Safety

II am not the the most widely traveled person on this Board but I do go places. And I live in Chicago. It's my experience that taxis and taxi drivers have the reputation of being thugs and bullies everywhere in the world. Taxis seem to be a topic of conversation anywhere you go. None of the conversation laudatory.

I am not saying this to minimize the problem in Zihuatanejo. Nor am I painting all drivers with a thug brush. But if you avoid all places on earth where taxi drivers are viewed with distrust and a level of suspicion, you could only go places where they don't have taxis. And I'm not in the mood for that.

I would say that Zihuatanejo needs much stronger regulation of their taxi business since the industry obviously cannot police itself. Businesses need to use a stronger voice with the city about taking some control of the situation. Town officials need to step up or leave and let those who want order step in. Zihuatanejo seems content to behave as if it is not a party to this situation. A town can look the other way or do something. But I very much doubt that taxi drivers themselves will suddenly become Good Samaritans and upstanding community members on their own..

So, we will continue to deal with taxis when we visit. I just wish we didn't have to have this conversation every few weeks.