Will You Give Money To Corrupt Taxi Services? (Meiho, Oki To)

[Norobizaka]

This happened this morning

Why is there so much drinking and driving here on Okinawa?

Could our local taxi services (Meiho and Oki To) have something to to with it?

Have you tried calling these services after 23:00?



My buddy and I were drinking at my house.

When it was time to go, I didn't want him to drive so I attempted to call a taxi.

I called the base operator around 03:36.

She was very nice and connected me to Meiho Taxi service (A Military contracted service)

When the guy answered, I told him that I live on route 58 in Yomitan in Iramina. He told me he didn't know where that was and hung up on me.

I called back and asked him his name. He said "Why?". I asked to speak with his manager and he hung up on me.

I attempted to call back a third time and from that point on, the line was busy.

Since we were not going anywhere with Meiho Taxi service I decided to call the base operater again.

I told her that Meiho Taxi Service kept hanging up on me. She gave me and connected me to Oki To Taxi Service.

These people were much nicer. But they told me that all of their drivers would not answer their phone.

So my buddy set forth on walking home. I joined him and on the way, the first taxi that we saw we flagged down. Guess what? It was a Japanese service. He was very nice and was glad to take my buddy home.

I am angry that we have these two companies Meiho and Oki To representing the United States Military.

How can you have a taxi service that refuses service to Americans represent all military branches?

Why did we have to go flag down a "JAPANESE" taxi just to get my buddy home when the sole purpose of Meiho and Oki To is to take care of our military?

If you have an emergency and you need a taxi, you'll probably call the base operator like I did.

What happens if Meiho and Oki To taxi are the only services available?

Odds are, you wasted your money on that call, you need to run out in the street and flag down a Japanese taxi that is "NOT" Meiho and Oki To.

I propose a boycott against Meiho and Oki To Taxi Services.

I will provide my name, phone number, phone logs, references, and witnesses to all who are willing to actually stand up for something that is right, and not just the statuse quo.

Our military supports all these services.

Please share your experiences

[Black Orchid]

holy shit budddy... thats FU($ked up for real

i hear they charge extra for late night services and proudly advertise that they are the ppl to go to to get you home safe and they pull some bullshit like that???

i think you shuld go to the head office here on foster and tell them what happened for real, talk to the stars and stipes if you friggin have to thats ****** up... Okito gave my husband a hard time in the middle of the day. he asked for a taxi to our building and its not like they dont know where it is but they acted like they didnt understand where he was talking about and put him on hold for a while.... he was getting pissed too..

i havent had any probs with them but hearing this sort of thing makes me upset for real.

[Muku]

i hear they charge extra for late night services and proudly advertise that they are the ppl to go to to get you home safe and they pull some bullshit like that???


Orchid all taxi companies here, not just the one's that have base access, have a surcharge for late night, dont quote me on this but I think it goes up around 10:30 or 11:00.

[Black Orchid]

^^^ well dammit if they are charging extra why dont they make that money then and help ppl get home?!

[Muku]

^^^ well dammit if they are charging extra why dont they make that money then and help ppl get home?!

If what was written here checks out the base should get in contact with the Taxi company's in question here and work out a way to fix this problem.



Orchid here is my reply to the OP here.....

She was very nice and connected me to Meiho Taxi service (A Military contracted service)
Military contracted? Meaning that it is exclusive to the military or that it is one of the companies here in Okinawa that is authorized base access?

I asked to speak with his manager and he hung up on me.


At 3:30 in the AM I would be willing to bet that there was no manager around. I would suggest calling them this AM and discussing with them what happened last night.

There may be other reasons why they didnt respond to the call in the first place.

Were there any language problems or possible miscommunications? Hell you said you and your buddy were drinking right? Were you obviously drunk or abusive? Could that have been a reason for them not wanting to come out to where you were? Hell it is 3:30 in the AM.

These people were much nicer. But they told me that all of their drivers would not answer their phone.

Probably the same thing with Meiho as well, well maybe?

I am angry that we have these two companies Meiho and Oki To representing the United States Military.
How do they represent the Military?

Look what happened sucks for sure. What about trying first off to contact the company during the daytime as I suggested earlier here and find out what if any reason they had in the first place.

Just like the Okinawan people that bitch about everyone in the military being bad apples because of the actions of one, you are doing the same to the taxi companies in question here.

Hell you bitch about both but in actuality only one of the companies actually gave you trouble. In fact only ONE person, the night time dispatcher probably.

When you have a problem with someone on base do you immediately rush to the General for assistance?

[Sif: wife of Thor]

The worst is when you tell the cab driver where you want to go and he doesn't have a clue of what you're talking about....and you drive around....5,000 yen later you end up where you started....At leats in Tokyo they have GPS...plug in the address and you get directions....I rather walk in Okinawa...

[Muku]

The worst is when you tell the cab driver where you want to go and he doesn't have a clue of what you're talking about....and you drive around....5,000 yen later you end up where you started....At leats in Tokyo they have GPS...plug in the address and you get directions....I rather walk in Okinawa...

I've never heard of this one before. I think I would have asked for a refund.

There are too many taxis here in Okinawa as it is.

[P_chan]

Why did we have to go flag down a "JAPANESE" taxi just to get my buddy home when the sole purpose of Meiho and Oki To is to take care of our military?Ummmm, becuase it's japan?:confused: I've used both meiho and okito before, with no problems. But I don't have a preferred cab service. I usually just walk to the street and flag down the first one I see.

[Muku]

P Thank you I just noticed that in this quote;

Why did we have to go flag down a "JAPANESE" taxi just to get my buddy home when the sole purpose of Meiho and Oki To is to take care of our military?

So I guess from this the OP thinks both Meiho and Okito are American companies maybe? :rolleyes:

Oh and one other thing, I HIGHLY doubt that these companies sole purpose is to take care of the US Military.

Sounds to me like a case of someone getting pissed off because they could get a taxi at that hour of the night, and the base authorized taxi's that he called didnt come out to pick up his buddy.

Sure that sucks big time. But is it really THAT big of a deal?

[Kinrat]

They have the base free ride home stuff , you call a number on base and some one comes and picks you up and takes you home check out ICE. They have Diakos which are people that come and pick up your car and drive it home for you at about the same price as a taxi. But the only thing is that you have to be sober enough to give directions.And ALL the Taxi's are Japanese it's just that some have ON BASE privileges and not sure but some only allowed to move people ON Base not off base. But I think the drunks that can't get a ride are probably to drunk to give directions.

[proudtobnotpc]

I propose a boycott against Meiho and Oki To Taxi Services.


LOL - Meiho taxi drivers used to drink and play cards in the parking lot of the Globe and Anchor on Friday and Saturday nights while waiting for customers. After the club closed we had to check the parking lot for passed out jar heads and we would always find empty one cups and orion beer cans were the Taxi cabs parked:scared:

[proudtobnotpc]

After having so much trouble with the J taxi's we should start our own taxi company by and for US military- make all J taxi's off limits to Sofa

[Muku]

After having so much trouble with the J taxi's we should start our own taxi company by and for US military- make all J taxi's off limits to Sofa

Watch what happens if and when you were able to get enough people to sign on........AAFEES would demand their cut and there goes your business.

Seriously though do you actually think that there are enough people SOFA types that is to keep a cab company here in business? With all the bases there are, and being as spread out too I would bet unless you were Warren Buffet you would be broke with in a month.

[Tanimaga]

When I moved to Kitanakagusuku, Finding a Taxi was a nightmare. Not "finding" one, but getting one to stop. I stood off from the main road, and flagged some down. After acknowledging me most just sped off. A couple stopped, and let me know they couldn't get on base. I told them IN JAPANESE "I'm not going on base, I want to go to Nakanomachi."
Apparently, the ones that I talked to spoke something other than Japanese, as they all responded with "No base."
One did stop, and said he was getting off...but called another taxi for me. The other taxi pulled up behind the first.. and as the first taxi drove off, the second took off right behind him.
12 Taxis in all gave me the run around. 40 minutes of waiting for a damn taxi, and I had to grab some Okinawan kids at the Famima to wave one down and hold it for me. I must look like a killer or something. :cool:

[Sex Wax]

When I moved to Kitanakagusuku, Finding a Taxi was a nightmare. Not "finding" one, but getting one to stop. I stood off from the main road, and flagged some down. After acknowledging me most just sped off. A couple stopped, and let me know they couldn't get on base. I told them IN JAPANESE "I'm not going on base, I want to go to Nakanomachi."
Apparently, the ones that I talked to spoke something other than Japanese, as they all responded with "No base."
One did stop, and said he was getting off...but called another taxi for me. The other taxi pulled up behind the first.. and as the first taxi drove off, the second took off right behind him.
12 Taxis in all gave me the run around. 40 minutes of waiting for a damn taxi, and I had to grab some Okinawan kids at the Famima to wave one down and hold it for me. I must look like a killer or something. :cool:

http://www.clubfuji.com/Ash/need%20taxi.jpg