenty of K’s on the clock. Theses are the most common types to be found. The other type is what they call Black cabs, or limousine taxis. They are described in brochures and tourist guides as the high-end of taxi riding, and are supposed to be luxurious, and offer a better class of ride. These claims are ridiculous, as most I have seen 9and been in) are little better than old sheds on wheels. They also have the nerve to charge a stunning KRW4000 as the starter fare! It is simple wonder, that when approaching a taxi rank to pick up a cab, if there is a black cab in front, then this usually gets ignored and the grey one taken instead. I have noticed that this is also normal practice for Koreans too.

The only down-side to getting Johnny cab in the mornings, is that I miss the “Pimp-my-ride” varieties!