Believing such an assurance could be costly, especially in larger Sicilian cities like Palermo, Catania or Messina. This comes as no surprise. The taxi drivers of Naples and Rome are infamous for price gouging --overcharging for basic fares and doubling their rates after dark. But in some cities it's even worse. Palermo, Sicily's largest city, is probably the worst of all.

Unfortunately, what has developed is a situation that is absolutely terrible for consumers, especially foreigners. In fact, most visitors are advised to avoid employing taxi service whenever possible. Why? Mostly it's a simple question of not getting ripped off by dishonest drivers, who are the majority.

It's not only taxi drivers who overcharge visitors. The carriage grooms, particularly in Palermo, are infamous for zealously overcharging. Most of the grooms also happen to have arrest records for petty (and not so petty) crimes, a fact indicated to a friend of mine some years by a city council member responsible for reviewing and updating their licenses. Another unpleasant detail is their generally inhumane treatment of the horses, something that the Italian authorities are lax in investigating.

If you must take a taxi, establish the price --and the route-- before getting into the car. There's no reason for a taxi ride from the city to the airport to cost more than seventy euros, and there are buses and trains that will take you there for just five euros.

A good alternative, especially if your stay is to include various mini-excursions, is to hire a car and driver in advance (try the internet). This is particularly practical for shore excursions for cruise ship passengers.

The drivers who charge passengers the official rates for service are a small minority, though they should be recognised. There are at least a few fair, ethical "cabbies" in Sicilian cities.

There's nothing "politically correct" or "nice" about this advice. Some folks may even be offended by it. That's okay; we're speaking for the vast majority of visitors and tourists who want to pay fair prices for transportation. Ideally, taxi drivers and carriage drivers would charge fair prices --those indicated in the official price lists.

In a perfect world Palermo's taxi drivers (perhaps the least honest of any city south of Naples) would be as honest as those in New York and London. Sadly, that's not the case. Taking a ride shouldn't mean "being taken for a ride." Buyer beware!

About the Author: Roberto Paglia has written several articles for this publication relating to social topics.