|
Street Guides
There are many street guides or as we know them "Pirate Guides", they operate outside of the cruise terminal, next to the police station. Allthough there a few legite guides, most of them (legite) are usually hired by the local tour operator for ship arranged tours.
The problem is that there are no control over these guides, most of them have home made credentials and very few comply with the Rules & Guidelines for Tour Operators. When passengers forget or lose items in their cars, it's very difficult to locate the driver; since there are no listings.
It's responsability of the municpal governemt to control these people, but they have been tolerated for years.
The are 4 groups that work outside with different colored uniforms:
1.- Blue shirt, white pants.
2.- Blue hawaine shirt, white pants
3.- White shirt, navy blue pants
4.- Luck of the closet
Sometimes you get a great guide,but most of the time you're annoyed by someone that won't leave you alone.
Use your common sense, don't walk into back streets or use short cuts to get to the Flea Market.
Here´s some recommendations if you wish to use them:
*Before getting into a taxi, agree the rate.
*Make sure the AC works, Acapulco is hot & humid.
*If you feel uncomfortable, ask for help, there are police officers on a 2 km perimeter from the cruise terminal that will provide inmediate assistance or the Port Security officers at the gate.
*Ask to see a valid drivers license and Insurance for the vehicle.
*Keep track of your belongings.
*Ask for a business card before gettting into a car; if something goes wrong, it will help the authorities to find the driver.
*There is an information desk inside the cruise terminal ran by the board of tourism, ask for a complimentary map.
*Ask the ship for the ships agent telephone number, if your in a jam or lost, you can call him for inmediate assistance.
*The cruise terminal is well known as "Terminal de Cruceros" very easy to remember, we are located in front of the Fort of San Diego (in spanish "Fuerte de San Diego")
*Write this down for future reference and ask for something similar in any other port.
|