You know, I didn't get my first smartphone until the end of 2018.

In Kyiv, where I lived for 20 years, most people would just hold out their hand on the side of the road and any car passing by was a potential taxi.

Before I learned Russian, especially when I first moved there it was almost impossible for me to hail a taxi.

Usually I took the metro or was with someone who negotiated the ride for me. But once I learned Russian, knew the city, no problems.

Even in Donetsk where I lived for a year 2004-2005, that was the way I got around..

Times sure have changed. Taxi apps are a godsend.

But unfortunately they aren't everywhere or reliable everywhere.

I'm in a small city in Southern Albania at the moment and they're as useless as my Albanian lol...