Renting diesel in North America

By Todd Romaine
A cheaper alternative when renting cars in North America is….DIESEL!

The Diesel engine and fuel were invented by the
German mechanical engineer Rudolf Diesel (1858–1913).
Read about his mysterious disappearance and death.

When most of us think of diesel vehicles, we think of large pick-up trucks with Albertan or Texan license plates rolling down the highway making a lot of noise. The driver possibly wearing a white tank top, goatee and those cheap white framed sunglasses with a Calvin & Hobbs sticker on the back window.

Let’s be honest here, most of us only have limited experiences with diesel. Admittedly, my only experience was when I accidentally filled up my car with diesel at a local gas station. A hundred dollars later at the service station and the issue was embarrassingly rectified.

My short lived conviction at the time that combining gas with diesel resulted in a ‘super fuel’ was short-lived. Not many people in North America drive diesel vehicles, though they are on the increase. Many of us have been deterred by getting such a vehicle because naturally we are worried about the lack of readily available businesses offering diesel fuel. That being aside, people are becoming increasingly cost conscious when it comes to vehicles and especially car rental agencies.

Hertz Car Rental in the United States has been testing out the consumer market to see if people would consider renting a diesel car that has better fuel mileage than a traditional gasoline one. The other selling feature, arguably, is that using a diesel vehicle is better for the environment (using less fuel to get from A to B than a gas guzzler).


If you can't see the Hertz Green Traveler Collection video above, click here to view it on YouTube.

So far, so good, with Hertz locations offering diesel expanding in the USA, and into Canada as well. Hertz markets these cars as part of its Green Traveler Collection.

If you decide to rent from Hertz, and are interested in their diesel fleet, make sure you inquire about their Volkswagen Jetta TDI. Anticipate other rental car agencies to follow suit if there is sustained interest from the cost conscious public.

If you go down this path, make sure you avoid my mistake of turning your brain off at a gas station and assuming gas and diesel are interchangeable!

Related resources

• Hertz Reinvents Newark Airport Car Rental Experience - MarketWatch
• Would You Drive a Clean Diesel Rental Car? Hertz Sure Hopes So - Jaunted
• Accidentally Fueling a Diesel with Gasoline - About.com
• Book your Hertz diesel rental car with IHateTaxis
• How to protect yourself when renting a car - Smart Travel Advice from IHateTaxis

The best and worst cities to take a taxi

How safe is it to take a taxi in Namibia? How worthwhile is a minimum fare in Tokyo? Why is Bogota, Colombia the worst city to take a taxi?

If in Colombia there is suspicion of this public service, it is worth considering what other countries stand out for unreasonable charges and, likewise, what cities - despite high prices - provide safety, security and comfort.

Kienyke consulted Todd Romaine, marketing manager for the website IHateTaxis.com, which specializes in offering ground transportation guides for airports, terminals and tourist attractions around the world. The company stresses that it is difficult to generalize about a country, as there are a range of fares, experiences and perceptions that tend to be concentrated in the large cities.

The best countries and cities to take a taxi

The IHateTaxis.com website was created by two Canadian brothers who were scammed by a taxi driver, and decided to face a common problem. Romaine stresses that Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and much of western Europe have the best taxi service.

Here we take into account several factors, such as distance from the city centre to the airport, taxi availability, surcharges and gratuities, among others.

"Although several countries have high rates, and while taxi drivers hate short trips and controls in the pricing system, 70% of the people who consult our website are satisfied with the service of these countries in general," said Romaine.

Also online company Hotels.com released its annual survey of global taxis, which highlighted four cities that demonstrated the best taxi services.

It took into account five categories: knowledge of the area, cleanliness, safety and security, ride quality and friendliness. London, New York, Tokyo and Shanghai were chosen as the best cities for taxi services by more than 1,600 respondents.

The worst cities to take a taxi

IHateTaxis.com has identified six cities where tourists perceive they are most exposed to taxi scams, such fake surcharges, unwarranted stops, altered taximeters or broken meters.

Bogota is the worst by issues of security, according to 15,777 negative reports by users who complain of constant theft or violent crimes (such as the famous 'Millionaire Walk').

Here's how the "Paseo Millonario" (Millionaire Ride or Express Kidnap) works: Once you are in the taxi, the driver will stop and pick up accomplices (sometimes taking a detour to do so) and together they rob you. But they do not stop there. They will demand that you withdraw cash from your debit card and credit card at ATMs, and they will drive you around until your withdrawal limit is reached. (source: IHateTaxis)

Stockholm, Sweden is unregulated and, according to IHateTaxis.com, drivers have exaggerated rates.

Although the service is convenient, 1,500 respondents have reported earning to IHateTaxis.com that in Bangkok, Thailand many rate-related scams occur. A similar case is presented in Cairo, Egypt and Rome, Italy.

"It is also noteworthy that in India, China and most of Africa the general chaos that occurs as a result of traffic, unsafe areas, and constant haggling, represent a major threat to users".

The most expensive fares

The worst news for a company is when one of its employees returns from Tokyo with a taxi bill for travel expenses. The receipt can reach €300 average, with can be a surprise to superiors.

As a tip, a ticket on the Narita Express train (€28) will be 150% cheaper to travel from the airport to the city centre by taxi.

"The results differ if we look at the cost per mile versus the overall fare. While the ranking of most industry articles is measured by the cost per mile  … what matters to travellers is the total cost, from the airport to the city centre", said Romaine of IHateTaxis.com.

The cities with the cheapest taxi fares

The basic cost for a city centre - airport varies between a price of just over a half euro and the three euros. With the following table you can find the cheapest rates to travel by taxi.

Luxury brands, classic and other models used by taxi drivers

Manganese Bronze Holdings plc is a company specializing in the manufacture of the famous London black taxis. Although it has more than 68 years of experience in the design of the historical models, excessive debt forced its owners to sell the company.

There are three types of available fares for travel in these taxis, which depend on the days and hours when the journeys are made. A journey of 40 minutes can go for about €60 euros.


In a few years, the classic "black cab" will disappear from the streets of
London to make way to less polluting vehicles

The Ford Crown Victoria Taxi is perhaps one of the most recognized brands in the world. While on the streets of the New York City there remain more than 13,000 vehicles in this category, 2011 was the last model year built. If you arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport and your destination is Manhattan, it will take approximately $52, plus tips, for a taxi ride. 


The mayor of the Big Apple has not yet replaced these models.
It is expected that in four months the company Nissan
will secure the public tender.

Although it may seem exuberant, in Moscow the companies decided to bet on the comfort of its customers with luxury transportation. Only on the streets of the Russian capital can you find a Maybach 62 red. The price of a run from the airport to the city centre can cost €40, relatively high value if you consider that the trip is made in a vehicle that is worth about €300,000. 


German made Mercedes-Benz were positioned as taxis 
several years ago in Russia

By Camilo Hurtado (@cahurtadokyk) for Kienyke

Follow IHateTaxis on Twitter: @IHateTaxis

Read the original version of the story on Kienyke: Las mejores y peores ciudades para tomar taxi

Note that the above is an English translation of the Spanish original.

Las mejores y peores ciudades para tomar taxi

¿Qué tan seguro es tomar un taxi en Namibia? ¿Cuánto vale una carrera mínima en Tokio? ¿Por qué Bogotá tiene el lugar número uno de las peores ciudades a la hora de acceder a un taxi?

Si definitivamente en Colombia se desconfía de este servicio público vale la pena tener en cuenta cuáles son los países que destacan por sus cobros irracionales y así mismo, las naciones o ciudades que a pesar de tener altos precios, ofrecen seguridad, garantía y comodidad.

Kienyke consultó a Todd Romaine, gerente de mercadeo de la página IHateTaxis.com, especializada en ofrecer una guía de transporte terrestre en aeropuertos, terminales y lugares de interés turístico en todo el mundo. [siga leyendo en Kienyke]

Bogota: The world-wide bad reputation of Bogota taxis

Bogota taxi

The creator of the website www.ihatetaxis.com says that Bogota deserves being labelled, by tourists, as the most dangerous city to take a taxi. The businessman Uldarico Rock responds that the most honest cabdrivers are Colombians, especially in the capital. Plus tips for how not to be swindled.

While Bangkok and Cairo are perceived by tourists as the cities where one is most exposed to swindling by cabdrivers, Bogota is seen as the most dangerous place to flag a taxi on the street. At least that's what www.ihatetaxis.com reports, a website that reports on local transportation in different cities around world, based on experiences shared by travellers.

Todd Romaine, one of the Canadian brothers that created the site in 2008 after being swindled by a cabdriver in Bangkok, says that there can be more dangerous places than Bogota to take a taxi, like Afghanistan, Tajikistán or Somalia, but as these places are little visited, there are not many recorded reports on them.

"I would say that, in general, Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Madagascar, South Africa and Colombia compete for being the places on the planet with the greatest frequency of robberies directed at taxi users", he says.

The major danger in taking a taxi in Bogota? Being a victim of the "millionaire walk", says Romaine. The perception seems to vary a little with local users.

Here's how the "Paseo Millonario" (Millionaire Ride or Express Kidnap) works: Once you are in the taxi, the driver will stop and pick up accomplices (sometimes taking a detour to do so) and together they rob you. But they do not stop there. They will demand that you withdraw cash from your debit card and credit card at ATMs, and they will drive you around until your withdrawal limit is reached. (source: IHateTaxis)

According to http://www.denunciealtaxista.com/, a website created by citizens and focused in Bogota, of the 15,777 negative reports, the major percentage correspond to the category ‘taximeter altered’ (26.6%) and, in second place, to ‘illegal collection’ (20.3%). The second category refers to collection of a fare higher than the taximeter rate (common when the user does not know how units are used to calculate fares), application of nonexistent surcharges or stops to pick up additional passengers.

In terms of security risks and the likelihood of being swindled, Bogota taxis are not well regarded in communities of users. But according to Uldarico Rock, head of the greater business of taxis, the talk about the insecurity is a lie: "It is not certain. It is like foreigners sell the story that we are thieves. This is the most beautiful country, the most honest cabdrivers are those of Colombia and especially those of Bogota", he emphasizes.

As for the accusations of sobrecargos (the picking up of extra passengers) or altered taximeters, Rock explains that in the Centro Automotriz Carrera (Av. Americas #50-15, tel: 4200209) there are 10 people dedicated exclusively to the attention of the Airport Taxi Radio users (aside of the call centre, the organization has another 280 employees). If it is verified that the taximeter is altered, the business reports it to the Office of the secretary of Traffic.

The master of taxis in Bogota also states that all cabdrivers – there are some 25,000 registered yellow cars - complete a customer service course. "But the media never publish the good reports", regrets. "For example, the cabdriver that delivered a box containing 24 million pesos that been left behind in the trunk. The driver sought out the lady and returned the money to her".

On http://www.denunciealtaxista.com/, there are 14,158 positive reports and a top 10 list of the better cabdrivers.

THE USERS, UNITED, WILL NEVER BE DEFEATED

Due to the fact that taxis are owned by for private enterprises, user complaints should be directed to those organizations. The colonel of Traffic of Bogota, Jhon Jairo Rodriguez, explains that if the person wants to complain about a cabdriver, he or she should phone the contact number posted in each vehicle.

These phone lines are administered by the business that operates the taxi so, to a certain extent, users are at the mercy of the tools that are provided by each taxi company.

In order to detect altered taximeters, the Police of Traffic provides monitoring. If a driver marks more than one unit for each 100 meters travelled, it is because the taximeter is descalibrado (de-calibrated), resulting in immobilization of the taxi and a fine of some 290,000 pesos.

With aid of the social networks and continuing some basic interactions, is more difficult for passengers to be swindled or to be in danger in a Bogota taxi:

• Request your taxi by telephone. Generally, the "millionaire walks" begin with a person hailing a taxi on the street.
• Applications for smartphones, such as Easy Taxi (@easytaxicol) or Tappsi (@TappsiCo), are another option to order taxis quickly and securely.
• Keep in mind that a unit is marked each 100 meters or 30 seconds.
• On www.denunciealtaxista.com you can check the taxi's plate, to see if there are any negative reports about the driver. On Twitter, tweet #taxiseguro followed by the taxi # in a mention to @denuncietaxista.
• The community offers other useful tools to consult: a map of the places where "millionaire walks" are most reported, a guide to how much a taxi should cost from one place to another in the city, and a copy of the official 2013 rate guide.
• Uldarico Rock says the good stories should be of shared.
• www.ihatetaxis.com recommends to you lock the doors, not to accept shortcuts and, in the case of robbery, not to fight with the cabdriver (they may be armed).
• If already swindled, communicate with the business. Taxexpress (4111111), for example, returns the fare in case of taximeter alteration.
• Don't stop sharing your experience with others. If it is negative, you can save another, and if it is good, sharing can help carry all of us to a better reputation in this chaotic city. On Twitter, you can denounce with: @Denuncietaxista #I Denounce, and congratulate with: @Denuncietaxista #buentaxista.

BY MARIA CAMILA HERNÁNDEZ ALONSO

Follow IHateTaxis on Twitter: @IHateTaxis

Read the IHateTaxis transportation guide to Bogota El Nuevo Dorado International Airport (BOG) - or jump directly to the IHateTaxis Bogota Taxi page.

Read the original version of the story on Portafolio: La mala fama de los taxis bogotanos ya es internacional

Note that the above is a revised English translation of the original Spanish original.

Bogotá: La mala fama de los taxis bogotanos ya es internacional

Bogota taxi

El creador de la página www.ihatetaxis.com afirma que Bogotá es calificada por los turistas como la ciudad más peligrosa para tomar un taxi. El empresario Uldarico Peña responde que los taxistas más honestos son los colombianos y especialmente los de la capital. Tips para no dejarse estafar.

Mientras que Las Vegas, Bangkok y El Cairo son percibidas por los turistas como las ciudades en donde están más expuestos a las estafas de los taxistas, Bogotá es vista como la más peligrosa para tomar un taxi en la calle. Al menos así lo reportan los usuarios de www.ihatetaxis.com, una página que informa sobre el transporte local en diferentes ciudades de todo el mundo con base en experiencias que los viajeros comparten.

Todd Romaine, uno de los hermanos canadienses que crearon esta página... [siga leyendo en Portofolio]

Getting to/from Zurich Airport

Did you know that in Zurich has more than 50 museums? You can also make a skiing day trip, entirely by train. When you get back in the evening, you'll have more than 1500 restaurants and 500 bars waiting, and, if it's a weekend, upwards of 80 clubs.

It's a great city, and home to one of the world's greatest airports.

If you haven't been flown through Zurich Airport, you can now visit Zurich Airport virtually through the Watch the Zurich Airport Movie. In addition to showing all the cool stuff about the facility (and it is cool!), the video features some of the transportation highlights.

Watch the Zurich Airport Movie

Your best bet for a Zurich Airport transfer is the train or tram, depending on your final destination. Full details on these and all other ground transportation options are included in the IHateTaxis Zurich Airport (ZUR) Ground Transportation Guide.

Want to truly arrive stress free, treat yourself to a private Zurich Airport transfer from IHateTaxis.

We're a Website Travelers Should Rely On

So says Travel Stuff, a UK based travel blog offering advice on travel worldwide, with a focus on Europe.

Travel Stuff's article, 6 Websites Every Traveler Should Rely On, cites - you guessed it! - six travel websites that are near and dear to their hearts. We are most flattered to be one of them, especially when we look at the company we're keeping.


We're your rock. You can rely on us to help you
figure out how to get from Airport to Beach

We especially like that the Travel Stuff folks "get" what we are really about, describing IHateTaxis.com as "incredibly useful for all travelers who’d rather anticipate and plan than just leave it to chance". Hurrah! And, yes, indeed, we "help you find your way from the airport to your accommodation area without losing time or wasting money." That's all that we're about.

Yes, our database IS huge.We're glad you noticed.

But, heck, it's ok if you take a taxi. We won't hold it against you.


If you haven't seen it before, here's the story behind our name: Do we really hate taxis?

Simply Amazed!

Ancient Roman theatre smack in the middle of Amman, Jordan

We are simply AMAZED at the quality and quantity of travel information that our new IHateTaxis.com Travel Daily is serving up every day. 

A photo journey to South Africa's highest mountain range

The amazement comes from the fact that we don't really do all that much! With a paper.li daily, the technology does all the work. As we understand it, guided by some broad topics we select, our tweets are mined, as well as those of who we follow, and follow us and the top relevant content is served up.

Tips for solo travel in Russia

After the daily is ready, we can go in and edit the content, deleting anything that's not suitable (maybe 10%) - and choosing which article in each topic area should be the headline. Super easy - and it's updated live as you do it! (BTW, we connect using Twitter to connect, but believe you can use Facebook, if you prefer).

It's really quite remarkable.

Just take a look at some of what's contained in the Leisure section of today's issue:

• An ancient Roman theatre smack in the middle of the city of Amman, Jordan
• A photo journey to South Africa's highest mountain range
• The Jordaan district of Amsterdam
• Border stories at the Palace of Tears in Berlin
• Another Berlin story on the city's beer culture
• Tips for solo travel in Russia
• What to Wear for Palm Beach
• Ringing Rocks Park in Pennsylvania
• Budget Travel's Readers Choice Awards
• How to Watch the Diamond Jubilee Celebrations in the U.S. (and Canada!)
• ... and more

In fact, about 50 more. Yes, 60ish solid, informative, fresh, relevant travel links, on this page alone, just today!  The rest of our pages have a travel theme to them - check out the Stories section for another rich treasure trove of travel stories...

The Jordaan district of Amsterdam

Isn't the variety stunning? The best part is that it's easy to see who sourced and authored each one, so you can follow them on Twitter, or head to the relevant blog/website, to mine more of the content that interests you.So, a publication like this isn't about us 'collecting' news; it's about providing a springboard to you, to find more of the content that you value.

Berlin's beer culture

And, of course, we are not the only ones with a great daily! Check the paper.li newstand, where you can search for, favourite and subscribe to as many others as you wish.You can even make your own - for free!

Now, if you aren't up to all of that, we hope you'll enjoy what we have to offer!

You can always see our latest issue here.

You can subscribe to get The IHateTaxis.com Travel Daily in your inbox every day, if you wish, so you won't miss a thing!

Note: All photos in this post are the property of the the article owners!

The IHateTaxis.com Travel Daily *NEW*

We are excited to announce that our daily travel news "paper" is now live!

Subscribe to The IHateTaxis.com Travel Daily!

The IHateTaxis.com Travel Daily is jam packed with all sorts of travel tips, stories and ideas to make your next vacation, off-the-beaten track journey, summer jaunt or round-the-world trip as rich as possible.

If you are on Twitter, be sure to follow us (@IHateTaxis), then look for our tweet each day for The IHateTaxis.com Travel Daily - and click the link to read.

Better, yet, you can receive The IHateTaxis.com Travel Daily in your inbox every day! Just go to the site and look for the subscribe button.

What Can I Take on the Plane?

With a business or pleasure trip just around the corner, packing your luggage can be both fun and stressful. Not only do you need to account for the clothing that you will need during your trip, you will also need to think about overall weight and what you will place in each piece of your luggage to avoid security issues.

You also need to plan if some of your luggage decides to take a vacation of its own. The IHateTaxis.com team have packed up our luggage so many times for so many different trips, be it for that relaxing week in Hawaii or the five week safari in Tanzania complete with a Kilimanjaro hire.

 All IHateTaxis.com team members have had the experience of losing our luggage for several days or have had to deal with a security issue since something we packed was not allowed to go on the plane.

So with lots of experience and the latest security information, we have complied a guide of "what you can and cannot take on the plane", complete with all of our experiences to make your trip as stress-free as possible.

What Can I Take in my Carry-On?

Carry-on luggage refers to your belongings that may be brought with you into the cabin of an airplane. Airlines and airport security have many restrictions regarding carry-on luggage. You must consider the number of bags, their sizes, weights, and most importantly their contents. We here at IHateTaxis.com also have some tips with respect to your carry-on luggage.

Due to limited room available in the cabin on the airplane, all airlines will limit the number of bags you may bring on board. This limit is usually one bag, although small purses and handbags are usually permitted in addition to this bag. A few smaller airplanes will have more restrictions, simply because there is limited room for anything larger than a purse. Some airlines allow their business and first class passengers a greater number of carry-on bags. Regardless, it is always important to check the limitations with the specific airline you are flying.

For most airlines, the dimensions of the carry-on luggage must not exceed 45 linear inches or 114 linear cm (this is the luggage's height + depth + width) and its weight must not exceed 40 lbs or 18 Kg. The check-in area at most airports have a scale and measuring tools to ensure that your bag is the appropriate size to be carried on board. Once again, we strongly recommend that you confirm the maximum allowable size of your carry-on luggage before arriving at the airport to prevent having to re-pack at the check-in counter.

Things to Pack in Your Carry-on

Some airports even sell baggies
for your toiletries, like this one
at London Stansted Airport (STN)

Carry-on luggage restrictions are much greater than for checked luggage, so we at IHateTaxis.com have our recommended list of things you should consider packing in your carry-on.

One way to think about your carry-on is "what items are absolutely essential should my checked luggage be lost?".

Our suggested list includes:

• Wallet or purse (with credit cards, bank cards, cash, travellers cheques/checks)
• Passport
• All medications (prescriptions or otherwise) and medical supplies
• Glasses (in hard-cover case)
• Highly-valued items (camera, laptop, tablet, reader, music player, phone, etc - and cords/chargers)
• Jewelry (note that some high valued gems and stones may require proof of ownership if travelling across borders - better yet, don't take any!)
• Snacks (note that some food types may not travel across borders. For example meat, fresh fruit and veggies, and some dairy products)
• Baby Supplies (bottles¹, diapers and wipes, a toy, pacifier, change of clothes, etc)
• Change of clothing (consider the climate at your destination when packing spare clothing)
• Toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste¹, floss, brush/comb, make-up¹, hygiene products¹, perfume¹) 
• Child/Infant Car seat (may be permitted if you have purchased a seat for your child)
• Empty water bottle²
• All required documents (paper or etickets for travel, visas, hotel confirmations, travel insurance, etc)

1 All liquid or gel products should be packed in a clear 1 L bag for inspection and in many locations this bag must be removed and scanned separately from your carry-on at the security point. Sandwich-sized Zip-Loc bags are perfect for this and some airports will provide a bag upon request at the ticket counter or security checkpoint. The bag must seal shut and no individual product inside the bag may exceed 3.4 fluid oz or 100 mL. You are permitted only one 1 L bag per person. Baby items (formula and milk) are often exempt from this rule, although rules do vary between countries.

2 Water bottles are allowed on board, provided they do not contain fluid when you go through the security check. By carrying an empty water bottle and refilling (should a water source be available) after security will enable you to stay more hydrated during your trip. Commercially sealed water bottles purchased before security are NOT allowed, unless you empty them first.

Carry-on Items Prohibited

Do not pack any of the following in your carry-on as they will likely be confiscated by security. Some of these items may be placed in your checked luggage and some cannot travel by commercial air.

Carefully consider why you would need any of these items at your final destination or if they may be obtained when you arrive.

Carry-on items prohibited include:

• Firearms (pistols, flare guns, rifles, BB guns, toy guns, paintball guns) and ammunition
• Knives (including jack-knives, scissors³, swords)
• Weapons (including replicas)
• Tools (power tools and most hand tools³ 
• Greater than 100 mL of any fluid or gel (baby supplies are often exempt from this rule, provided you are travelling with a baby)
• Select toiletry items (razors, metal nail files, or any items with a sharp or pointed edge³
• Explosive materials 
• Sporting goods (hockey sticks, baseball bats, skates, surf boards)
• Gases⁴
• Pressurized containers (e.g., hair spray bottles, shaving cream, spray paint)
• Matches (usually one package of safety matches or one standard lighter is permitted, but rules do vary)
• Poisons (e.g., fertilizers and other toxic materials)
• Infectious material (laboratory specimens)
• Fiberglass resins
• Peroxides
• Radioactive materials
• Strong magnetic materials
• Corrosives (e.g., drycleaners, car batteries, acids, alkalis, lye, mercury)
• More than 4 lbs or 1.8 Kg of dry ice

3 Note that some countries and airports do allow small nail files, scissors under 4 inches or 10 cm blade length, and smaller tools (screwdrivers, etc). But we strongly recommend packing these in your checked luggage to avoid problems unless you will absolutely need them during your flight.

4 If you require oxygen during the flight, this should be discussed with your airline well in advance as rules and regulations vary. Note that containers that have contained gases or flammable liquids (e.g., camping fuel bottles) are not allowed due to residues.

Please note that the above list is a simplified version derived from multiple government and airport websites and is not complete. Rules and regulations may differ between countries and even between airports within the same country.

We hope you have found our tips for carry-on luggage helpful. If you have your own tips to add, we welcome your comments!

This is just the first of a series we will be doing on luggage - stay tuned for more!

You might also be interested in:

• Our Smart Travel Advice series
• Do We Really Hate Taxis? - the story of how we got our name

Meet the Brothers: An Interview with Todd Romaine

In this blog post, we introduce you to Todd Romaine, one of the two Canadian brothers who was the brainchild behind the IHateTaxis.com website. For the story behind our name, read Do we really hate taxis?

IHateTaxis.com co-founder Todd Romaine
in the West Falkland Islands

What one word or phrase describes the type of traveler you are?

TODD: Daring or adventurous

When did you first get the travel bug?

TODD: At the age of 21 I moved to Madagascar for school and this started my quest for international travel. As of last year I have made it to all 7 continents.

Todd in Antartica

What was your most memorable trip?

TODD: My recent trip last year to Argentina, Uruguay, Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Antarctica was probably the highlight of international travels to date. It essentially followed Ernest Shackleton's infamous journey back in 1915.

What's the worst thing that has gone wrong on your travels? How did you recover from it, and what did you learn?

TODD: Was able to get into Kamchatka Territory in the Russian Far East through a contact whom pestered the local customs officer to let me through immigration control. The contact insisted on driving me taxi style into town and was very drunk, swaying in and out of traffic. It was very scary and I was surprised to escape unscathed.

What's your travel style? 

TODD: As I get older I prefer making arrangements in advance but not overkill to ruin spontaneous fun. The best part of the trips I find are the unplanned events that make trips that much more exciting and thought provoking.

What's your favourite airport? Least favourite? Why?

TODD: Favourite airport is probably Minneapolis because it has an easy layout, and Singapore for amenities. I would also say Johannesburg is also out there. Least favourite is probably Chicago because of the great distances between terminals and frequent lost baggage and weather issues.

How do you prefer to get to/from the airport?

TODD: I commonly rent a vehicle and this is my most common preferred travel option to/from the airport on a personal basis. On a professional basis, I generally take taxis out of convenience as my trips are congested and sometimes I do not have the luxury of coordinating bus or train schedules to my final destination.

Todd in Tibet

What was your worst airport ground transportation experience?

TODD: Taking taxis by and large because I am commonly ripped off hence the intent of creating this website to empower travelers like myself. I was accused by a taxi driver in Beijing of stealing his passport and wallet while he exited the vehicle for 20 seconds. A group of villagers surrounded the vehicle and went through our belongings but to no avail. We threatened to call the Police so the taxi driver temporarily calmed down and agreed to drive us back to the hotel. En route to the hotel, it appeared he was having a stroke from the stress and was weaving in and out of traffic. We exited the vehicle by forcing the vehicle to the side and had a considerable walk back to the hotel.

What gear do you travel with?

TODD: Dummy wallet (dependent on country), print copies of hotel and flight information, scanned print out of passport, checked luggage and carry on knap sack. I also take a good camera to locations with low crime rates and a pocket camera for locations where my personal security could be compromised. I also bring along my blackberry to check internet through free wireless connections in airports and hotels. This includes bringing a local adapter.

What's always in your luggage that might surprise people?

TODD: Shoe tree

IHateTaxis.com co-founders Steve Romaine (left) and Todd Romaine (right)
at Edmonton International Airport

What's it like to travel with your brother?

TODD: Good but we definitely have a different view point when it comes to money. Steve will stay at the airport bartering with taxi cabs at 2am for the best deal to save money while I am prepared to sacrifice somewhat for the convenience of just getting to the hotel.

Where was your last trip?

TODD: My last trip was two months ago to Cyprus and Lebanon. It was for school and pleasure and unfortunately the weather was terrible, averaging about 2-6 degrees Celsius.

Where do you plan to travel to next?

TODD: Besides routine trips across Canada and the United States, Greenland is the next scheduled trip.

Coming soon: an introduction to the “other” brother...

IHT Private Car Bookings *NEW*

Book a private car and arrive stress free!

IHateTaxis now allows you to directly book a private car to or from selected airports.

We are excited to offer this new service, as we know how stressful it can be to arrive at a new location and navigate your way through arranging for a taxi, always wondering if there is a taxi scam or pirate taxi around the corner.

To ensure your peace of mind, we carefully select only the most experienced and reliable operators in each destination. Book your private car through IHateTaxis and arrive stress free.

To determine if this service is available for where your travel plans are taking you, visit our airport guide for your destination, then click on Taxi. Then look for the Private Car Transfers section part way down the page for booking rates and details.

This example from Athens Airport shows where to look

Do we really hate taxis?

Well, only really the ones that rip you off. And while we know there are plenty of good taxi operators out there, it was the less scrupulous kind that led to the idea from which the IHateTaxis.com website was born.

As this is a question we are frequently asked, it makes sense to kick off our new blog with the full story of how we began, and the reasoning behind the "IHateTaxis" name.... 



The rainbow of taxi colours in Bangkok

Two Canadian brothers contemplated this website idea back in December 2006 while waiting at their departure gate in Bangkok, Thailand after being ripped off yet again by a taxi driver. Realizing that being ripped off was more-or-less an international problem for travellers, the ideas for a website evolved over the next couple of years. A plan was put into place in December 2008 at the Phnom Penh airport in Cambodia on the back of a few napkins and construction of the site soon followed. 

The IHateTaxis.com website was born to deal with the ongoing problem and a possible solution that travellers (namely themselves) faced in their various global travel pursuits -- GROUND TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS. Sure one can book their plane ticket, hotel room, car rental, and even attractions online, but something very important was amiss in the new age of travel e-convenience. Simply put, how does one get from the airport to their desired destination and where does one find all of these ground transportation options in a centralized website location?

Like most travellers out there, both brothers have individually and collectively experienced the shark tank feeding frenzy of extortion at various airports as soon as one clears customs with your luggage.

Looking dumbfounded, not knowing the going rates of services, and being hassled after a long flight most often leaves you in a state of complete vulnerability. The common resultant outcome is that you end up paying a ridiculous amount of money to get to your hotel and sometimes this unfortunately shapes your first impression of the city or country you are in.

The name of this website is thus a half jocular expression of this frustration. 

Bangkok traffic

The website concept then expanded to include information about country profiles (including cultural tips), medical information, electrical information, visas, lost luggage, currency conversion and the list keeps expanding. This was done to avoid surfing several different other websites for this information or shelling out a small fortune for a country guide book every time you step on a plane. Guide books can also become out of date relatively quickly.

Our website constantly updates ground transportation options at hundreds of airports around the globe. We keep our pulse on this by constantly searching the internet and making contact with various companies operating to or from the airport or other selected destination. We also speak with travellers like yourself whom have recently been to a particular location and can offer useful information. Our Twitter and Facebook accounts were created to facilitate this communication medium. We research all information posted or emailed and then update our web pages accordingly in a quick turn around time so that our website can reflect ground transportation information in real time. We provide continual 24 hour ground transportation options surveillance.

Our primary goal is to provide a FREE centralized and constantly updated global ground transportation repository so that travellers like ourselves are empowered upon arrival. We do make recommendations based on our research and if you do not agree with our thoughts please let us know why. If several individuals are not happy with a particular airport shuttle service in Miami, for example, then we will seriously look at revising our recommendation.



Tuk Tuk for hire in Bangkok

The intent behind this idea was that of a hobby to assist travellers in this previous e-information void. Undoubtedly an empowered traveler will make smarter decisions and will thoroughly enjoy their trip more. This new form of empowerment will hopefully somewhat curtail the shark tank feeding frenzy of extortion for travellers around the globe.

So, that's the story of our beginnings. You can also read it on our website here.

In future posts, we'll introduce you to the brothers, and the rest of the IHT team, and update you on some of our newest developments.

Welcome to our new blog!



You have arrived at IHateTaxis' new blog.... welcome! As we grow and evolve, we want to stay in touch with our site visitors, customers, followers and friends. What better way than through a new blog?

We've had some exciting recent developments at IHateTaxis that we are looking forward to telling you about. You can read about those here in the months ahead.

Airports continue to change, and so do ground transportation options. Of course, we try hard to keep our airport guides up to date... but we'll highlight some of the more interesting developments here. Plus we'll keep you up to date on the latest scams so you don't get ripped off!

We've also got loads of useful travel tips and information tucked away on our website that we'd like to highlight from time to time; we'll do that here.

Finally, we love feedback, so feel free to leave comments; we promise we'll read them all.

So you don't  miss a thing, be sure to click the "Subscribe" button.

PS: If you've subscribed to our newsletter in the past, the good news is that you'll get more news, more often, more conveniently with the new IHateTaxis Blog! Just be sure to subscribe again here on the blog.