Originally Posted by
endoman
After 4 fabulous days in Nagpur, we arrived at the domestic terminal needing a cab to a hotel to eat before our flight back to LHR. We followed the signs etc and were approached by a chap and walked a long way to a black cab with yellow roof. We asked repeatedly about price but got the answer I will show you rate in a minute. We were heading to the Airport Sheraton. We were driven for about 3 minutes to a dark street, got hemmed in by 2 other cars and asked for 1600 rupees. There were 2 guys in the front of the " Black Beauty Cab" who were really not for letting us out. I felt we had no choice but to pay up as we had no idea where we were. We got transfered to another taxi who took us where we wanted to go. I think had we not paid things could have got worse.
A shocking experience, and I thought we were not daft enough to be caught by something like this, but we were tired after a days travel etc.
We went to the Peshawari Restaurant, and I thougfht the hotel was loveley but the food no better than anything we had in Nagpur for about 1/20 th of the price.
Loved India, will go back, but will be even more wary the next time!
A terrifying experience, and I'm glad you came out fine, except for the loss of a little money.
With all due respect, however, you did two things wrong:
1. NEVER go with a tout. This is true anywhere in the world. I've not been to BOM, but at the other Indian airports I've seen, the taxis are all parked in a designated area and the drivers tend to know each other.
2. NEVER go anywhere in a taxi that won't provide a rate quote, even if it's approximate.
I'm sure you know these rules but your exhaustion got in the way of your better judgment. Anyway, you did the right thing by cooperating with the robbery (and that's what it was).