An alternative for Travelers who've Been Ripped Off by Ground Transportation: IHateTaxis.com Two Canadian brothers (Steve & Todd Romaine from Canada) contemplated this website idea back in December 2006 as a result of being ripped off yet again by a taxi driver and this time in Bangkok, Thailand. Several pages of scribbled notes were drawn up on the idea to an ongoing problem and possible solution that travelers (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 travelers 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. The website concept has expanded to include information about country profiles (including cultural tips), medical information, electrical information, visas, lost luggage, currency conversion and an interactive traveller forum section. 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 Guide books can also become out of date relatively quickly.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 now has full time staff in both Canada and South Africa whom spend their working lives constantly creating/reviewing/updating ground transportation options at hundreds of airports around the globe. We keep our pulse on this by constantly searching the internet and making contacting various companies operating from or to the airport or selected other destinations. We also speak with travelers like whom have recently been to a particular location and can offer useful information. Our primary goal is to provide a free centralized & constantly updated global ground transportation repository so that travelers like ourselves are empowered upon arrival. The intent behind this idea was that of a hobby to assist travelers 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 travelers around the globe. |
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