Taking Taxis in Bogota

Taxis in Bogota are a bit more complicated than in other parts of the world. For the most part, they are quite safe, but it's worth taking the proper precautions in order to arrive at your destination in one piece.

First of all, don't hail taxis off the street, always call for one. If you are calling from a landline, the phone service will give you a security code (usually the last two digits of the phone number you are calling from) and will tell you the license plate number of the taxi they are sending. This is for the safety of both you and the driver, and the driver will almost always ask you for the security code.

A few numbers for taxis are:

222-2222
311-1111
211-1111

If you absolutely must hail a taxi on the street (many Colombians do it), first of all have someone who is not getting in the taxi (a friend, a security guard from the restaurant or bar you are at, etc) visibly write down the license plate number of the taxi you get into. I would also recommend knowing the route to your destination so the driver doesn't take you for a ride and over-charge.

Tipping: Taxi drivers do not expect tips, but if they are particularly friendly some extra coins or 1,000 generally puts a big smile on their face.

Two things to look out for that I have been warned about by Colombian friends (I have never had a problem taking taxis, but it's better to be safe than sorry...):

Taxi drivers often drive with the front passenger seat folded over so people on the street can see that it is free. One friend getting dropped off at home when someone popped out from under the folded-down passenger seat and proceeded to rob him with the help of the driver. It's worth asking the driver to put up the seat normally, or taking a second look before you get into the car.

Secondly, I recently heard a story about a college professor who flagged a taxi to work at 8am. The driver asked her if she wanted to read some magazines that he had in the taxi, and she said no. He became more insistent, which began to scare her. It turns out that he had placed escopolamine** in the pages of the magazine and attempted to violate her.

**If you don't know about escopolamine (usually called burundanga), it is worth learning about. It is a drug made from a common tree in Colombia and used by thieves to render victims unconscious-even a small dose will make one lose their will, even though they appear completely normal. It is often put into drinks or cigarettes, and sometimes blown on the victim from a sheet of paper (hence the magazine in the taxi).