WRITTEN by JOHN MORRIS
Roatan taxis keep the island moving…
I love the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles. It’s a traditional Thanksgiving feel-good film about two strange bedfellows and their impossible journey to get home for the holidays.
Here on the island, we have no trains – though some think it would be a good idea – and we all arrive by plane or boat.
But once you get here, man, do we have automobiles. And most of them are taxis … a lot of taxis… and when I say taxis, I use the term loosely.
Admit it, when you think of taxis, a yellow Checker cab comes into your mind, complete with a meter and most likely a driver from Haiti or Bangladesh. Not here… not even close.
Roatan taxis for the most part are usually salvaged Toyota Corollas imported (often in pieces) from the USA. Then they are patched together and repainted a bright white with numbers painted on the doors.
No inspection process for vehicles on the island exists, so working lights are not required though the four-way flashers and horn are absolute necessities. Makes for interesting night driving.
The rates are supposedly set by the taxi association, at least from the airport and cruise ship docks to hotels or touristic beaches, but as in most places in the third world, everything is negotiable.
There are also different types of taxis – private and collectivo. Private is obvious and so is collectivo, or rather it is once you try it… and believe me, if you’re my height, you will only try it once.
You see, collectivo taxis are very cheap… for the five or six people the driver picks up along the way to your desired destination.
Once you are settled on the island, you will collect phone numbers of “trusted” taxi drivers. Many can be found on the Facebook pages from folks seeking the same security.
Since Roatan is fairly small with just a few roads, a lot of residents do not buy cars and simply rely on taxis.
My brother Tommy, the musician, plays out almost every night and heavily relies on taxis to the point that he has become an expert. And being a good storyteller as well, he is the inspiration of today’s piece.
I always kid around and tell folks that Roatan has three consistent things… bambinos… gatos y perros. This makes the taxi drivers and Islanders laugh. But Wilson [Tommy’s trusted taxi driver] pointed out that there is a ‘fourth’ consistent to Roatan – the white cabs and drivers. They literally keep Roatan ‘moving’… and are as common to see as the babies… dogs and cats!
I am saying there is something here about the transportation scene… and how ‘easy’ it is to get around once you wrap your mind around…
The knowledge of lempiras and amounts for rides… the ‘daytime’ drivers and their prices… versus the ‘night time’ drivers and their inflated charges. And… sunglasses… loud music… ladies for hire in the back seat… and 80 mile per hour rides!
And then there are the ‘family’ taxis…
Many times on Sundays, an ‘older man’ taxi driver and his entire family – wife, two daughters, two boys and their little dog – all coming from church, would pick me up and take me to Ginger’s in Half Moon Bay.
They were all so very excited to see me every week, and the L100 was like a fortune to them. The old man would say, ‘A Sunday Blessing from el músico – God is a good god!’ I would have a kid on my lap, listening to everyone laugh and giggle… and be in complete heaven.
The beauty and strength of the Honduran family structure is epitomized in these taxi drivers. I see them with their wives and kids all the time… and they are so happy to be with each other.
My brother is very observant and tells it like it is, and he is so right-on about taxis here.
They do keep things moving on Roatan and are an important part of our ever-growing and improving infrastructure… just remember though…
Buckle Up—it could save your life!
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