How on earth do you... taxis in foreign countries
Nov 7, 2002, 11:37 pm
#1
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Join Date: Oct 2002
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How on earth do you... taxis in foreign countries
Dealing with the subject of taxis in many foreign countries (especially outside North America and Western Europe), the travel guides often admonish the visitor to "insist the driver use the meter" or "negotiate a fare before setting out" to avoid overcharges. The travel guides devote all of one or two sentences to saying this, usually without giving so much as a word of advice on how exactly the short-term visitor is supposed to accomplish these tasks.
I know one can learn the local phrase for "Please use the meter" before journeying to a far-off land, but what happens when the driver replies (as I'm sure many are apt to do) with a rapid-fire explanation about why he can't use the meter, or why you're better off accepting his offer of a flat fare? I can't see how it's possible to negotiate one's way out of this situation, or even understand what the driver is saying, with anything less than fluency in the local lingo. It's simply not a phrasebook-oriented situation like buying a train ticket or ordering from a restaurant menu.
Surely plenty of people who don't speak the language take taxis as visitors to countries where drivers are reluctant to use the meter or fares must be negotiated... What do you all do when you encounter these things?
I know one can learn the local phrase for "Please use the meter" before journeying to a far-off land, but what happens when the driver replies (as I'm sure many are apt to do) with a rapid-fire explanation about why he can't use the meter, or why you're better off accepting his offer of a flat fare? I can't see how it's possible to negotiate one's way out of this situation, or even understand what the driver is saying, with anything less than fluency in the local lingo. It's simply not a phrasebook-oriented situation like buying a train ticket or ordering from a restaurant menu.
Surely plenty of people who don't speak the language take taxis as visitors to countries where drivers are reluctant to use the meter or fares must be negotiated... What do you all do when you encounter these things?
Nov 8, 2002, 1:25 am
#2
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That's a good question and I am not sure of the answer. One night when I was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia I was attempting to get a cab at about 2 or so in the morning. The driver greeted me in broken English (probably because I'm white) and I told him in English where I wanted to go. He quoted me a price and I asked him to use the meter. Still in English he said, "Meter Sleeping." I said in Bahasa Malaysia "Well wake it up then!"
He was livid and proceeded to rip into me (in Malaysian) and imagine his surprise when I started giving it right back to him. We were both shouting insults at each other in Malaysian and a small group gathered to watch. After about a minute (which was good because I was running out of insults in Malaysian) another cabbie came over (he was laughing his head off) and told me his meter was awake and invited me into his cab. He took me back to where I was staying and refused to accept a tip saying that the show was good enough.
Probably not the smartest thing I have ever done -- and I try hard not to be an ugly American when I travel -- but looking back, I laugh when I think of that night.
He was livid and proceeded to rip into me (in Malaysian) and imagine his surprise when I started giving it right back to him. We were both shouting insults at each other in Malaysian and a small group gathered to watch. After about a minute (which was good because I was running out of insults in Malaysian) another cabbie came over (he was laughing his head off) and told me his meter was awake and invited me into his cab. He took me back to where I was staying and refused to accept a tip saying that the show was good enough.
Probably not the smartest thing I have ever done -- and I try hard not to be an ugly American when I travel -- but looking back, I laugh when I think of that night.
Nov 8, 2002, 7:32 am
#3
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IMO, lighting into someone who's trying to rip you off, in their native tongue, is definitely not Ugly American. Ugly American is saying "Do you have any good beer? Like Bud?"
You done good.
In Bangkok I just accepted the tuk-tuk driver's first offer for fare. It was always under $3 US and I figured that they needed the extra dollar or so more than I did.
[This message has been edited by pdhenry (edited 11-08-2002).]
You done good.
In Bangkok I just accepted the tuk-tuk driver's first offer for fare. It was always under $3 US and I figured that they needed the extra dollar or so more than I did.
[This message has been edited by pdhenry (edited 11-08-2002).]
Nov 8, 2002, 10:15 am
#4
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Ha, you must not have read my Prague post...
Taxi had a meter, driver told us flat out (n an honest tone) how much exactly from the train station to the hotel, we still got ripped off!
Turned out that his meter was pre-adjusted to run three times as fast!
Anyway, the lesson is, always find out approximately how much the fare is from point A to point B, and tell the driver this is it (if he tells you otherwise), and make sure you have exact change in local currency.
However, if during a trip, you were only cheated by the taxi drivers and didn't lose anything else, consider yourself lucky!
[This message has been edited by belle3388 (edited 11-08-2002).]
Taxi had a meter, driver told us flat out (n an honest tone) how much exactly from the train station to the hotel, we still got ripped off!
Turned out that his meter was pre-adjusted to run three times as fast!
Anyway, the lesson is, always find out approximately how much the fare is from point A to point B, and tell the driver this is it (if he tells you otherwise), and make sure you have exact change in local currency.
However, if during a trip, you were only cheated by the taxi drivers and didn't lose anything else, consider yourself lucky!
[This message has been edited by belle3388 (edited 11-08-2002).]
Nov 8, 2002, 11:13 am
#6
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by blairvanhorn:
belle, is that you?</font>
belle, is that you?</font>
{{{{{blair!!!!}}}}} <tears streaming down belle's rosey cheeks>
[music on] Don't cry for me Argentina, the truth is I never left you.....
Nov 8, 2002, 11:49 am
#7
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">{{{{{blair!!!!}}}}} <tears streaming down belle's rosey cheeks></font>
Nov 8, 2002, 12:26 pm
#8
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Soooo glad to see you back to your old smarta$$ self again, bibs!
However if we continue this further, someone is surely to scream OMNI and tell us to get a (fo)-room!
May you never encounter dishonest cab drivers and rigged meters in your future travels!
with Cover Girls's NO SMUDGE belle
However if we continue this further, someone is surely to scream OMNI and tell us to get a (fo)-room!
May you never encounter dishonest cab drivers and rigged meters in your future travels!
with Cover Girls's NO SMUDGE belle
Nov 8, 2002, 1:08 pm
#9
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by belle3388:
Anyway, the lesson is, always find out approximately how much the fare is from point A to point B......</font>
Anyway, the lesson is, always find out approximately how much the fare is from point A to point B......</font>
Nov 10, 2002, 11:41 am
#10
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Thanks for the replies, guys. It seems from what's been posted that there are no easy answers in this situation (but if one is looking for easy answers then why bother traveling?), but based on your replies I have a better idea what I would do if it happened to me one day.
Factotum's Rules for Negotiating with Overseas Taxi Drivers
1. Know what the fare should be before attempting the journey. (I had this rule before I even asked but it bears repeating: Better to know what a reasonable fare is before setting off than to find out after one's journey that one has paid too much.)
2. Should the driver not take kindly to one's request to use the meter or one's offer of a reasonable flat fare, as in other disputes, there's no substitute for a good working knowledge of the local language.
3. If rule no. 2 fails, the best thing to do is find another taxi if the argument persists.
4. Exception to rule no. 3: If the driver makes an offer that is still inexpensive despite seeming too high, one may balance the risk of taking one's chances with this offer against the hassle of getting another cab. I worry, however, that practices like these, in which the visitor accepts the first offer at face value, are what make people believe they can charge inflated prices to tourists in the first place. This rule, therefore, is really a judgement call.
Incidentally, I try to avoid taking taxis when I travel (I'm more of a metro fan myself), but if one examines the probability of a situation like this occurring on any given trip and extrapolates over the number of trips I'll (hopefully) take in my lifetime, it's bound to happen sooner or later. I'd rather know what to do sooner than find out what I should have done later. Thanks again.
Factotum's Rules for Negotiating with Overseas Taxi Drivers
1. Know what the fare should be before attempting the journey. (I had this rule before I even asked but it bears repeating: Better to know what a reasonable fare is before setting off than to find out after one's journey that one has paid too much.)
2. Should the driver not take kindly to one's request to use the meter or one's offer of a reasonable flat fare, as in other disputes, there's no substitute for a good working knowledge of the local language.
3. If rule no. 2 fails, the best thing to do is find another taxi if the argument persists.
4. Exception to rule no. 3: If the driver makes an offer that is still inexpensive despite seeming too high, one may balance the risk of taking one's chances with this offer against the hassle of getting another cab. I worry, however, that practices like these, in which the visitor accepts the first offer at face value, are what make people believe they can charge inflated prices to tourists in the first place. This rule, therefore, is really a judgement call.
Incidentally, I try to avoid taking taxis when I travel (I'm more of a metro fan myself
), but if one examines the probability of a situation like this occurring on any given trip and extrapolates over the number of trips I'll (hopefully) take in my lifetime, it's bound to happen sooner or later. I'd rather know what to do sooner than find out what I should have done later. Thanks again.
Nov 10, 2002, 12:10 pm
#11
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You have to watch Taxi drivers the world over, if they hesistate when quoting a fare you know something is very wrong.
Often they will reply the "minimum fare" - don't be fooled by this, the last time at MXP it was $50 (50 euros) for a 1.5 mile drive to an airport hotel - a complete rip off. Airport taxis are always the worst, best to take a train or bus from the airport to the city centre and then pick up a taxi to the Hotel. Could save you a $50 at least!
Often they will reply the "minimum fare" - don't be fooled by this, the last time at MXP it was $50 (50 euros) for a 1.5 mile drive to an airport hotel - a complete rip off. Airport taxis are always the worst, best to take a train or bus from the airport to the city centre and then pick up a taxi to the Hotel. Could save you a $50 at least!
Nov 10, 2002, 1:10 pm
#12
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Last year we were at the TKTS booth in Times Square in line for tickets. The people in front of us just flew in the night before from some state with no ocean, and were about to buy Lion King tickets from a guy walking up and down the line selling them. Everybody in the crowd told them not to do that, they were fake tickets.
They were happy we saved them the money, because they were running low on cash. Seems the taxi from Kennedy to Times Square was $150, it was $30 on the meter and there were five of them.....
They fels lucky, the driver giave them a discount and didn't charge them the toll.
It's not just overseas you have to worry about it, and not just for people who don't speak your language.
They were happy we saved them the money, because they were running low on cash. Seems the taxi from Kennedy to Times Square was $150, it was $30 on the meter and there were five of them.....
They fels lucky, the driver giave them a discount and didn't charge them the toll.
It's not just overseas you have to worry about it, and not just for people who don't speak your language.
Nov 10, 2002, 1:24 pm
#13
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Sweet Willie:
Flyertalk sure has come in handy in regards to this.</font>
Flyertalk sure has come in handy in regards to this.</font>
Nov 10, 2002, 1:44 pm
#14
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<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Factotum:
Factotum's Rules for Negotiating with Overseas Taxi Drivers
2. Should the driver not take kindly to one's request to use the meter or one's offer of a reasonable flat fare, as in other disputes, there's no substitute for a good working knowledge of the local language.
.</font>
Factotum's Rules for Negotiating with Overseas Taxi Drivers
2. Should the driver not take kindly to one's request to use the meter or one's offer of a reasonable flat fare, as in other disputes, there's no substitute for a good working knowledge of the local language.
.</font>
A taxi driver agreed on the price for driving to see major sites and suggested that he run the meter accepting which ever was lower. The meter turned out somewhat more expensive so he turned it off 2/3 of the way into the tour. We got to see One Tree Hill shortly before the tree got cut down in a attack. It's now No Tree Hill.
Nov 10, 2002, 11:04 pm
#15
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who needs to leave North America to get ripped off by cabbies? I was taking a cab from ATL to downtown Atlanta really late one evening (first time in Atlanta too!) and when the cabbie pulled up to my hotel, he insisted the fare was 50 bucks.
50 bucks!??!? No bloody way!
So rather than try and argue with him, I told him that we could both head to the concierge and ask HIM what the fare was between ATL and the hotel. Whatever he said, I would pay...
Needless to say, the ride turned out to be soooo much cheaper.
Try it next time you're heading to a (reputable) hotel and you feel that you're being "taken for a ride"!
50 bucks!??!? No bloody way!
So rather than try and argue with him, I told him that we could both head to the concierge and ask HIM what the fare was between ATL and the hotel. Whatever he said, I would pay...
Needless to say, the ride turned out to be soooo much cheaper.
Try it next time you're heading to a (reputable) hotel and you feel that you're being "taken for a ride"!