I'll do my best based on my experiences with taxis. Since you are picking one up at a station, you don't have to worry as much about "flagging one down." There should be a line of taxis waiting and you will go to the frontmost one for your trip. If you have bags, the taxi driver will likely offer to put them in the trunk for you- usually I let them put the suitcase back there, and keep my smaller bag with me. Then you will get in the backseat and give the taxi driver your address- they will put this in a gps to find your destination, and then you will start your trip. Sometimes the driver will ask for clarification of directions, so its not a bad idea to look up directions ahead of time and get an idea of where you are going if its somewhere new. You will notice a device in the center dashboard that shows the fair- this will rise as you travel, so you have a general idea how much the trip is costing as you go, unless there is a set fair for your travel- for instance, travel to the airport where I live has a set cost depending on what zone you are in. In terms of socializing, it really depends on the taxi driver- some want to have full on conversations with me, though most just stay quiet and I can play on my phone while I travel. This really depends on the driver though, and you won't know until you are in the cab :( Finally, once you reach your destination you will pay- most cabs I have seen nowadays have credit card machines in the back if you want to pay by card- you can also tip on these, but cab drivers tend to prefer tips in cash. You can also pay for the whole trip in cash of course- just hand the money to the driver in front of the cab. Once paid, then the cabbie will help you with your bags and you will be on your way! Hopefully that lays it out pretty clear- if you have any questions about it, let me know! I've taken a number of cabs, as well as ubers, but it is definitely nerveracking the first time you do it, especially if you are not sure what to expect.

This is so helpful, thank you so much Dreadnoughtus! c: I've been so anxious over this whole thing. It's absolutely terrifying to me, and none of the experienced people I've asked have taken it seriously so thanks, I [i]really[/i] appreciate it. <3

I have nothing particularly useful to add because Dreadnoughtus covered it all. So I'll just say you can do it!!

I'm glad I could be of help! I know the first time I took a cab I was really nervous about it- I triple and quadruple checked where exactly it would be, and had my own GPS running the whole time to make sure we were going the right way (which is probably a little overkill, but I was nervous- I pretty much do this anywhere I travel though, even on trains that can't exactly change course XD). But know that the taxi driver only wants to get you to your destination swiftly and safely, so they can pick up their next client. Safe travels my friend!

Oh! That reminds me! Don't be worried if the taxi driver isn't following the exact route on your GPS. There are some streets the driver might know to be faster due to time of day or the way street parking works. The drivers (when using incrementally increasing fare) make more money picking up new customers than they do ferrying one person around, so they learn to use the fastest streets that they're experienced with. I guess one more small thing: In my experience, fares usually start with a base payment of a few dollars, so don't be shocked if the meter doesn't start ticking from $0.

One thing to add, I don't know where you are travelling, but tips differ by country, so you might want to google that to see the usual amounts and customs for it. Typically I find if the cabbie is one who likes talking/conversation, it is easier to ask them a few leading questions and just let them talk; takes the burden off of you and you can learn some handy things. My go-to "get them talking" questions: "what are your favorite places to eat in the city when you want a quick/quiet meal?" "What about for a regional specialty/your favorite foods?" "What would you recommend every person see or do in this area?" "Tell me about the worst fare you ever had?" "How did you end up in the business? Was it scary at first?" "What's your favorite story about cab driving?" "Are there any interesting urban legends around here?"

Dreadnoughtus really covered it all I think but I just wanted to stop in and send encouragement your way! I taxi to and from work, twice a day, 5 days a week, and even I am still learning new things about the taxi business! While I think Dreadnoughtus gave some great tips, I would like to add some encouragement towards Uber and offer that perspective too. I use both Yellow Cab and Uber in my trips around my town and I find Ubers are nicer cars, less hassle, more prompt(when I call for them) and more easy going overall(afterall, they really want a good rating from you at the end of the trip!) But the real thing that sticks out that may be big for your anxiety is that with Uber, you put your card info into the app, and all you need to do is enter your location(which it can track with GPS) and where you are headed. Then when the Uber arrives, you just get in, go for the ride, and once you get to your destination, thank them and hop out! No Payment hassle! Also Uber tends to give a fairly accurate estimate of your trip cost before you call for them, which may help you budget since you can look that up before you go on your trip! When you call for an Uber it shows the Driver's License Plate number, their name, and such and they should have a U decal on their window marking them as an Uber cab. So you can easily identify when they show up too! If you have a chance before your trip, I recommend just taking a cab or Uber once or twice to somewhere in your town if its available. Like a practice run! It'll help the nerves if you've gotten to practice in a place you're familiar with. Safe Travels!~ ♥Laila

I completely get this question and I'm glad the community can help out! <3 The first cab I ever took (pre-Uber!!!) was unmarked. The guy took my luggage from me before I could get a word in edgewise, and it was basically held at ransom in his vehicle. It was not a happy ride. Marked cabs (be they bright orange, checkerboard, yellow cab, top-lit, etc) have systems in place to protect you. All cabbies are required to display their 'medallions', a special license that permits them to drive the cab and earn money from it. If anything goes wrong at any point on your trip, you have that medallion information to set things right with their higher-ups. Uber and Lyft are very comfortable experiences. I've had longer drives out to airports with them, from 45 minutes to 3 hours, as well as short stops, and they're very generous and invested individuals, because they are paid based on their ratings, and their ability to get rides are based on their ratings. I, an out-of-touch academic, had no idea how to use Uber at the start either, but these apps made my life a lot easier. You have the ability to call your driver (and they can call you), so if there's a bad rainstorm and you're ducked inside a cafe to stay dry, you don't have to stay out and wait there, getting drenched. Or if the lines are bad at the airport, they can say 'I'm in lane four, where are you standing?'. They want to make sure they can get you where you need to go. Safe travels!

I seriously wish I didn't live in the, pretty much, only large city in Canada/America that doesn't have or allow Uber/Lyft. I'm learning so much right now.

(If it's any consolation, those that they had to pull out of, or were disallowed from, are in discussions to bring them in. Perhaps in the space of a year, you'll have safe and efficient private cab service.)