Arriving in a city for the first time can be daunting, it is even worse when you are first time visitor to the country, and this includes the US. Every country in the world seems to have some sort of public transport; some are quite unique to the area. A good example of public transport that you only see in Bangkok is the “tuk-tuk” and in Manila it’s the “jeepney.” If you don’t know they exist or what the routine is to use them, you can be lost.
Although the US does not have these “weird and wonderful” methods of transporting people, they also have different rules. The one thing that makes the US very different is the fact that most people have private vehicles and they do not rely on public transport, the result is that it can spotty and the frequency is not good.
Taxi:
In large cities such as New York you will find taxi’s plying the streets looking for a fare, in most cities you have to arrange a Melrose taxi in advance. It’s not as if there is no taxi service in most cities, it is just that you have call first and have a cab dispatched to pick you up. When you call the dispatcher that you speak to will ask where you are, where you want to go and when you want the taxi to be there. The dispatcher may ask how you plan on paying for the taxi, many accept credit cards. If you are a large group with luggage you may need a van, let the dispatcher know so the correct Melrose taxi can be sent.
When the taxi arrives the operator will drop the flag to the minimum charge. Not every city in the US has the same fare arrangements, in some cities you may have to pay extra for such things as additional passenger, luggage and tolls.
Commuting locally:
In many larger cities in the US there is a well organized method for local commuters; buses, trains and subways are well organized. Busses and the subway are used extensively in the city center, commuter trains are running to the suburbs. The commuter trains are scheduled closer together in the morning and evening to cope with the number of travelers.
