Taxi Ride Through Iran

Troy Nahumko takes us on a wild taxi adventure through Northern Iran in his article, “No Translation Necessary: A Taxi Ride in Northern Iran.” He depicts his roller coaster ride through highways, towns, and mountains. This article follows a fun, unexpected voyage all by taxi.

The lingering smell of burnt rubber was an inauspicious end to an eye-opening journey through the beautiful though scarcely traveled northern tip of Iran. As the driver pitched us from one near-death experience to the next, vibrant green rice paddies melted past the window on the left while the Caspian's black sand beaches hemmed us in on the right.

The Talesh and Sabalan Mountains may be dwarfed the by towering Alborz Mountains that rise from the smog of northern Tehran, but as they run down the Caspian coast from the border with Azerbaijan, the hues of green found in this fertile area challenge the preconceived idea of Iran being nothing but a vast desert littered with beautiful blue tiled mosques.

Here perennial mists seem to slide off the Caspian and drape these ranges with a diaphanous light when temperatures in the more famous southern tourist sites might be hitting 110º under an unrelenting sun. Brahman cows wander along the roadsides while brightly dressed women tend the tea bushes of the plantations in the area.
Back to that happy reverie before the Brahman jolt. To a place west of the black market caviar dealers in steamy Rasht, where the roads wind through rice paddies and tea plantations that wouldn't be out of place in Southeast Asia.

Locals rent out rooms to travelers and it's impossible to walk through the village without being invited in for tea and the orange flavored tobacco that wafts from every terrace, no matter where you are from. The inevitable trinket shops cater to the mainly Iranian tourists looking to buy local delicacies and most of the handicrafts available are locally produced, but livelihoods here are still made on the side of the mountains.

Perhaps the most notable difference after traveling around traffic-crazy Iran, when coming to this green mountain village, is the silence. Due to the way the village is constructed, only the bravest of drivers dare work their way up the tangled paths. So amidst the mist you are treated to something that is indeed rare in this enormous country, a total lack of car noise.

The low down on taxis

Most people can say that they have been in a taxi at least once in their lifetime. I have been in many throughout the US and around the world. With all the convenience that they bring, they can also bring hassle. An article I found on Dave's Travel Corner gives some great insight into the world of taxis.


The following items are problems that I have run into when using taxi drivers.

Not using the meter
This can be a complicated excuse. First of all, many taxi drivers do not even have meters. Some taxi drivers such as in Bangkok as a whole, simply may refuse to use their meters in the case of terrible traffic. However more often than not an excuse to not use the meter means the driver is trying to cheat you for extra money. A common problem is taxi's will have meters but neglect to use them.

Miscommunication
Miscommunication is one of the biggest problems with using taxis. You may not speak their language and they may not speak yours. They may pretend not to speak your language. Having an address written down sometimes helps. Be sure they understand you and *always* repeat their important responses after they say it to get confirmation

Refusing to speak
I've been in situations where taxi drivers refuse to speak - or pretend not to speak English after initially conversing with me in English. This usually occurs when it comes time to pay.

Don't have Change
This is a pretty common excuse. Some taxi drivers will claim not to have change for that large bill you just gave them or even not have change for the not so large bill. Sometimes they will "magically" produce change if you tell them you have to get out of their car and go find someone who will make change.

People already in the Taxi
Taxi drivers in some countries will pick up as many people as can fit in their car and then drop them off as they go. This can be very problematic especially if you are trying to get somewhere in a timely manner. I've had drivers tell me its only going to take a few minutes and it ends up taking a lot longer to drop off the other people already in the car. The people already in the taxi typically will have priority over your destination and you will have to wait until they are dropped off first.

For more taxi issues, visit Dave's Travel Corner