If you’ve never taken Ramonth Wellington’s taxi, be prepared that, when you do, you will have no choice but to follow a number of rules he displays on the inside of the window. If you can’t conform, catch another ride.

“Look at my car — number one. Mi have rules and signs. I’m a man of principle; people find it amusing. Now, with my car, once the AC is on you have to wear the mask,” he told the Jamaica Observer, reading from his list of edicts and referencing the Government’s stipulation that people wear face masks to help stem the spread of the novel coronavirus.

“It seh ‘no mask, no entry, ‘no smoking or spliff’ — that a fi di man dem weh a tek the taxi and them nuh realise seh them nuh charter the car, so them have the spliff behind them ears and inna dem hand so that stink up my AC. Mi have the asthma, so mi burn weed. When you come in a my car, as a man weh burn weed, you never smell it stink a weed, because a the public me a deal with,” said Wellington.

Adding that his car is not “a restaurant on wheels” Wellington unapologetically declared that passengers must not “nyam in deh” as he would not budge on that rule.

Labelling himself as “crosses” because he was born on a Friday the 13th, Wellington said he will always defend himself against disrespectful passengers.

“No loud phone calls or music. Emergency calls only, and use the earpiece,” he added. “You have some people, when them come inna di car them forget seh a nuh charter. When them come inna my car and get a call, I turn down the music and allow you to get the call. But, when I hear you say ‘and the dutty gyal seh…’ wrong place, wrong time. You should [say] ‘I’m in a taxi, I soon call you back’,” Wellington advised.

“Sometimes some people want to talk but them ‘fraid fi talk ’cause them nuh want the argument. Mi will defend them people deh,” added Wellington.

Clarifying that he is not prohibiting anyone from using their devices, Wellington explained that, “Some people come and [talk] inna the driver’s ears from one point to the next point, and it’s unnecessary.”

He added: “I like a quiet car, because I have to hear when one a di wheel a pop-off and when somebody say ‘one stop’, despite me playing my music at a moderate level.”

Another his rules is that passengers, before entering his vehicle, must inform him if they have big bills which would require him to make change.

“You have some people, them come inna yuh car and them wait ’till them reach them destination them a give you the money. Them haffi come [with their change] or tell mi ‘Driver, mi have a $500, mi have a $1,000’, mek me prepare myself and stop a di gas station and get it change,” Wellington added.

But, although he has all these rules his passengers must follow, Wellington, who is also a disc jockey and goes by the name Badda Badda, said he has never had an altercation with a passenger because they refused to follow the rules.

He also stated that he is a fair taxi driver and often credits rides to passengers who were unable to pay.

“If you come in my car today with $150 and you come tomorrow with $100, I’ll still carry you. I don’t give free rides, but I’ll trust you a ride if you are in difficulties,” he said.

“Taxi work a wi daily bread, but you have to be safe. Is a hard work and it very risky and you have to know how to deal with things and how fi deal with the public,” he added.

“Some people nuh like mi because mi stand up fi the right things,” Wellington said, but boasted that he has garnered so much respect that the owner of the taxi commissioned his face to be drawn on the trunk of the vehicle with the words ‘Rate who rate you’ written below the drawing.

Name: Ramonth “Bada Bada” Wellington

Age: 47-year-old

Length of career: 15 years

Route: Red Hills Road to Half-way-Tree