Third World Country

Okay, I haven't really traveled in one, at least, not extensively. But I'm pretty sure that, if I did, I would find taxi service like Geneva's. I have taken taxis in a lot of cities, on several continents, and I have never encountered service as regularly poor (and often illegal) as I get in Geneva.

I just got home... and I left the office seven hours ago. Yes, it was in another country, but a close one (Germany). Due to a number of factors (none of which, it appears, were the airline's fault), my 7 PM flight was delayed, delayed, delayed, and eventually canceled... and we were all put on a 9:45-ish flight instead. So by the time I got back to Geneva and took a look at the train schedules, I had a pretty strong hunch that my client would probably feel like a taxi fare home was a reasonable trade for almost adding a second work day.

Today, I didn't have much cash with me (I've been carrying Euros), but, in general, I try to find a cab that takes Visa, even if I pay with cash.

"Why," you ask? Why, if I'm going to pay in cash, would I bother asking if they take Visa?

Well, it's because of times like tonight. I started at the front of the line of taxis, asking if they accepted Visa cards. Some looked at me like I was crazy. One man was at least apologetic... he didn't have a machine. But I had to ask more than a dozen cabs, all in a row, before I found one guy willing to actually pull out his Visa machine and drive me home. And this isn't in some back corner of the city - this is at the airport. This is the first impression people are getting of our city and our country.

And that impression, I can only guess, is not a good one. Switzerland, world capital of banking and finance.*

* Cash only

Maybe they're ducking taxes. Maybe they'd rather not pay the surcharge. Maybe they just hate people and have, somehow, chosen a job where they're in contact with them more or less constantly by some crazy mixed-up string of coincidences.

I don't know.

But I know this - I'd rather walk all the way down a line of taxis talking to every single one of them... in fact, I would rather have gone back inside and waited for that next train - then let them get away with it. Would I have walked home? That's a closer call, definitely leaning to the "no" side, but still - I am a pretty firm believer in voting with my wallet.

Come on, taxi guys. Maybe a little bit of time trying out the 20th century will help you get ready in case you ever decide to join us in the the 21st...