Knowing in full if a taxi driver may need full directions

If you're new to an area or traveling on business, sometimes trying to navigate the public transportation options that you have available such as buses, streetcars, and subways, can be extremely awkward. You don't know where the stops are, what vehicles to take, and the easiest ways to get to your destinations. That is why it can often be a lot easier to instead of trying to find a bus, to just call the taxi service and ask them to take you to your destination. A word of advice though, it's not wise to always assume that your taxi driver knows exactly where to take you all the time.

This might seem strange to some people that aren't familiar with riding in a cab. The common assumption is that you should just be able to get in the car and tell the driver where you need to go and that he or she will take you there with no problems or interruptions along the way. However, the actuality of riding in a taxi can be somewhat different from this, and is why you should always be prepared with the directions to your destination before getting in the car.

This used to be something that was annoying and frustrating for people, but laptops and smart phones with GPS capability should have all but eliminated any problems in having the directions ready for your driver. Using a site like MapQuest or Google maps or the built in GPS functionality of your phone, it should be no problem at all to quickly route directions from your location to your destination to have handy in case you want to give your driver directions.

This is as much a measure of protecting yourself as anything else. Some cab drivers are always out to extend the amount of profit that they can make by taking you along a winding route to your destination if you don't know the best way to get there. By having directions beforehand you can seem like you are familiar with the area and simply tell the driver you wish to go, although they may make recommendations based on traffic which you might do well to listen to. Don't be overly concerned about not having the directions though if you can't get them, it won't be the end of the world. Most cabs now have GPS units which can help them to easily find your destination.