Originally Posted by
jiejie
Originally Posted by PTravel
Common misconception but not true. A prerequisite to being allowed to be a Beijing taxi driver is being a Beijing-ren. It's a geographically-protected occupation. Provincials cannot become Beijing drivers. That said, Beijing municipality is a huge place, and drivers familiar with one section or side of town or from the outlying municipal districts, may not be familiar with the details of other parts of the city. Newer drivers especially may be limited once they get off the major roads.
Okay, then I withdraw "provincial" and substitute, "new and inexperienced." Too many times, we've had to either call for directions, give drivers directions ourselves, or abandon the taxi altogether and find another one with a driver who actually knows where things are.
I recommend that passengers find a nearby big famous landmark (stadium, temple, park, etc.) to their destination on a map, and have Chinese characters for that as well as the address and phone number of the destination itself. This will at least enable the driver to get in the right neighborhood. Most drivers cannot reliably read/understand a map. Taxis have become so scarce at times that you have to take whatever driver you get regardless of talent or local knowledge, so the old methodology of waving the clueless or the newbies off, and waiting for a more knowledgeable driver is not so practical anymore.
That sounds like a very good idea.