Comments on: Taxi strategies to beat the scams http://www.vagablogging.net/taxi-strategies-to-beat-the-scams.html Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:14:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Katie http://www.vagablogging.net/taxi-strategies-to-beat-the-scams.html/comment-page-1#comment-7324 Katie Sat, 24 Jan 2009 04:32:39 +0000 http://www.vagablogging.net/?p=2862#comment-7324 There's the old one where you agree on a price beforehand, climb in, get to your destination and then the price agreed upon suddenly becomes the per person price for the trip. Or this is a good one, the old misunderestimating..... Agree on a price, then 2,000 kip?? No no no, I said 10,000 kip... etc etc Write down the numbers when negotiating ...at least when numbers sound similar. Of course, I don't want to look like the jerk who doesn't trust anybody by writing down the prices but, .... Oh yeah, and when you are a bleary-eyed newbie at 1am in Bangkok airport, don't, no matter how twinkley his brass buttoned, slightly sea captainy, sweet-assed looking suit the kindly gentleman approaching you is wearing, don't get out of the line for the official taxis. Unless you want to pay limo prices to get to your hostel but, I wouldn't know anything about that and I got there in style. haha All part of the fun. I've had some really nice taxi experiences as well. There’s the old one where you agree on a price beforehand, climb in, get to your destination and then the price agreed upon suddenly becomes the per person price for the trip.

Or this is a good one, the old misunderestimating….. Agree on a price, then 2,000 kip?? No no no, I said 10,000 kip… etc etc Write down the numbers when negotiating …at least when numbers sound similar. Of course, I don’t want to look like the jerk who doesn’t trust anybody by writing down the prices but, ….

Oh yeah, and when you are a bleary-eyed newbie at 1am in Bangkok airport, don’t, no matter how twinkley his brass buttoned, slightly sea captainy, sweet-assed looking suit the kindly gentleman approaching you is wearing, don’t get out of the line for the official taxis. Unless you want to pay limo prices to get to your hostel but, I wouldn’t know anything about that and I got there in style. haha

All part of the fun. I’ve had some really nice taxi experiences as well.

]]> By: Alex http://www.vagablogging.net/taxi-strategies-to-beat-the-scams.html/comment-page-1#comment-7177 Alex Mon, 12 Jan 2009 02:58:59 +0000 http://www.vagablogging.net/?p=2862#comment-7177 OK. Number 6 is not a Taxi scam and is a story irrelevant to the topic. David Williams should travel some more and get scammed, not argue. OK. Number 6 is not a Taxi scam and is a story irrelevant to the topic. David Williams should travel some more and get scammed, not argue.

]]> By: David Williams http://www.vagablogging.net/taxi-strategies-to-beat-the-scams.html/comment-page-1#comment-7127 David Williams Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:40:08 +0000 http://www.vagablogging.net/?p=2862#comment-7127 Yes, I have a very vivid Taxi story to tell. I was seven or eight years old at the time and we were traveling on vacation in Australia. We had been living at the time in one of the more remote portions of the Australian outback a small town named Alice Springs. This was roughly 1960 and having been in Alice for almost two years, we were due some quality time away. My dad of course could always fly free on any U.S Airforce plane, as long as he wore his Officers uniform. So we landed in Melbourne and it was pouring down rain. Our only option was to hop in a local taxi to take us in to town. I have never been so disgusted or angry with anyone in my life as I was with this taxi driver, nor have I ever been so proud to be an American. There we were stuck in traffic with what easily had to be the rudest man in Australia. The driver, upon seeing my dad in full Airforce blues, chose to unload to us on everything in his memory that he didn’t like about Yanks. My parents had to restrain me! I was yelling back at this man, telling him. “you know what I don’t like about Australians, they smell bad” of course Australians in general are really nice people and no for the most part they don’t smell bad, but I was a kid, and this man had my ire! My parents just ignored him, but I could not. It was the longest hour I have ever spent. If you have never been over seas and had someone dump on you as to why they don’t like Yanks, it is no fun. Years later in France a train conductor attempted to do the same thing, but there was no way that I was going to just sit and listen to him. Yes, I have a very vivid Taxi story to tell. I was seven or eight years old at the time and we were traveling on vacation in Australia. We had been living at the time in one of the more remote portions of the Australian outback a small town named Alice Springs. This was roughly 1960 and having been in Alice for almost two years, we were due some quality time away. My dad of course could always fly free on any U.S Airforce plane, as long as he wore his Officers uniform.

So we landed in Melbourne and it was pouring down rain. Our only option was to hop in a local taxi to take us in to town. I have never been so disgusted or angry with anyone in my life as I was with this taxi driver, nor have I ever been so proud to be an American. There we were stuck in traffic with what easily had to be the rudest man in Australia. The driver, upon seeing my dad in full Airforce blues, chose to unload to us on everything in his memory that he didn’t like about Yanks.

My parents had to restrain me! I was yelling back at this man, telling him. “you know what I don’t like about Australians, they smell bad” of course Australians in general are really nice people and no for the most part they don’t smell bad, but I was a kid, and this man had my ire! My parents just ignored him, but I could not. It was the longest hour I have ever spent. If you have never been over seas and had someone dump on you as to why they don’t like Yanks, it is no fun. Years later in France a train conductor attempted to do the same thing, but there was no way that I was going to just sit and listen to him.

]]> By: Ronin http://www.vagablogging.net/taxi-strategies-to-beat-the-scams.html/comment-page-1#comment-7083 Ronin Mon, 05 Jan 2009 06:22:58 +0000 http://www.vagablogging.net/?p=2862#comment-7083 in Singapore i found very hard to find taxis on late Friday nights - most of the drivers were heading home - i have to wait 30 minutes until i finally caught a taxi in Singapore i found very hard to find taxis on late Friday nights – most of the drivers were heading home – i have to wait 30 minutes until i finally caught a taxi

]]> By: Kimberly http://www.vagablogging.net/taxi-strategies-to-beat-the-scams.html/comment-page-1#comment-7078 Kimberly Sat, 03 Jan 2009 19:03:46 +0000 http://www.vagablogging.net/?p=2862#comment-7078 If you are familiar with your surroundings and know the shortest route possible, I find it is best to tell the driver the route you wish to take. When I lived in Northern Virginia, I would have to taxi home from the metro at night and I lived a bit off the beaten path, so I always said how to go...needless to say, some won't listen and I had a driver get lost in 4 different NoVA cities just to get me home. He tried to make me pay the ridiculous fare, and I refused, since I told him the best route. He was also a pedophile who constantly talked about book ideas for 12-13 year old boys. Other good advice is to read the taxis rules and regulations that should be clearly posted on either the window or the back seat. Familiarize yourself w/the fare rules for extra people, extra stops, etc. If you are familiar with your surroundings and know the shortest route possible, I find it is best to tell the driver the route you wish to take. When I lived in Northern Virginia, I would have to taxi home from the metro at night and I lived a bit off the beaten path, so I always said how to go…needless to say, some won’t listen and I had a driver get lost in 4 different NoVA cities just to get me home. He tried to make me pay the ridiculous fare, and I refused, since I told him the best route. He was also a pedophile who constantly talked about book ideas for 12-13 year old boys.

Other good advice is to read the taxis rules and regulations that should be clearly posted on either the window or the back seat. Familiarize yourself w/the fare rules for extra people, extra stops, etc.

]]> By: Enduring Wanderlust http://www.vagablogging.net/taxi-strategies-to-beat-the-scams.html/comment-page-1#comment-7071 Enduring Wanderlust Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:42:36 +0000 http://www.vagablogging.net/?p=2862#comment-7071 In most cities, especially in the developing world, it's essential to negotiate the price before getting into the taxi. Most taxi's don't have working meters or the drivers refuse to use them. Also, it's important to be sure you're clear on the currency being discussed. I had one driver in India claim that we agree to a price in Euro's. After we laughed very hard...we gave him exact change and walked away. Having the right change is a great point, Rolf. ~Gennaro In most cities, especially in the developing world, it’s essential to negotiate the price before getting into the taxi. Most taxi’s don’t have working meters or the drivers refuse to use them. Also, it’s important to be sure you’re clear on the currency being discussed. I had one driver in India claim that we agree to a price in Euro’s. After we laughed very hard…we gave him exact change and walked away. Having the right change is a great point, Rolf.

~Gennaro

]]> By: Eva http://www.vagablogging.net/taxi-strategies-to-beat-the-scams.html/comment-page-1#comment-7069 Eva Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:22:08 +0000 http://www.vagablogging.net/?p=2862#comment-7069 Small bills are useful not just because drivers often won't have correct change! My only taxi scam was in Istanbul: we used a larger bill to pay, and the driver gave us several bills in change. Later, when we tried to spend the bills, we were told they were invalid currency. They were old Turkish lira, and we hadn't been able to notice the difference... Small bills are useful not just because drivers often won’t have correct change! My only taxi scam was in Istanbul: we used a larger bill to pay, and the driver gave us several bills in change. Later, when we tried to spend the bills, we were told they were invalid currency. They were old Turkish lira, and we hadn’t been able to notice the difference…

]]> By: » Taxi strategies to beat the scams :: Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts … | Scams, Frauds and Schemes http://www.vagablogging.net/taxi-strategies-to-beat-the-scams.html/comment-page-1#comment-7067 » Taxi strategies to beat the scams :: Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts … | Scams, Frauds and Schemes Fri, 02 Jan 2009 06:55:11 +0000 http://www.vagablogging.net/?p=2862#comment-7067 [...] Here is the original post: » Taxi strategies to beat the scams :: Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts … [...] [...] Here is the original post: » Taxi strategies to beat the scams :: Vagablogging :: Rolf Potts … [...]

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