Should I take a taxi in the situation below? I’d like to ask the male members for their opinions.

I’m Fuu, a column writer. For a 15-minute trip, I think taking a taxi is best. For first-time offers, I usually arrange it as dinner → a room if it’s within five minutes. Even if it’s within five minutes, I’ll send a taxi if the female member is wearing high heels or has made an effort to dress up. With regulars, I decide based on their heels, outfit, and the weather. As Riichi mentioned, taxi drivers can get irritated by short trips, which can make things uncomfortable, so I call one through an app. DiDi and GO are easy to use. If you link the app to a credit card or cashless payment method, the fare is charged automatically, making the whole process nice and seamless.

I’ll answer this as Maezawa from the president’s office. Taxis dislike short, one-meter rides when they’re lined up at places like train stations, waiting for passengers at the taxi stand. Apparently, after waiting in line for an hour or so and finally picking up a passenger, it’s disappointing when the destination is only one meter away. On the other hand, for taxis cruising around looking for passengers, a one-meter ride isn’t unpleasant at all. They’d much rather have a passenger than drive around empty. As for long-distance passengers, they may seem ideal at first, but there’s also the issue of getting back, since the driver may not be able to pick up another passenger on the way. So when they’re cruising, long-distance rides aren’t necessarily bad, but they aren’t always as great as you might think. > 1.1 km, 15 minutes on foot I think you should take a taxi. A woman wearing sneakers might be fine walking—she’s probably someone who enjoys walking and being active—but I feel that not many women come to dates wearing sneakers. Incidentally, real estate listings calculate walking speed at 80 meters per minute, but that pace is actually quite brisk. Walking 1.1 km at a relaxed pace while chatting could easily take around 30 minutes. You probably wouldn’t walk that slowly, but even so, I think you should picture the situation carefully before deciding whether to take a taxi.

I’m Taro, a male member. That sounds a bit half-baked, haha. You should probably change either the venue or the hotel. If you really want to do it that way, taking a taxi is a must. There aren’t many customers these days, so the driver probably won’t complain even if it’s just the minimum fare. Still, try to flag down a passing taxi rather than one waiting in line, and before telling them the destination, say, “Sorry it’s such a short distance.” If they still seem annoyed, you could hand them a ¥1,000 bill when you get out and say, “Keep the change.” That sort of thing was fairly common in the ’90s. The woman should be your top priority, right? There will always be some taxi drivers who get grumpy no matter what you do, but what matters is figuring out how to soften the awkward atmosphere so it doesn’t affect her. If the driver seems annoyed, stay quiet, then quietly whisper to her something like, “Oops, I think we made him mad, haha.”

It’s been a long time since anyone’s minded a one-meter taxi ride. If I’m wearing sneakers and walking for exercise, I’ll walk for an hour or even two. But when you’re on a date, are you really going to walk for 15 minutes from dinner to the hotel?! Please, give the jokes a rest. Marika P.S. Kamihikōki-san, Come to think of it, most of my papas also drove—except those coming from outside the area. P.P.S. Also, 1.1 km in Tokyo isn’t a one-meter ride. It would probably cost around 500 yen. P.P.P.S. And I think quite a few women simply don’t want to be seen walking around with their papa.

I’m Kazu, a male member. A 15-minute walk is pretty far. I’d take a taxi without hesitation. I often chat with taxi drivers, and they tell me they don’t particularly mind short, one-meter rides. Apparently, handling lots of short fares is an efficient way for them to earn money. If it really bothers you, why not hand the driver a 1,000-yen bill and tell them to keep the change?

I’m Paper Airplane, a male member. You’d probably take a taxi. You could stop at Starbucks along the way, too… Actually, why not go somewhere a little closer—or farther away? Maybe a hotel that’s just under 10 minutes by taxi… Another option would be to buy some drinks, snacks, and sweets at the halfway point and chat as you go. That said, I suppose it depends on what kind of shoes she’s wearing. Besides, if you’ve already booked a hotel, you could just meet inside the hotel. Personally, I drive, so I don’t use taxis, though…