RENTING
A CAR IN TOBAGO
Getting
around in Tobago
The resolution to explore the island using public transport is generally
not a good idea unless you visit Tobago only where the bus stops.
This is not very attractive for visitors, unless, of course, you have
a relative living on the island. There are only a few daily buses
driving in various directions and to exit the bus in a hamlet like
e.g. Goodwood is quite senseless, but, of course, you won't know that
in advance, that's why I'm telling you. It's annoying to find out
after ten minutes, that besides 36 houses and a rum shop (including
three drunken Tobagonian males) there is nothing to explore, apart
from the sea and a rocky shore some 50 meters below with no visible
access. It gets even more annoying to discover that the only booth,
which looks like a grocery store only offers items such as: greasy
potato chips in plastic bags, a famous brand of bread which, with
the punch of one fist you can flatten to the thickness of your palm;
mints and very sugary, warm lemonades because the fridge broke down.
In addition, you might be informed that the next bus is supposed to
pass in two hours and then the day (and your mood) is probably ruined.
Unless you are an extreme die-hard and trot to the next hamlet just
to find out that it looks very similar. (Local villagers might disagree
here, but trust me, for foreigners they DO look alike). But maybe
by then the next bus is approaching. Please note: Goodwood was only
an example, John Dial, Mt. St. George, Belle Garden, Argyll, Louis
d'Or etc., just to name a few, are structured alike.
The
schedule of public buses should be available in Scarborough
at the central bus terminal, which is behind/next to Sangster's Hill
Mall. You cannot buy tickets on the bus, you have to purchase them
in advance, at the terminal or in shops, just ask.
Private
mini buses (called Maxi taxis) are becoming scarce forms of
public transport, although some time ago they provided a favorite
form of travel. But nowadays even in Tobago most people should arrive
at work on time. Maxi Taxis therefore had to look for another clientele
and many transformed to school buses or tour buses for hotels. In
former times, one knew the approximate schedule of the maxis, although
one to two hours' delay was normal; this isn't working any more. Furthermore
most Tobagonian households now own a car and the maxi owners have
been forced to look for other means of income.
Road
Taxis: see also chapter 'The Car…a True Love Affair'. Here are
just a few general hints. They are unreliable, noisy (music level),
hot, crowded and unsafe. Different drivers service different roads
and directions, quite often you have to get out and stand at the roadside
again (in the hot sun) and wave your arm. Until around the mid nineties
the driving style in Tobago was, in comparison to some other countries,
quite considerate and drivers adjusted to the road conditions, the
driving speed was still relatively moderate. The onslaught of very
young drivers with newer, faster cars has drastically altered the
situation. If your road taxi overtakes another overtaking car both
blatantly ignoring oncoming traffic your cry for help will probably
be suffocated by the booming bass of the latest rap hit.
Say
what you want about the Italians, but as drivers they show a certain
criminal elegance in addition to nearly perfect driving skills; you
die in style, so to speak. Many Tobagonian drivers excel by total
lack of such abilities. Sometimes one might get the impression that
a crowd of demented villagers who have never driven cars before steal
some on the spur of a moment and ram their feet on the gas - totally
drunk. I will gladly put up with any hate mail pertaining to this
remark, all good drivers will send me fan mail. If I really think
about it, the others don't read anyway, they are too busy overtaking
in the on-coming traffic lane.
Bicycles
are also not a good idea, unless, of course, you want to train for
the next Olympic games, or you are a bike fanatic forget it; and the
fanatics should already have trained in the tropics. You can be trained
all you want but by around 10 am when the sun is burning and you swear
and swerve from one pothole to the next, constantly alert for some
insane driver shooting around a particularly sharp corner, (overtaking,
of course), you will admit defeat and throw the bike in the bush.
The humidity is extremely high, you should carry a lot of drinking
water with you; victims of heat stroke are quite common. The views
of course are spectacular when you look around you, but you shouldn't
look around but keep your eyes strictly on the road or the next corner.
The areas around the airport, Mt. Irvine and Plymouth up to Arnos
Vale, Lowlands and Scarborough are 'bike-friendly', but after Scarborough,
further 'up-country' it gets hairy on both sides of the island. The
bikes for rent are also a bit unpredictable. It's nice if you happen
to get a new one, but bikes stay new only for a very short time.
Motorbikes see above. Please note: even for small scooters
you need a motorbike license in Tobago. The smallest version is already
quite expensive. Don't forget to visit the hospital beforehand, just
so that you don't get nervous in case you have an accident.
An
attractive alternative is either a guided island tour (e.g.
with Sunbird Holidays) or a nice comfortable Tobago car rental.
It's the most pleasant and relaxing way to explore Tobago. Why - do
you think - so many Tobagonians own a car? Some of you might think,
at this point: 'Of course, she (the author) would say that, after
all she owns a car rental.' Right? - Wrong, first we founded an agency
for holiday accommodations, but after one year and constant calls
for help on the search for a reliable Tobago car rental we were finally
fed up watching others make a profit through our guests. So, we did
a little rethinking, market research, need and supply, nothing else….
In
general public transport in Tobago is unreliable, irregular
and time consuming especially on evenings, weekends, public holidays
and in certain outlying areas.
The
Car - a True Love Affair
Some weeks ago I had a weird dream.
George, quite recent widower of sleek and faithful wife Corolla, who
died of internal bleeding due to negligence of regular maintenance,
(polishing didn't help) is dressed up in his best white suit, his
hands are folded over his little potbelly, he listens attentively
to the following words: "Do you, George Bonehead, take Subaru Nissan
as your lawful wedded wife - do you promise to love and cherish her
till death do you part?"
"I do". George's voice quivers ever so slightly - his eyes are moist.
Subaru stays mute maybe overwhelmed by tender feelings for George.
Suddenly she emits a wailing sound. Raj Dhalpourriesingh, who performs
the ceremony hastily, hands over two glimmering rings and a square
device. George grabs the rings and inserts the key of one into Subaru.
He presses the device and the wailing stops. Subaru is an obedient
wife.
"I now declare you husband and wife." Raj wipes a drop of sweat from
his chin and walks away. As longstanding head of a well-known car
dealership, he knows when to leave couples to themselves. He also
knows it will be a perfect marriage. George's human wife, who is supposed
to maintain George so that he can give his full attention to Subaru's
well being, will have her hands full. Subaru is quite stocky and square
but George likes that. With her it will be so much easier to merge
into the highway right into ongoing traffic. It is a match made in
heaven - no - in Tobago, the Capital of Paradise.
Once again I was happy to wake up. The wailing sound persisted - it
came from my neighbor's yard. Ah well…..he got married recently to
Lancer Mitsubishi. So much for my dream - I got a bit carried away
there.
Back
to cars in Tobago:
We once had a guest who conveyed the urgent need for mobility quite
uniquely. For two days he refused to rent a vehicle. On the third
day he threw his hands up and mumbled:
"Tobago without a car is like a toilet which doesn't flush."
I apologize at this point that I forget his name; he should really
be remembered. Of course, you can also take a taxi. Some of them even
have a 'taxi' sign - these are mainly the 'official' taxis. They cost
much more than 'road taxis' but they also have much higher expenses
(fully covered insurance, taxi registration etc.). They basically
make a living as taxi drivers. There are three different categories
of taxis. Two of them have number plates, which start with an 'H'
for 'Hire'. They are either regular taxis, which are more expensive
then others because they only come if you call them - some of them
are also stationed in front of hotels. Or, another kind of official
taxi, but a more collective sort of transport, that picks up four
or sometimes more passengers along the roadside and drops them on
request. This kind of transport is cheaper but more time consuming
and less comfortable. The third category with the most members has
a number plate starting with a 'P' for 'Private' - the same as all
private vehicles. Some have good drivers who are not necessarily the
car owners, but many of them are lousy drivers who cram four to five
persons in the car and drive up and down Tobago's main roads as fast,
reckless and grumpy as possible as long as they are in the mood to
drive or until they have enough money for the next gas filling. They
are locally called 'pirate taxis'. The drivers are called 'PH Drivers'
(from 'private hire') and what they do is called 'pull bull' (which
means they drive the car like a charging bull with a bullish determination
to make money). They are either just short of cash or they use the
car as a means of acquiring a second income. They are not exactly
legal, but a necessary kind of 'gray zone' transport. Most of the
drivers are young men with the illusion that this can make them a
living. Of course one shouldn't forget that a car in Tobago is indispensable
for the perfection of the male image. Wrong, shiny cool rims are the
icing on the cake. All right, all right, not only in Tobago.
Whoa
- just the other day I looked in the window of a shop for car accessories
and saw a spray can. At first I thought of tile cleaner - then I read
the inscription 'Black and Wet'. A black spray for tiles? Way off
- you spray it on tires 'For a Shiny, Wet and Black Look'. Amazing
what men go for…
Anyway,
back to 'PH' cars: the drivers only see a fat bundle of one-dollar
notes at the end of the day and forget the costs of maintenance like
tires, disc pads etc. An average road taxi, driving 6 days per week
for about 8 hours per day, normally needs a complete set of tires
as well as a set of disc pads each month and these are only the most
important parts. A silly investment, many of them think. They might
think that in case of death they are catapulted right into Jesus'
lap, so never mind aquaplaning. What the hell is it anyway? A new
energy drink? First one has to pay off the new sound system for TT$
10.000, a main ingredient of a truly 'manly' car. Most Tobagonians
refer to their car as a 'she'. Or are there other nations with the
same habit?
Many
drivers don't own these cars, they drive for the owner who gets a
fixed amount per day and the driver keeps the rest. If the driver
doesn't make the amount he has to make up the loss. He normally works
five days a week for the car owner, one day he works for himself and
one day the car is parked up. The driver pays for the gas and the
owner for maintenance and insurance. It is quite a fair deal considering
that new cars, (also used ones), insurances and some car parts are
incredibly expensive in Tobago. Driving once or twice in a 'collective'
taxi - as hot and stressful as it may be - is a definite 'must do'
for study purposes. Only afterwards the guest will truly appreciate
a nice (used and well maintained) rental car. In former times I recommended
taxi rides as a relaxing and even inspiring pass time listening to
the music, admiring the various results of redesigned dashboards,
observing the interactions of the passengers and passers-by, the general
traffic flow and the landscape. One could be entertained and amazed
at the various shopping items transported in the car, the droll dialect,
the fantastic names of the cars and the nicknames of the drivers or
listen to heated discussions about a lost cricket match (tourists
from countries other than England alas, wouldn't understand neither
the dialect nor the cricket rules).
Taxi
drives were generally highly informative for those of you interested
in regional studies. Sometimes the driver would want to chat with
you about politics, topics like 'regression in old age' or about your
family status. Others simply came on to you (if you were a woman)
or maybe simply ignored you because they thought that you didn't understand
the language. Others had a problem with tourists or they were just
grumpy or tired. The latter now form the majority. Maybe you still
find a charming 'old-timer' - consider yourself lucky if you do. Nowadays
most PH-drivers are young, silent and look hostile. They probably
think it's a 'cool' look. Pay the fare just before you get out of
the car. Anything else is considered 'uncool'. The rates are fixed,
best you ask your host in advance. Carry small change (single Dollars);
drivers can seldom change a hundred Dollar note. After two days at
the longest you will rent a car anyway unless you go in for an especially
kinky way of self-mutilation.
Ask
for the special spots where road taxis wait for passengers or for
central taxi stands or wait anywhere where you see a person with the
index finger pointing to the sky or to the ground. In former times
there was an amusing phenomenon in Scarborough at the Scotia Bank
corner - a relatively popular road taxi stop for people going to Mason
Hall/Moriah. However, this was dependent on an event which could be
called the sporadic enforcement of senseless traffic regulations like
the principle of a 'no stopping' rule at this spot. You were standing
there with, let's say, your load of coconuts at the roadside, pointing
(very cool) with your index finger to the ground and not a single
car stopped. Just as you were ready to despair you looked around and
most likely saw a few people in uniform, perhaps with a motorcycle,
leaning comfortably against the wall at the wharf opposite (liming
without the beer). The police were watching (for an undetermined amount
of time) to see that the 'no stopping' rule at this corner was being
observed which drastically slowed down the flow of daily life. You
moseyed back in the opposite direction along the road until you reached
the big curve where you could no longer see the nice uniforms. There
you would meet all the other waiting passengers who you were wondering
where they had disappeared to. The cars would also stop there, a bit
hurried at times, but stop nevertheless. Later, when everything was
back to normal, the aforementioned policemen waited, (of course if
they had no car and lived in the country areas), at the same corner
after work and stopped a car to go home. Where did the time go! Nowadays
nearly everybody has their own car - now we are stuck in traffic jams.
A
regular taxi stand, to go to Carnbee or the airport, is located in
front of the wharf building - the former confusing situation is a
bit more structured. The first car in the queue (ask for the start
of the queue) doesn't drive away until it's full - then the next one
takes its place and so forth. In case you have an appointment with
a plane, take this into consideration as an unknown time factor. The
'buckle up' law is handled in a typical Tobagonian way. The seat belt
is used according to the situation; locals buckle up on the 'highway'
and in bigger villages where the presence of a policeman is more probable
and we unbuckle e.g. when we go 'country' when the inconvenience of
police presence is not so likely. By the way everywhere north of our
huge and glittering metropolis Scarborough is 'country'. Furthermore
a seat belt becomes a hindrance when greeting and taking a completely
relaxed driving position, which is half lying down with one arm dangling
out of the window.
Which car is which? Now this is a difficult question especially after
sunset. The cars at the official taxi stands (and there are not many
of them) are the more expensive ones but sometimes you may be able
to arrange a reasonable deal with the driver, e.g. to take you to
a performance and pick you up after. Best leave the negations to your
host. Why do you always think you can do better? An 'official' taxi
driver is often safer and more reliable. Please note: after 10 pm
it will generally be more expensive, like everywhere else in the world.
Don't sulk for heaven sakes - it's a car not a Rickshaw!
Tips
by the way are also appreciated in Tobago, especially if one has waited
for hours at the airport, made a shopping stop at a supermarket, dragged
suitcases around, made a few good jokes and integrated a little sightseeing
tour on the way to your guesthouse. Don't be so stingy - in Munich,
London or wherever you come from you would automatically ad a tip
to the taxi fare, for God's sake! Or do you count the exact amount
and give it to your driver? Why don't you try and ask him if he could
make a short stop at Tesco (and tell him to switch the meter off)
after you popped out of a plane?
If you want to use a road taxi, just wave into the traffic and the
respective car will stop if it has room. Make sure you stand on the
correct side of the road and don't point with your thumb but with
your index finger, either downwards or upwards like in elementary
school. Don't stop cars with a number plate starting with 'R', these
are registered rental cars driven by tourists like you or locals on
their way to a wedding, birthday or other type of party. Such occasions
require a rental car, it's bad enough not owning a car. How would
it look if one came on foot! Auntie Cassandra and Uncle George have
a reputation for snide remarks.
As
well as on weekends and public holidays, the later it gets the more
scarce the transport possibilities. This is the time for the regular
taxis at the taxi stands or some die-hards who stubbornly wait there.
The rest of them went 'liming' or are digesting a big supper. Of course,
you can order a taxi by phone from e.g. a restaurant. It might take
a while to arrive, after half an hour you may phone again as a reminder.
Unfortunately on public holidays like Christmas this is quite hopeless
and you should really rent a car to get around. Don't try to do this
on the day, you have to reserve some weeks in advance as rental cars
at Christmas time and some other holidays like Carnival and Easter
are rare. Many businesses don't rent cars for one day only or all
they have left are two or three absurdly expensive or tatty vehicles.
Many locals also look for reasonable rental cars at these times -
many have relatives visiting from Trinidad or abroad.
As
a resident or citizen of Tobago you should by all means own a car.
Costs to purchase one are immensely high and you have to ad costs
for insurance, licensing and change of ownership (costs between US$
50 and 1000 according to when the car was licensed on the island for
the first time) and gas (very cheap in the eyes of foreigners, as
we are a member of OPEC) and last but not least there are the maintenance
costs (difficult) - especially considering the road conditions. You
can carry on as much as you want about renewing the shocks of our
cars - we will still do it once a year. As long as most visitors are
so keen on testing all potholes at 60 kmph, we prefer instead to treat
ourselves to a nice dinner - now and then.
We
are a developing nation - right now dangling somewhere in the no-mans-land
between Third World and First World - ready for the big leap into
the community of First World countries. All right, a lot of people
also wanted to become astronauts when they were kids. It can still
take a little while, we know. In preparation for the big event, the
number of car owners has increased immensely during the last years.
Other than the car being part of a sophisticated image and male zest
of life the reason was mainly due to the introduction of 'foreign
used' cars. These cars were imported in parts from Japan, reassembled
in Trinidad and then sold by the dealers. The prices ranged from between
US$ 5000 to10.000. It seemed a lot but these cars were normally in
a much better condition than Trinbagonian used cars 'pulling bull'
for years on bad local highways. Added to the purchase price of the
car was a license fee of between US$ 4000 and 6000 but, if you considered
that a new small car in Tobago costs no less than US$ 20.000, the
'foreign used' deal was always cheaper. Then the government put an
end to foreign-used car imports. Literally overnight the nation was
plunged into desperation with the choice either to become 'car-less',
or to start welding Grandpa's 32-year old-timer in the backyard or,
as a rental business, declare bankruptcy. Trinbago rebelled - the
population grew restless. The government - alerted - pulled a new
rabbit out of the hat - called 'Roll on Roll off'. Cars are imported
in one-piece from Japan; they must not be more than five years old
than and need a set of new tyres. The dealer has to take care of it
and ad it to the end price. The cars roll on the ship in Japan and
off the ship in Trinidad. The solution sounds quite all right the
only disadvantage being that the cheapest vehicles now cost around
US$ 10000. This amount is breathtaking taking into consideration that
an average salary hovers around US$ 700 per month. As a compensation
for this minor glitch one can order them directly online from the
dealer - how lovely. Well, at least one can look at them online and
think about what one would like to order if one had the funds - it's
nearly as entertaining as watching TV. Despite the above mentioned
and interest rates on a bank loan which would make a loan shark dizzy
with joy, one can observe more and more cars with one driver or one
passenger only. According to a recent study Trinidad and Tobago has
the biggest amount of licensed cars in relation to the population.
Let's
go back in time in Tobagonian history and let's have a look how it
once was. From the moment of licensing a car was treated as common
property. At any time and any place people who knew the car and driver
were lurking at the roadside and wanting to get 'a lift'. One was
hardly ever alone or lonely driving a car and going 'country'. The
popularity of the driver increased with the quality of his sound system,
which went hand in hand with an increase of costs for gas and the
amount of time invested by the driver. As a local you could hardly
try to ignore the common custom of picking up acquaintances; it was
considered as downright hostile and anti-social if you didn't. Therefore
it was also common practice to charge passengers as the 'road taxis'
did, otherwise you went broke in a very short time. However, it was
very difficult to only pick up a limited amount of hitchhikers. Who
had the heart and the nerve to deny a granny who weighed over 20 stone
a lift when she was dragging five huge bags and three grand children
(two of them toddlers) and was living in a house romantically located
on a hill, up a mile long mud path full of potholes? Who would have
rushed away if granny kindly ordered them to wait 'just a moment'
for her daughter Gloria who had to go to the same village as the driver,
today- what a coincidence! - to visit her uncle whose best friend
was married to a cousin of the driver. So one waited, of course. It
was understood that Gloria needed and still needs today about 15 minutes
to spiff up, slather perfume all over herself and, most importantly,
finish her meal in slow motion. Driving on one maybe met Patrick,
a bit tipsy, who carefully stashed in the car his old mum, who wanted
to visit her sister in Goodwood (the white wooden house down at the
bay, third dirt road after the sign 'Goodwood') - for a senior lime.
Due to all these commitments the short trip to partner Leroy slowly
developed into a half day tour and the only way to break the vicious
circle would have been to find your own family and drive them around,
so a lot of the guys preferred to remain helpful drivers. This preference
hasn't altered yet - only the degree of helpfulness. Time is money
also in Tobago. One can't survive one day on 10 TT$.
A
tourist who accidentally participated in such a tour was, most likely,
after all that time slightly apathetic due to hunger, heat and the
entangled family connections and understood probably in the end why
questions about time were and still are totally irrelevant. It was
an example of 'learning by doing' - a practical life experience. Nowadays
he/she simply has to believe what I am trying to explain. The question
of what time somebody will arrive at a certain location or for an
appointment is answered with 'in a while' or 'just now'. The former
'country trips' reflected the circumstances exactly.
Nowadays
one is hopelessly stuck in a traffic jam, the watch gave up its ghost
for the third time in one month and the cell phone plays dead. The
gas station is 'on hold' as the gas truck is just filling the tanks
or there is a current outage, which means that the pumps don't function.
Or a merciless one hundred year old old-timer is creeping at 30 kmph
along the road ahead of you - from Plymouth all the way to the airport
with dense uninterrupted oncoming traffic. By the way - you can say
as often as you want: "It doesn't matter! We are on holidays!" - We
simply don't believe you. You are moderately irritated and just trying
to cover up.
The
'Liming factor' is of course timeless. If you wait for somebody for
three hours you are insane beyond salvation. It can of course happen
any time. In case you still wait and the person finally emerges with
a smile and the friendly question:" How are you?" Don't get physical.
The perpetrator has no feelings of guilt or shame and doesn't try
to be sarcastic either. My friend and business partner taught me a
lot of useful lessons concerning this topic - mainly in the beginning
of my conflict ridden island existence. Your rule should be: don't
wait! Organize more reliable people, they do exist, believe me! You
won't meet them 'just so' liming or at the beach. This is normal because
they are on the way to arrive in time. Or they call you to inform
you about delays - like we do.
Extracts
from 'Island News - Tobago without Blinkers'
by Ulli Jenisch, October 2008
Copyright Ulli Jenisch 2008
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