Help: inside overpriced intercity taxi.
 

Hi all,
My flight ex HGH went WX, so grabbed a cab to PVG. After leaving, driver refuses to put on the meter. He asks for 1000. I don't have any extra time, so nod and we go on. We are still on the way.


Do taxis have to put on the meter also on intercity journeys? If no, I am obligated to pay him 1000. Otherwise, although the odds are against me, I will try to run off with only paying a reasonable amount.

Please let me know what u think

Yes they are meant to put on the meter. Expect the driver to get extremely violent. He may force you to pay before you get anywhere you can run away. I'd get the police involved ASAP. You don't want to end up with broken bones. Trust me, the driver will have no problem breaking some of your bones and I'm not kidding.

The driver by taking you this distance is paying more in fuel than he can afford and you must understand this. 1000 will cover his costs and give him a profit but without receiving this money the fuel costs will make extremely violent.

Ask him to stop for food ("sufan" in chinese) and get the police involved. The police will either get you to get another taxi driver and send this one home for not putting on the meter or this driver will agree to put on the meter and you'll have to negotiate for the distance you travelled. It is completely illegal for him not to put on the meter even if you negotiated a rate.

Honestly you have put your well being into serious danger as these drivers can get really crazy in such cases.

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1000 RBM from HGH to PVG is a reasonable price.

Yeah it is only a few hundred more than the meter would be at most. Hangzhou taxis are expensive. Only risk is without meter on the driver may attempt to go for more than 1000 and you are putting yourself in danger without the meter being on.

That said, hangzhou taxi drivers are some of the more civilised drivers in China. There are some areas in China which will lead to a much worse experience.

+1

Can stop in Suzhou and have some mitten crab on the way.:)

Are you joking? The guy agreed to a price and now he wants to stiff the driver. I'd say HumbleBee is in the wrong. Humble needed a cab to PVG, the guy offered to take him for a thousand RMB he nodded his approval and now Humble wants to back out? I don't condone violence but if he does stiff the driver and he hits Humble (which most likely he would not) I can't say it wasn't deserved.

My advice. Be glad there was a driver in HGH willing to take you to PVG for 170 USD. Try taking a 2 hour cab ride in the States or Europe and see how much it costs.

It is completely illegal for the taxi to drive without the meter on. The fact is, the meter would come close enough to 1000. I would be extremely suspicious if the driver refuses to put on the meter even after negotiating a price in such a situation. What is to stop the driver from claiming you agreed to 2000 and he took you around Hangzhou for a few hours before coming to Shanghai?

I've caught enough intercity taxis to know to refuse to go with any driver who doesn't put on the meter even if a different rate was agreed to. It is in the drivers benefit to have the meter on as he can force the passenger to at least pay the meter rate.

HGH to PVG is at least 200KM and 1000rmb for a Hangzhou taxi is reasonable.

And I think it is very offensive to accuse the OP of trying to stiff the taxi. He simply got in the taxi and told him to go to PVG. He doesn't have time to find another taxi. It is illegal for the driver to refuse to put on the meter and force the OP to whatever rate he wants after he has entered the taxi.

The driver is dangerous in this case.

Meter fare probably about 800.
http://cscw2011.org/attending/transportation.html

200 rmb surcharge as passenger was in a rush and didn't
have time to negotiate with other taxis?

The OP was already in the taxi and the taxi seemingly left the stand before the OP was told 1000rmb. This isn't a 200rmb surcharge. The taxi could refuse to allow such a passenger to board, or refuse to drive till the passenger leaves the taxi, if he doesn't want to go out of the city. In which case the passenger can agree to pay over the meter to have the driver agree to travel. Under no circumstance can the driver take the passenger and then force him to pay a surcharge.

I am saying from personal experience that even if the driver agreed to a higher rate and he refuses to put on the meter he is most likely dangerous.

edit in bold.

Well the OP should have arrived. I hope he is okay. He hasn't replied to this thread or my PM. I hope he is rushing to catch a flight and doesn't have time to go online. However, considering there can't be that many more flights departing at this hour I must say I'm concerned.

I didn't realize the Hangzhou taxis have doors that can't be opened and left if you don't agree to the fare. The guy got into a taxi, admits he didn't have time to bargain and agreed to the fare...once you agree you have to pay it, common sense. It seems both parties win, the driver makes a couple hundred extra and Humble makes it to PVG on time.

As far as your personal experience, I can't take those dangerous cabbies away from you. But based upon my personal experience the driver is most likely not dangerous at all but merely a guy trying to make a living driving a passenger from Hangzhou to Shanghai for 1000 RMB.

If you request to go out of the city the driver doesn't have to drive his car if he doesn't want to. I've seen many taxi driver just turn off their car till the passenger leaves or agrees to the driver's price.

What sane driver would not turn on the meter even if the agreed price will be slightly higher? The driver has all to win with the meter being on and nothing to lose. Without the meter on the passenger can claim the agreed price was 500 and the police have no choice but to believe him if they get involved.

All I am saying is it is fine to negotiate prices but for God's sake make sure the meter is on. I don't think the OP would have gone to the effort to post here had he not felt intimidated.

Even when I have hired taxi's for the whole day they leave on the meter. I have hired a taxi in Hangzhou for the whole day and he had the meter on.

Just to be clear, the price isn't what is ticking me off. It is that the driver is driving without the meter on. 100% of my experiences when the meter was never turn on or was turned off mid-ride have ended with me seriously over paying so the driver doesn't break any of my bones.

If you are in a hurry, pay the fare but record the taxi plate number, then talk to the hotel front desk. They will communicate with local police dept. You will have a pretty good shot of getting refund.

I'm curious about how one goes about ensuring that a taxi driver will use the meter. We'll be travelling to China in a month or so, and don't speak any Mandarin. Do you just point to the meter, and if they don't turn it on get out of the taxi?

Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated. (We'll be in all the usual first-time places: Beijing, Xi'an, Yangshuo, Shanghai).

Thanks!
Ceiba