A surprising grab taxi story from here in Manila.

[Yesitisdakid]

I booked a grab taxi to take me from my Airbnb to Robinson Place Mall 300 Pesos from my place to the mall. Traffic is terrible it took him forever but it is what it is a bargain I figured. What I wanted to come back I wanted to walk up and see the old LA Cafe which I did then from there I wanted to go out to the calamari place that's been all over the YouTube. So I booked a grab 225 pesos. I have been talking to the driver during the drive all I can say is the guys here are very friendly I've used grab now three times and they're always just really friendly. In any event he dropped me at the calamari place and I explained to him that I wanted to go back to my condo if he wanted to wait we could do it off the books so that he wouldn't have to pay a commission to grab. I got out got my calamari got back in 260 back to my Airbnb from the calamari place I handed him 300 he said oh no sir I was going this way anyway for my next pickup you don't have to pay me for the second half it's on the way. I about shit myself I couldn't believe it but I insisted and gave him the 300 he was very grateful I just couldn't believe he offered it for nothing the second ride. Like I say the grab drivers here so far have been so friendly it's a pleasure dealing with them

[Butch]

We've found Grab to be pretty good in and around Manila. Many of them are younger guys with decent, clean cars and working air con. Well priced also.

I've only once been caught out, when he suggested the expressway to go from MOA back over to alabang, which I agreed but it wasn't any quicker and cost me a few hundred extra peso, but in the whole scheme of things it's not terrible.

How did you find the LA Cafe Larry?. Del Pilar is one way so like yourself, I'll get off on Roxhas and walk down one of the side streets or go to Robinsons and hoof it from there depending upon my direction of travel.

Last time I was in there in the daytime it was very quiet, but Friday / Saturday nights it was standing room only. EDSA has now gone, and I've no idea what Burgos is like now but LA Cafe (now Manila bay Cafe) didn't disappoint, service still sucks so I order and pay by the beer, or grab a bucket of 6 SML.

[Glasseye]

3 hours ago, Yesitisdakid said:

I booked a grab taxi to take me from my Airbnb to Robinson Place Mall 300 Pesos from my place to the mall. Traffic is terrible it took him forever but it is what it is a bargain I figured. What I wanted to come back I wanted to walk up and see the old LA Cafe which I did then from there I wanted to go out to the calamari place that's been all over the YouTube. So I booked a grab 225 pesos. I have been talking to the driver during the drive all I can say is the guys here are very friendly I've used grab now three times and they're always just really friendly. In any event he dropped me at the calamari place and I explained to him that I wanted to go back to my condo if he wanted to wait we could do it off the books so that he wouldn't have to pay a commission to grab. I got out got my calamari got back in 260 back to my Airbnb from the calamari place I handed him 300 he said oh no sir I was going this way anyway for my next pickup you don't have to pay me for the second half it's on the way. I about shit myself I couldn't believe it but I insisted and gave him the 300 he was very grateful I just couldn't believe he offered it for nothing the second ride. Like I say the grab drivers here so far have been so friendly it's a pleasure dealing with them

 

Nice story 7.

Up here I get so many nice ones it's hard to believe.

Today I got into a Grab for a 15 minute drive. At the beginning I was not impressed. As we get going I start talking.... kid is from Bangkok but lives up here now. Spoke excellent English. Within five minutes I had him laughing his ass off.... shit, we were both in stiches.

I felt kind of bad because it was distracting him a little, and the motorbikes were on us like a hoard of locust. 

I have had so many good experiences lately with good Grab drivers. I always give a good tip (worth every penny, or baht, or peso). Can really put a smile on my face.

[Yesitisdakid]

13 hours ago, Butch said:

We've found Grab to be pretty good in and around Manila. Many of them are younger guys with decent, clean cars and working air con. Well priced also.

I've only once been caught out, when he suggested the expressway to go from MOA back over to alabang, which I agreed but it wasn't any quicker and cost me a few hundred extra peso, but in the whole scheme of things it's not terrible.

How did you find the LA Cafe Larry?. Del Pilar is one way so like yourself, I'll get off on Roxhas and walk down one of the side streets or go to Robinsons and hoof it from there depending upon my direction of travel.

Last time I was in there in the daytime it was very quiet, but Friday / Saturday nights it was standing room only. EDSA has now gone, and I've no idea what Burgos is like now but LA Cafe (now Manila bay Cafe) didn't disappoint, service still sucks so I order and pay by the beer, or grab a bucket of 6 SML.

Funny I was just going to post about that I went to Robinson's and then walked over from there cuz it's very close and I wanted to see the surrounding area I got there at about 1:30 in the afternoon and I counted 30 girls inside LA Cafe with myself and only one other customer downstairs. I don't believe upstairs was even open at that time of day but I couldn't believe the amount of girls in there that early in the afternoon. Mind you it's very dark in there and by the time my eyes adjusted I realized that most of them were fucking dragons

[Horizondave]

9 hours ago, Yesitisdakid said:

Funny I was just going to post about that I went to Robinson's and then walked over from there cuz it's very close and I wanted to see the surrounding area I got there at about 1:30 in the afternoon and I counted 30 girls inside LA Cafe with myself and only one other customer downstairs. I don't believe upstairs was even open at that time of day but I couldn't believe the amount of girls in there that early in the afternoon. Mind you it's very dark in there and by the time my eyes adjusted I realized that most of them were fucking dragons

I hated that place. Stopped visiting there years back. Wish it had never changed from Rosie's Diner which was one of my go to places in the late 80's

When L.A Cafe first opened, it wasn't too bad and you could actually go in and eat and have a beer but it then became the hangout of every girl who probably couldn't get a job in a go go. Going in with a mate wasn't so bad, you could fend off the feral girls and have some semblance of an uninterrupted time spent there. 

Go in on your own, you were probably outnumbered by the girls 5 to 1, which sounds good, but, god forbid you raise your eyes and look at someone, it was like you had just made a bid in an auction and you were soon surrounded by unwanted attention. Girls would run into you, but worst, they would just come and sit next to you and start talking. Just found the whole experience annoying.

The place stank and you could not relax.

May have changed but as I read ongoing reports on Philippine forums, it seems you need to be real hardcore to go in there now.

My preferred place was G Spot Smorgasbord, which was on Padre Faura (when I was last there). It is a smaller place that has a good menu and offers on the drinks, but not so in your face. Still get plenty of girls in there but they seem to leave you alone if you look like you want to be solo. Plenty of sports on the TVs as well so easier to while a few hours away. Must admit, I mostly go afternoons when not so busy but have been in the evening with mates, it had a good atmosphere. Just had to have my favourite of San Miguel Cerveza Negra, a lovely brew, some lovely waitresses to serve you and they used to have different uniforms through the week. The nurse and school uniforms days were good times to visit..

Still like a lot of things, it could have changed, been over a year since I was there. I try to avoid Manila and usually head straight to Angeles or Puerto Galera.