1. London, UK
You have a couple of taxi choices here:
Black Cabs
These are the famous ones, and you flag them down in the street. If you hail a black cab you can be pretty sure that your driver will both know London geography really well (they have to take a stringent test called 'the knowledge' to get their cabbie license) and he/she will be trustworthy. They work on a meter system.
BUT black cabs in London are monumentally expensive! A 20 min ride between my office and house in London zone 2 would cost me about £20 (SGD40). Basically, unless you are really stuck - or really rich (or can claim everything back from your office!) - locals rarely take black cabs in London. Traditionally people are supposed to tip drivers of black cabs too. Locals mostly don't any more. It's too expensive! And (especially given the point below) I am not sure what the tip is really for.
Also most taxi-drivers (of all types of cab) will now refuse to help you with luggage. They won't even get out of their seat. Something about 'health and safety'. If you have a lot of suitcases, or back trouble - be warned!
Ordered mini cabs
If you know you have to go somewhere at a set time, or need to be collected at home, you can order a cab in advance. You get given the fixed, quoted fee on the phone when you order. Usually you need to wait at least 20 minutes for a minicab. These cabs are a little bit cheaper than black cabs and they aren't the famous design. They are regular cars, called minicabs. There are many reputable minicab companies - the big ones like Addison Lee are reliable. If you want a decent, local one, you SMS a police number, or use their phone app to get details of safe minicab firms in your area.
Minicab drivers usually won't help you with luggage either!
Minicabs 'off the street'
The reason there is a police text service as above, is that alongside the reputable minicab firms, there are unreputable ones, which take on drivers without checking their records. There have been many cases of rape and robbery involving these cab drivers. If you are male or female, please do not risk using minicabs which have not been recommended by the police. If you need to flag down a taxi, get a Black Cab. It might cost more, but you will be a lot safer!
Handy link: http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/gettingaround/taxiprivatehire/default.aspx
2. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Having worked in and visited KL on many occasions, there is one simple rule to travelling there: do not use the cabs (the local word is 'teksi'). The one exception being the pre-paid airport transfer teksi from KLIA.
Otherwise, these guys will swindle you left, right and centre. They are supposed to operate on meters, but if you are foriegn or even speak local languages with a foreign accent, they will do their best to charge you some exorbitant, made-up fee for your journey. You can ask them to turn on the meter (which they are supposed to by law) but this can lead to heated and unpleasant arguments. I simply won't go near Malaysian cabs any more for these reasons.
Two particularly bad journeys include: a hostile driver who drove me miles away from my destination / route one night (I'm fairly savvy and well-travelled, but was genuinely scared on this occasion!); and having to angrily exit a cab at a traffic light after the driver turned off his meter and told me 'for you, 50 dollars' (for a regular trip that cost RM10). It's a huge pity, as there must also be genuine cabbies in Kuala Lumpur trying to make a living. I have had one or two good, honest ones, and they will help you with suitcases etc. But sadly the dodgy ones are so common I would strongly disadvise anyone - particularly tourists - from using 'teksi'.
Luckily these days there are efficient and affordable monorail and MRT systems, which serve most of central KL. Use these.
3. Singapore
I have always been pleasantly surprised by Singapore cab services. By UK standards they are very cheap, and by Malaysian standards, they are very honest. I've even heard of passengers leaving their smart-phone in a cab and the driver making the effort to contact them and drop the phone at their office!
Taxi drivers will help you with luggage, and they don't expect a tip - even though the fares are so reasonable it is well worth giving one. Also, having worked in transport here, I know that the cab drivers often have to cover large overheads to get a license, and take home tiny salaries compared to UK cabbies. So if your Sing driver is good, do tip!
The issue here, however, is actually getting a cab. There are several well-known taxi operators here (Yellowtop, Comfort, SMRT etc) and you can either flag a cab down, or order. But at certain times (eg after 9pm, or when it's raining!) it can be next to impossible to get one from any provider. Having said this, it's certainly a lot easier now than it was eight years ago when I worked here.
Also, I have noticed that cab drivers' knowledge of Singapore streets is polarised. Hopefully you'll get a savvy one (I am guessing these are local Singaporeans). But if you get a less-savvy driver, the chances are they don't even know how to get to big, central landmarks. So it's a little pot-luck from this angle!
And if you can speak English with a heavy Singaporean accent, you will find it a lot easier to reach your destination! I've now perfected my route to work in 'Singlish'. If you can speak Mandarin, Hokkien, Teochew (or sometimes Malay) even better!
Handy link: http://www.taxisingapore.com/
Happy travelling!
Image credits: Wikimedia, singaporeshots.com
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