@DavidSecurity

Greetings Expats,

So much information coming my way…so much to share.  Receiving in-depth analysis on regional developments from professional contacts and solid insights from fellow Expats.

While considering all this information, I always remember to turn on my “practical & relevant filter”.  I believe the worst thing a security advisor can do is to fill people with fear and negativity.

Moving on…

While reading one of those thick reports about the developing security situation in North Africa, an Expat friend stopped by to share with me something which really caught my attention.

Without going into all the details, he made me aware of the new security & personal safety risks that Expats face when it comes to taking taxis.

Now, I know for some this is a trivial issue, but believe me when I say that we have good information that indicates that when it comes to taxis; we need to take more precautions.

Taxis Tips & Guidance

Like everything else that concerns security, good taxi safety awareness comes down to:

Building Relationships-Situational Awareness-Good Decisions 

1. Follow your intuition:  If you get a bad feeling about the taxi, either because of the appearance of the vehicle, driver, or something else; don’t hesitate to pass it up and catch the next one.  Remember, once you’ve closed the door; you’ve made a choice.

2. Situational Awareness:  Memorize or record the taxi number and driver’s name if possible.

3. Confirm your destination with the taxi driver. Make sure that they know where you want to go and they know where that is.  If he starts giving you “attitude” about your destination, that’s a good reason to walk out.  

Here are additional tips shared by other Expats:  

1. “Always insist that the meter is put on. Do not be afraid to leave the taxi if the driver will not put it on (The writer once abandoned 7 taxis on a trip to Sousse).”-Dealing with Taxi Drivers
2. “In Tunisia, when native women take a taxi alone, they will usually ride in the back of the taxi to prevent the driver from getting “strange ideas”.-TunisPro

Taxi Precaution

 Lastly, I would like to share that I also received an interesting email by an Expat who was specifically told to avoid taxis on Monday, January 28th.  According to the Expat, the taxi driver shared this information because he “thought she was Tunisian”.  The taxi driver mentioned protests and other safety concerns, but the Expat was unable to understand if he meant that taxi drivers would protest on Monday or if he was referring to something else.

As always we share this with the intention of empowering fellow Expats with practical & relevant information.

Thank you for all the informative emails and updates.  Let’s keep working together.