Robbed/Scammed By Farmer's Market Vendor

With practice it will get better. And I bring candy with me as a thank you. One time I had an old woman do a New York style bait and switch. Pissed me off. But I just chalked it up to experience. And it was a $3 hustle... I don't think 50 cents would have bothered me as much....

You could just shop at SuperMaxi or Coral. Not to many problems there, just more expensive. But their fruit last longer too. The stuff at the Mercados seem to be ripe and needs to be used by tomorrow.

Practice your Spanish and don't be afraid to walk down to the next gal or guy. I don't think that is rude, I think it is expected.

Good luck....

Meanwhile, back to taxi safety according to this morning's El Commercio newspaper online .  Express kidnapping, although isolated, is alive and well in Quito, Guayaquil and Santo Domingo.  It seems to happen at night, where several yellow cars seeming to be taxis work together.  You get in a taxi and there's one behind with the criminals, usually 3, and two other "taxis" with cop lookouts.  Your driver acts like he's new and asks you for the best route to your destination.  Then he drives to a dark area and pretends to be lost while the three passengers in the taxi behind you jump into yours as the lookouts wait.  You can get beat up pretty bad if you resist their theft of whatever you have of value to them.

Five key things to look for in taxi safety:
1}  Use only yellow taxis.
2)  Be sure the license plates are orange or have an orange strip above the white and that the number starts with a P   .    for public transportation.
3)  Look for a green sticker on the right-hand front passenger side with 4 white numbers.  It's the municipality seal.  It
     should also be on the front windshield.  The numbers should match.  NO NUMBER - DON't GET IN.
4)  Make a mental note of the company name on the door before getting in.
5)  Also, before getting in,look for a red and blue TRANSPORTE SEGURO sticker on the passenger side sun visor.  These taxis have cameras and red panic buttons.

Also, be sure the meter is running.  If anything looks at all wrong, don't get in.  Traffic cops are usually not around when you need them, but if one happens to be there, report what looked wrong to you.

Again, hope this helps.

Meanwhile, back to taxi safety according to this morning's El Commercio newspaper online .  Express kidnapping, although isolated, is alive and well in Quito, Guayaquil and Santo Domingo.  It seems to happen at night, where several yellow cars seeming to be taxis work together.  You get in a taxi and there's one behind with the criminals, usually 3, and two other "taxis" with cop lookouts.  Your driver acts like he's new and asks you for the best route to your destination.  Then he drives to a dark area and pretends to be lost while the three passengers in the taxi behind you jump into yours as the lookouts wait.  You can get beat up pretty bad if you resist their theft of whatever you have of value to them.

Five key things to look for in taxi safety:
1}  Use only yellow taxis.
2)  Be sure the license plates are orange or have an orange strip above the white and that the number starts with a P  for public transportation.
3)  Look for a green sticker on the right-hand front passenger side with 4 white numbers.  It's the municipality seal.  It should also be on the front windshield.  The numbers must match.  NO NUMBER - DON't GET IN.
4)  Make a mental note of the company name on the door before getting in.
5)  Also, before getting in, look for a red and blue TRANSPORTE SEGURO sticker on the passenger side sun visor.  These taxis have cameras and red panic buttons.

And, be sure the meter is running.  If anything looks at all wrong, don't get in.  Traffic cops are usually not around when you need them, but if one happens to be there, report what looked wrong to you.

Again, hope this helps.

Andrellita wrote:

Meanwhile, back to taxi safety according to this morning's El Commercio newspaper online .  Express kidnapping, although isolated, is alive and well in Quito, Guayaquil and Santo Domingo.  It seems to happen at night, where several yellow cars seeming to be taxis work together.  You get in a taxi and there's one behind with the criminals, usually 3, and two other "taxis" with cop lookouts.  Your driver acts like he's new and asks you for the best route to your destination.  Then he drives to a dark area and pretends to be lost while the three passengers in the taxi behind you jump into yours as the lookouts wait.  You can get beat up pretty bad if you resist their theft of whatever you have of value to them.

Five key things to look for in taxi safety:
1}  Use only yellow taxis.
2)  Be sure the license plates are orange or have an orange strip above the white and that the number starts with a P  for public transportation.
3)  Look for a green sticker on the right-hand front passenger side with 4 white numbers.  It's the municipality seal.  It should also be on the front windshield.  The numbers must match.  NO NUMBER - DON't GET IN.
4)  Make a mental note of the company name on the door before getting in.
5)  Also, before getting in, look for a red and blue TRANSPORTE SEGURO sticker on the passenger side sun visor.  These taxis have cameras and red panic buttons.

And, be sure the meter is running.  If anything looks at all wrong, don't get in.  Traffic cops are usually not around when you need them, but if one happens to be there, report what looked wrong to you.

Again, hope this helps.

Yes, it was worth repeating

Andrellita wrote:

Express kidnapping (happens in) Quito, Guayaquil and Santo Domingo.  It seems to happen at night, where several yellow cars seeming to be taxis work together....Then he drives to a dark area and pretends to be lost while the three passengers in the taxi behind you jump into yours as the lookouts wait.  You can get beat up pretty bad if you resist their theft of whatever you have of value to them....

1}  Use only yellow taxis.
2)  Be sure the license plates are orange or have an orange strip above the white....And, be sure the meter is running.  If anything looks at all wrong, don't get in.

Thank you, Andrellita, for bringing up this topic of express kidnappings.

Historically, this has been a problem most prevalent in Guayaquil.  Over 500 express kidnappings were reported in GYE during the first ten months of 2012.  (Source: Diálogo.)  The numbers in Quito and elsewhere are small in comparison.

Information specific to nighttime...The meter will probably NOT be running.  It's normal for taxistas to bargain for the fare after dark....It will be harder at night to see whether a moving taxi's license plates have the orange color or stripe.  Flag down the cab and look for the orange.  If it's not there, dismiss the taxi:  "Disculpe, placas equivocadas."  (Sorry, wrong plates)...and flag down another.

Andrellita's right:  do not resist.

Some folks prefer to phone for a cab rather than take pot luck on the street.  However, there's no guarantee that the telephone taxi will pass every one of Andrellita's requirements.  The license plates could be white.  You could ask the dispatcher to send a taxi with "placas legales."

The fact that this can happen is a good reason to carry cash and not a credit or debit card whenever possible.  Part of the malditos' modus operandus is to drive their mark from ATM to ATM until max funds have been withdrawn using the card.  Claiming you can't remember the PIN could anger the delincuentes.

cccmedia in Quito

ecuadorgeorge wrote:

With practice it will get better. And I bring candy with me as a thank you.

Leave it to the wonderful Ecuador George to bring candy to the fruteras

To visit one of the warmest online welcomes to Ecuador, check out ecuadorgeorge.com ... It includes the stories of George's odyssey to get comfortably settled in Cuenca, photos of his beautiful dog and much more.

cccmedia in Quito

Ecuadorgeorge - exactly - nice response.  I need to practice your style and be more tactful with my input.

More on express kidnappings in today's online El Comercio...  5 taxis and 8 drivers have been apprehended.

More to look for according to El Commercio:
1)  When calling for a taxi by phone, ask for a radio taxi with orange plates.  Verify when it gets there.
2)  Look closely at the taxi to see that the wide stripe hasn't been covered by yellow laminated adhesive.
3)  Be sure taxi has cameras (inside).  Stickers can be counterfeited.
4)  If you plan to go out at night to imbibe, don't go alone or board a taxi alone.  This is when most kidnappings occur.  It's recommended that at night and in the obscurity before sunrise there should be a group of 4 that boards the taxi.  That leaves no room for the sequesterers to jump in.  I would lock the doors, too.

Another form of kidnapping is for a taxi to pick you up, with a criminal in the trunk.

As for renting a car, there have been gangs that jump out and start hitting windshields and side windows with crowbars, etc. at traffic lights.  This seems to happen far less.  It's happened mainly to local women driving their own car alone.

Just be aware.

Most of the time if you don't look vulnerable and "rich" nothing happens.

Andrellita wrote:

More on express kidnappings in today's online El Comercio...  5 taxis and 8 drivers have been apprehended.

The arrests occurred in Quito.  They are part of a concerted police effort here to crack down on "secuestro exprés."

cccmedia in Quito