Taxi Park

This is the taxi park in downtown Kampala. Notice that it is the middle of the day and full of taxis. Traffic jam isn't a problem in the afternoon and at this time there is no waiting for a taxi. If this picture was taken in the evening, you would have seen empty spaces instead of vehicles.
Anyway, the tricky part is learning where each of the taxis is going. Each taxi has a specific route. When I first came to Uganda I frequently got lost or in the wrong taxi. You see, there are many guys around directing you to which taxi to get into. They get paid by the drivers when the taxi gets full so frequently they will just direct you to any one so that the taxi can fill up and they can get their pay. So, I've learned to try to read the signs on the front of the taxis instead of asking. If I'm heading to an unfamiliar place or a place that I don't frequently travel to, I spend quite a bit of time walking around and probably looking confused.
I remember one time a couple of years ago, I had walked around for quite some time without finding the taxi that I was looking for. Finally, I decided to go ahead and ask, knowing that when they directed me to the taxi, I should check the sign in front. I asked and was directed to a taxi. I couldn't find the sign so just figured I would take my chances and hopped in. When the taxi began its journey out of the town, I realized we were not heading in the direction that I was trying to get to.
Another thing is that the conductors will not stop the taxi to let you out until you get near to the destination that they are heading in. They know that if they let you out in the beginning that you are probably not going to give them any money. Then they have an empty seat which they have to fill. So, I just had to sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride. At least I got to see another part of town and explore a bit. I was lost but actually found a place that I had previously tried to find and couldn't.
Although I complain a lot about traffic jam and having to wait for the taxis, I still think it is a better alternative to owning my own vehicle. It's cheaper (no insurance or keeping the gas tank full) and I can still get almost anywhere I need to go (even some places that I wasn't expecting to go).