I have to be honest, and say that I was once a target for a scam taxi from PEK...so it can and does happen. But your mistake (repeatedly) appears to be trying to negotiate a price for the cab before getting in -- this just tells the driver that you are likely to be a clueless tourist who doesn't know how things work -- hence the 'repeated scams'.

Taxis in China should (and by and large do) run on the meter. The one thing you need to be aware of (and in my experience of say >100 cab rides here has happened once) is that they do switch on the meter when you get in.

There are plenty of issues in China, but getting 'scammed' by cabs from PEK is pretty low down on the list. Similarly, if you are being charged 50 RMB for a drink at the GW, I think that _may_ say something about you. It also does say, I grant you, that "if they see one coming, they are likely to take advantage".

One thing that is definitely true in China is that if one can muster about 5 words in Chinese, the locals are mighty impressed. Just a quick "bu yao" or "ni hao" goes a long way to ward off potential scammers.

Scamming tourists happens in most countries, although not all, and for one, I would say that e.g. Paris is far more a tricky place than Beijing.

tb