Taxis - The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

Catching a taxi here can be quite interesting...

Let me break it down, based on what I've experience.

Cost (approximate):
$1.........to go a mile or less
$2-3.....to go from one major neighborhood to the next
$8.........to go out of the city about 15 miles

*Don't ever ask the price (ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON"T SPEAK MUCH SPANISH), just pay when you get to your destination. I usually tip if the service is good.

Service
*Some times they pick you up sometimes they won't.
*You stand on the street and get one right away, but you can also stand on the street and wait 20 mins for one to stop.
*Getting picked up depends on where you are at, where you are going, the time of day, and the weather.
*Cab drivers with empty cabs will sometimes drive right by you. I've verified this with locals, foriegners, male, female, and all races.
*Sometimes they will see you and look the other way.
*If its raining, or near pay day, its even harder to get a cab (probably because they have guaranteed fairs so they don't need to work as hard).
*Today, I had a cab drive past me and then stop for a lady no more than 20 feet down the block from me. Hmmmm, are you thinking what I'm thinking...
*The ONLY place that I can guarantee a ride is from the fancy malls. They wait outside for customers, their cabs are nice, but they tend to charge more.

Quality
*Ranges from good to low quality.
*Some cabs are brand new cars.
*Some cabs are old and junky (no AC, windows don't roll down, worn upholstery, etc)
*One cab we took was old and falling apart, but the driver installed TVs in the seat. Not sure if they worked.

Drivers
*Majority of them drive safely.
*Some are nice guys, some are borderline psychotic.
*Some have their radio up way too loud.
*One taxi driver was actually watching a SOCCER game on a tv, while driving us home.
*One taxi driver had a Bible on his dashboard. While driving us across town, he was swearing and honking at everyone (cars or people) on the street in his way. He was very agressive and even yelled at us after we paid him and got out.
*We've taken a few cabs where we felt that the driver was on some serious drugs.
*Once a cab drove off before I fully got all the way in the car.
*I've ridden in a bunch of cabs that also have very nice and friendly drivers. I usually take down their numbers and try to call them when I need a ride

In the end, no one really can complain because its only $1-$2 to get a ride in the city. But if you're going to be living in Panama, you should just buy a car if you can afford one. Even the local Panamanias say that the taxi service is not very good.