Taxi Etiquette: It’s Not Rocket Science, Mense!
Taxis. We love them. We hate them. But we can’t really escape them. Without them, some of us would still be stuck trying to figure out the Golden Arrow schedule. But that doesn’t mean the ride’s always a smooth one.
Hopping into a Cape Town taxi means stepping into a world of rules—some official, some not so much. Officially, drivers expect you to respect the basics: don’t slam their doors, don’t nag them about being late, and yes, your preschooler counts as a paying passenger. But there are also the unwritten rules – the courtesies that keep the ride civilised for everyone. So here are 8 tips for how not to annoy your fellow passengers on the taxi
Don’t Refuse to Pass the Fare
When another passenger asks you to pass their taxi fare up to the driver, just do it. It’s a simple favour that takes two seconds. Refusing makes you seem selfish and it disrupts the flow of how things work. Plus, it’s part of taxi culture so for many, it’s a normal polite thing to do.
Skinnering Gets You Nowhere
We know you’ve got stories about your coworker, your neighbor or your no-good baby daddy. But the taxi is not the front yard fence. Plus, you never know who knows who’s sitting behind you. So even if you don’t recognise your fellow passengers, best not to chat about that skinner or complain about people. Build up, don’t tear down.
Stop Acting Like a Taxi DJ
You think your favourite number is fire? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Either way, no one else needs to hear it. Headphones were invented for a reason. So keep the music in your ears. Or let Heart 104.9 on the taxi’s radio do its thing. But stop trying to make the ding ruk inside the taxi with your Temple Boys, kanalah.
Eat Your Dite Before Or After Your Ride
You’re hungry, and that fish and chips parcel from the taxi rank smells amazing. But please…please keep it wrapped. That vinegary smell spreads like wildfire in the Cape Doctor. We’re already squashed like sardines, we don’t need to smell them too. Trust, the fish and chips will taste better when you’re not wedged between people.
Your Dop Can Wait
Yes, it’s Friday. No, you can’t open that bottle of Black Label in here. And if it’s Monday and you’re trying to nurse your sins from the weekend, save the kopskiet for the gangetjie when you’re off the taxi. Dop breath in a taxi is not a vibe.
My WhatsApps Are Not Your Entertainment
Just because you can see my phone doesn’t mean you must read my messages. If you’re next to me or behind me, don’t sit there reading my chats like it’s the Daily Voice. Just look out the window or mind your own business so I can chat or watch my series in peace. It’s basic manners.
Don’t Make the Window Your Pillow
Your head may be tired, but that window didn’t ask for your greasy forehead. Stop leaning against it like you’re trying to get comfy for a nap. We all need to see out of it, and the window’s got its own issues—let’s not add to them. Greasy head smudges are morsig, and the next person sitting there will have to deal with your DNA. Sit up and have some self-respect—and respect for the glass.
Fresh and Clean, Please
We’re all in this tin can together, so please don’t come smelling like a straatmuis died in your armpit. Shower, spray some deodorant, and squeeze out the bottom of that Colgate tube if you have to. Nobody needs to smell your long day in the sun.
If You Bump Me, Just Say “Sorry”
The driver might swerve, and you might step on my foot. It happens. But a simple “sorry” goes a long way. It’s called common decency, and it makes all the difference when we’re squished together like that. A little kindness never hurt anyone.
Just be lekke out there, Cape Town. Follow the rules, written and not, and we’ll all get where we need to go.
SouthAfricanMinibus by Martinvl is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
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