Well, it ain’t necessarily so in Athens.

I was trading Athens cab stories with CBC colleague Lorna Jackson just after I got back. Seems I had 10 for every one she had. Mainly because I ain’t scared of no Greek cabbie, having seen the evolution of the species over three trips spanning three decades.

“Oh, we avoided the cabs there,” she said. “They won’t stop for you unless you frantically wave your arms and yell out your destination.” Intimidating, if you’re a stranger to the city and the lingo.

Met a couple from Australia while in Athens who had similar tales. Peter and Helen Morgan didn’t want to battle for a driver. And, like many visitors to the city, there was that one big overriding concern: the driver’s gonna rip me off.

And he very well might, in a land where taxi meters seem to spit out more numbers than a stock ticker – if the driver bothers to turn it on.

The meters are new, now that Greece is a full-fledged member of the EU – and they tell a tale of Euros instead of drachmas. My first ride in from the airport, I was trying to figure out what all the other numbers were.

Driver tried to distract me.

“Like our new highway?” he asked. A brand-spanking new road that links the new airport to the outskirts of old downtown Athens. Mighty impressive.

“Yes, it’s wonderful,” he continued. “Gets you to those Athens traffic jams so much faster.”

The fare: 20 Euros. Reasonable, I thought, considering rumours of cab rides to the city centre costing well over 30 Euros. There were lots of numbers on his meter. Not one, though, was a 20.

A few more trips to the airport over the next week and a half brought an assortment of fares: from a low of 13 Euros from my cousin’s apartment close to the city centre to the 30 Euros my wife paid from that same apartment to catch an early morning flight home. Seems you pay an overnight premium – plus a few extra Euros if you call the night before and reserve a cab.

Despite that, cabs are generally a fairly inexpensive way to get around the city. An honest cabbie will get you to your destination for only a few Euros – rides are cheaper than they are in most Canadian cities.

Still – beware. There are a few things you shouldn’t do, like meekly hand the driver a piece of paper with an address scrawled on it. May as well hand over your wallet and tell him to take out the right change.

Don’t assume your driver will be able to speak English. Many do. Many don’t. But that Greek-English dictionary for travelers you bought should be enough to help you tell him where you want to go.

And if he doesn’t speak English, it doesn’t mean he’s out hunting naïve tourists. Sometimes it’s the ones who are fluent and talkative that you should be wary of. Like the guy who drove us a few kilometres through the driving rain – full of facts and figures, like there are more cars than people in Athens and the economic benefits of the Olympic games will not benefit everyone equally.

Ten Euros, he charged us, after dropping us a block from our destination. In the pouring rain. I’m sure he’ll do well come August.

Yes, I felt cheated. And I should have known better. And that’s what I told my sister, after her cab ride from the airport to that same cousin’s apartment in the city centre.
“What did he charge you?” I asked.

“Only 35 Euros,” she beamed.

“I paid 20.”

“You got ripped off.”

“But, but - he was so nice,” she stammered.

Now, she really should know better. She’s a local – she’s lived in Greece for most of the past 12 years.

LETTERS   [Email Peter here]