• Take 30 seconds to register your free account to access deals, post topics, and view exclusive content!

    Register Today

    Join the largest Oakley Forum on the web!

Travel Tips for Visiting Jordan - Getting Around by Uber/Careem/Taxis (cacatman)

cacatman

No one knows 'cacat' like cacatman!!
Staff member
Premium Member
Lifetime Member
Tips For Getting Around in Jordan
I love Jordan - The sights, the sounds, the hospitality, the food, the people in the street, the price of electricity and water, the relative freedom and security that we all enjoy here.

But....

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but I genuinely wish someone had shared with me these

Top Tips for Taking a Yellow Taxi in Amman

  • If you're new to Amman, a taxi ride shouldn't cost you 30 JD to get from Jerash -> Amman or 5-8 JD to get from 2nd circle -> 8th circle (no matter the time of day or night, weather conditions or if it is a public holiday). If you pay this sort of money, you are encouraging taxi drivers to rip off more foreigners (like me) and fellow Jordanians (a lot of whom aren't earning as much as you).
  • It should cost between 1.70 JD -> 2.60 JD to go from 2nd -> 8th circle depending on traffic (even at peak times).
  • If the driver tells you that their meter isn't working, press the button that says "hire" and it will work (it's the only "miracle" I can reliably perform 100% of the time without even praying).
  • If you get in and the meter is > 1 JD, the driver has not reset it from the previous trip. It should start from around 0.25 JD.
  • It is against the law for taxis to refuse to take you to a destination. The telltale sign that they might refuse you is if they ask you where you are going through the window BEFORE you get into the taxi.
  • Legally you are NOT obliged to pay a fare if a meter is not used, even if there has been a verbal agreement to an outrageous fee (this is what the police have told me....but I wouldn't advise that you be so cruel as much as you think they may deserve it!!).
  • I do encourage you to give tips BUT ONLY if they drive safely, don't ask personal intrusive questions, don't smoke, take you directly to your destination without picking up other passengers, ask if you are from Russia, and don't imply that the women in your group are either maids or prostitutes. In other words, tip them if they do the job they are supposed to do.
  • If you feel uncomfortable, it's not you. It's them. Even if their English isn't that good, they certainly know what they're doing. It's not their "first rodeo".
  • If you think something isn't right, ALWAYS take a photo of the driver and leave your door open when you exit the vehicle so that you have time to take a photo of the numberplate in case you wish to take it further with the police.
  • I never pay until everyone has exited the vehicle and all shopping items have been removed from the trunk of the car.Uber and Careem are technically still "illegal" but if you resort to using these services, you will find a far better, cleaner, polite and safer experience. It just goes to show how a little bit of accountability goes a long long way.
 
Tips For Getting Around in Jordan
I love Jordan - The sights, the sounds, the hospitality, the food, the people in the street, the price of electricity and water, the relative freedom and security that we all enjoy here.

But....

I don't want to sound like a jerk, but I genuinely wish someone had shared with me these

Top Tips for Taking a Yellow Taxi in Amman

  • If you're new to Amman, a taxi ride shouldn't cost you 30 JD to get from Jerash -> Amman or 5-8 JD to get from 2nd circle -> 8th circle (no matter the time of day or night, weather conditions or if it is a public holiday). If you pay this sort of money, you are encouraging taxi drivers to rip off more foreigners (like me) and fellow Jordanians (a lot of whom aren't earning as much as you).
  • It should cost between 1.70 JD -> 2.60 JD to go from 2nd -> 8th circle depending on traffic (even at peak times).
  • If the driver tells you that their meter isn't working, press the button that says "hire" and it will work (it's the only "miracle" I can reliably perform 100% of the time without even praying).
  • If you get in and the meter is > 1 JD, the driver has not reset it from the previous trip. It should start from around 0.25 JD.
  • It is against the law for taxis to refuse to take you to a destination. The telltale sign that they might refuse you is if they ask you where you are going through the window BEFORE you get into the taxi.
  • Legally you are NOT obliged to pay a fare if a meter is not used, even if there has been a verbal agreement to an outrageous fee (this is what the police have told me....but I wouldn't advise that you be so cruel as much as you think they may deserve it!!).
  • I do encourage you to give tips BUT ONLY if they drive safely, don't ask personal intrusive questions, don't smoke, take you directly to your destination without picking up other passengers, ask if you are from Russia, and don't imply that the women in your group are either maids or prostitutes. In other words, tip them if they do the job they are supposed to do.
  • If you feel uncomfortable, it's not you. It's them. Even if their English isn't that good, they certainly know what they're doing. It's not their "first rodeo".
  • If you think something isn't right, ALWAYS take a photo of the driver and leave your door open when you exit the vehicle so that you have time to take a photo of the numberplate in case you wish to take it further with the police.
  • I never pay until everyone has exited the vehicle and all shopping items have been removed from the trunk of the car.Uber and Careem are technically still "illegal" but if you resort to using these services, you will find a far better, cleaner, polite and safer experience. It just goes to show how a little bit of accountability goes a long long way.

I’ll keep that in mind


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top