A little faith restored

having arrived at the entry airport of my choice in the Magic Kingdom, I realised three important things, first that I had left all my relevant local currency in my desk in the Philippines, second that I didnt actually know how to get to where I lived from the airport, and that third I could not describe the same to a taxi driver. The first problem was relatively easily solved. I have very little Arabic, but mournfully waving an ATM card and wailing "Mafi felous" resulted in my being directed to a suitable ATM machine in the airport lobby.

The second problem was irrelevant as it was too far to walk in any case but the third was rather more, er... problematic.

The taxi rank outside the airport is an absolutely rigid "you will take the first cab in the line" system, and I couldnt make the cabby understand where I wanted to go. Two or three other taxis further down the line took fares and set off, but because this particular cabby was the one at the head of the queue when I got there this was the one I had to use. After a few minutes there were five various assorted cabbies all jabbering away, all except one convinced they knew where I wanted to go and trying to give my cabbie (the one who wasnt convinced) directions. Different directions. All at once. Very loudly. With manic gestures and wthout any English.

Then one of them suddenly asked me "You have number?" of course I have the number of the gate house on my mobile. he then rang the gate house of my compound, ascertained the correct directions, and then explained this to everyone all over again in much the same way as before. I guessed from the now apparently choreographed gestures and the syncopation in the voices that they were all now giving the same set of directions.

These various assorted gentlemen were all Arabs, all ordinary working men and all were genuinely keen to see that I got to the right place and that the proper cab driver got his fare, according to his turn. When I arrived at my compound, the fare was exactly what I had expected it to be, and not at all the usual hiked up fare yoou get from airport taxis the world over.

So it seems that good customer service IS coming into the Magic Kingdom after all, you just have to get lucky or know where to look for it.