When you take a cab...

Pic I took last year: Impolite taxi driver - nagrereklamo na malapit lang daw pala pupuntahan namin tapos pumila pa siya ng mahaba sa Megamall, ang dami pang sinabi at siya pa ang galit

Do you take a cab? Yes or no you need to read this maybe one day makatulong 'to sa'yo.

I've been working here in Manila for 6 years now. I take a cab kahit mas magastos compare to riding a bus or a jeepney dahil mas safe yung feeling but I'm sure you'll agree with me it's not going to be safe all the time. Here are some safety tips I have in mind based on others and my experience.

1. Check if may nakasakay sa loob ng taxi, sa harap at likod. There was an instance that someone took a cab and she didn't notice may nakayuko pala sa passenger seat sa front and hinoldap siya.
2. Lock the doors. Siguro nakarinig ka na ng kuwento na merong mga nagbubukas ng pinto ng taxi lalo na pag traffic at manghoholdap. This includes all doors of the taxi, not just your door sa backseat but also the front doors. It's okay to ask the driver to lock the front doors for your safety.
3. Get the plate number of the cab (if possible the company's and driver's name too) and text it to one of your loved ones or friends. This is to ensure that someone knows the taxi info in case something happens (hopefully none!)
4. This might be crazy and it's totally optional. Pretend that you're talking to someone on the phone and ask the driver for his name, company's name, and/or plate number and give it to the person you are talking to over the phone. Siguraduhin mong naka-silent phone mo when you do this baka mag-ring bigla while you're pretending you are really talking to someone. This could assure you na magiging safe ka since alam ni kuya driver na binigay mo na info niya sa boyfriend/girlfriend/kapatid/nanay/tatay/kaibigan mo.
5. As much as possible stay alert and awake para alam mo kung tama ba ang dinadaanan niyo. If hindi mo naman alam ang direction sa pupuntahan mo ask the driver kung san kayo dadaan and text it to someone who could possible know the right direction. 
6. When in doubt always text or call someone. Sometimes you need to trust your intuition. If you feel there's something wrong you can transfer a cab. Make sure lang na yung bababaan mo is not too dark and dapat yung maraming tao. If time comes na wala kang choice dahil madilim talaga sa lugar call someone immediately.
7. May mga taxi who ask for additional amount aside sa babayaran mo sa metro nila. Do not tolerate this. If you are willing to pay for an additional amount lalo na pag late ka na, umuulan, or any reason na nagmamadali ka you can try an application both available on iphones and android phones where you can get a cab. One of these is Grab A Taxi, I haven't tried this but it might help. It has an additional Php 70.00 (estimate) and it keeps you safe as the taxi you'll get can be tracked.

Share your thoughts too!