The Damn in Amsterdam: Cabbies and Cowboys

Contributing writer Cathy Healy isn't completely smitten with all things Amsterdam. After wrangling with the taxis in the city, she was happy to report that some changes are in the works.

For about five years, Amsterdam has offered a version of taxi freedom that borders on anarchy: You can take any cab you want in the taxi line, but cabbies don’t have to accept you as a customer, and often they don’t.

The Amsterdam Municipal Council is sauntering to the rescue. As of March 1, 2008—well in time for tulips and tourists—only “quality taxis” with a permit and qualified drivers who know the city will be allowed to carry passengers from the Central Train Station. The Council will decide later whether to also insist on quality taxis at Rembrandt and Lidese squares, which are popular gathering places.

In the meantime, be prepared to find legit cabbies and their “cowboy” counterparts at the train station. This means you’ll stagger off the train from the airport after an all-night flight, carrying too much luggage, and find two lines of cabs and a pack of guys hanging around talking.  If you’re not a 30-40 euro customer, they’ll pretend they don’t know the street where your hotel is, even if it is one of the main canal streets in central Amsterdam.

Don’t despair. Look for a TCA cab. This company is the oldest and the biggest in the city, and– get this – they actually will accept an 11 euro fare (for about an 11-minute ride.)

My driver, Vincent, explained about cabbies and “cowboys” – his phrase. Vincent also warned that base rates vary, so always look in the lower left-hand corner of the windshield where rates must be posted. The meter starts anywhere from 3.80 euros (TCA) to 4.20 euros (the cowboys).

Personally, I'm looking forward to March.

Photo: Stefan Baak

Comments

[suzer]

Who needs a taxi in Amsterdam anyway. The public transport is great and the people are always willing to help with directions!

[Omar Saddam Hamodi]

Cathy's story about the "Cabbies and Cowboys" really funny!
I remember in Baghdad, there are even no meters in the cabs!
So, before ridding a cab, you have to tell the cabby about your destination and then you have NEGOTIATE about the price! ;-))
The funny thing is that every cabby gives you a different price which is usually the double of the original price (Of course if you already know the actual price to that place, but if you are going to that place for the first time, you'll definitely be deceived! 

So, when you go to someone's home for the first time and you take a cab, when you reach his/her house, after saying hi to you, the first thing that s/he'll ask you about is "how much did you pay to the cabby??"
And of course when you tell him/her about the price, s/he'll directly tell you that "you have been deceived my friend!!! The real price should be…" ;-))

Omar S. Hamodi

[Omar Saddam Hamodi]

I want to add that Cathy, who is a friend of mine, didn't even say that she and her family have a cattle ranch in Wyoming!!! So, they are all COWBOYS! LOL

[Cathy Healy]

Thanks for the comments, Omar!

And Suzer -- you're absolutely right. Public transportation is very easy in Amsterdam (and all of Holland.) But coming off a night flight from the US to Europe is nasty. All I want is to get to my hotel, shower and take a nap, especially if I've been foolish and started a really good book when the plane takes off, which I can't put down...and if packed too much. Which is almost always the case. Not so much clothes, as stuff, like laptop, etc., etc.

How do you travel light?

Cathy (the cowboy)
Writing from home in Wyoming