fiona we are adults and can debate in such a fashion

So i take it you dont tip your taxi driver vegasone??!!

yes I do. If the journey is 150 rps I give him 200

A tip of 33% is more than generous. I assume that you always tip in proprtion which would mean that on a 600 ruppee trip to the airport you would pay 800. Is this correct?

nope I would tip about 80 rps for that maybe 100.

Sorry...don't want to put the cat amongst the pigeons here BUT! We usually grab a taxi off the stand as soon as we get out of the airport. Tend to agree with the racing to drop you off to get back for another fare! This particular driver was MANIC!!! We roared off down side dirt tracks...up the road the wrong way on the main roads...etc etc! This was our 6th time in Goa..so we KNOW what the driving is like !! After 15minutes in the cab we really WERE worried about the safety aspect and three times my husband had to tap him on the shoulder and shout at him to take it a bit easy..we were in no hurry (unlike him! ). Coming back we arranged for the BIL of the lads from the shack to take us back to the airport....he usually takes us down to Palolem too..and is a REALLY safe driver. I'm no wooz either...but this was really

The fare was 600rps including the tip..so probably about 520rps...the private cab back to the airport was 800rps - but more than worth it!
This was end of November beginning of December return last year.

We had a similar experience to Pam7. The taxi had two bald tyres and a steering fault, it was more than a bit hairy. Fortunately the most important part, the horn worked just fine. Road accidents hurt a lot and it would not half put a damper on your holidays being on crutches. Interestingly Vegasone actually pays 700 the same as us when you include the tip. Why take a risk when you are paying the same as people in white cabs?

hi all i suppose taxi drivers all the same all over the world some safe some are lunatics...thank god the ones we hired in goa were o.k the luck of the draw i suppose..we had some nut cases driving us in the u.k....regards..johndoe

We were in Goa for a week and hired a recommend taxi driver for 7 days. When we arrived, we just picked one at the airport and paid 660 rps from there to Calangute (park avenue hotel).
Our driver was paid as agreed, 20 euro a day, meals at our expense (but he only ate with us one time, prefered to eat with other drivers all the other times and paid from his pocket) and also got a tip of 1000 rps at the end. We also paid for gasoline one day we went further on the rural areas of Goa (600 rps, not much, only some 10/15 lts). But we was so nice he would tip other people for us (working people for our photos), wouldn't accept our money, took us to his home to meet his wife and baby, took off his comission in the dolphin trip, would tell us of the points he made for taking us to this store and that, paid the ferry boats we took, etc. I promised to send him some new shoes, more clothes for his baby to come and more money when and if we sell our work made in Goa. I think he wasn't greedy at all. He said he felt he hadn't been working for us for the week but showing Goa to his friends and had tears in his eyes as we left him... (and I'm doing my report already on small bits lol)

Erika

I think that over tipping leads to an increase in prices. If people start giving very large tips the taxi drivers start to think we are all prepared to pay more for a given journey, and it can lead to them becoming greedy.
Look at the problems in southern Goa at the begining of the season with taxi drivers blocking the road stopping coaches etc because they were being undercut by some of the big hotels own transport. The taxis's at the Ramarda charge 1300 rps to go to the airport a journey of 45mins max as opposed to the pre pay cabs at the airport charging 430rps for the same trip. Which by the way I have found as safe as any other transport in India.

I agree wholeheartedly with Thirdstage on this. Well said.

I find it hard to tip someone when I have to spend time negotiating a proper fare before setting off. How can they be deserving of a tip if they , well mostly all they, tried to overcharge.

Spot on, this is my biggest gripe about visiting India (Goa included), it leaves a very sour taste in the mouth when you know how much the journey should be but they try to squeeze every last rupee from you. Many people who visit Goa say " Come on, why argue for the sake of a pound or so ", this is totally the wrong attitude that makes them think that they can fleece you at every opportunity, it is pure and simple greed.

I will gladly tip for good service but what I do object to is being ripped off albeit a pound or so, it is still being ripped off.

When I go for an Indian take-away, usually on my way home from the pub, the taxi costs £2.10, I usually give £2.50, often the meter reads £2.40 and that's what he gets.

Taxi drivers are the same all over the world.

Lez

Feelthevibe.

Well said. totally in agreement with you on that.