Taxis

[harvyk]

Before I say too much, this refers to the 5% of scumbag taxi drivers out there who damage the reputation of the other 95%.

Last night a taxi took my friend and myself back home, and they started driving down a road which there is no way he could have honestly thought it was the quickest way. I picked up on it straight away as I have lived in Canberra all my life, but had I simply been visiting here I wouldn't have picked up on it. (I've caught a taxi driver in Perth try a similar stunt on me once before as well, unfortuantly for him I knew the way to the place we where going quite well)

Do you guys have any stratagies you use to ensure that your not taken for a ride if your in a city you don't really know?

 

[NYCguy]

Do you guys have any strategies you use to ensure that you're not taken for a ride if you're in a city you don't really know?

Yes. Limo service. Works every time.

 

[straitman]

Yes. Limo service. Works every time.

Maybe we need a thread detailing good, well priced cab and limo services at each major city.

 

[medhead]

Not really. Get out iphone and start looking at the maps function. Preplan - check a map before going to the city. Talk to them and let on that you have lived in the city in the past and know where you are going. If you know where you are going give directions up front.

Now, as an ex-taxi driver, it is a bit of a furphy to think that cab drivers will take you the long way. Generally this will only happen with a driver who has no idea where they are going - a new driver, generally with poor english. they will know main roads only and will guess a main road and ask if they should go that way. If this happens you need to be on top of them, otherwise you might get a long trip.

On top of that I can give you the example of the short way versus the quick way. In Brisbane, from one suburb about 8 kms out from the city the quickest way to the CBD is on the freeway, that quick way is also about 2 km longer than another way via suburban roads. But then it takes about 5 to 10 minutes longer and only saves about $1 to $2. Is 10 minutes of your time worth $2.

Otherwise, an experienced driver will want you out of the cab as soon as possible. Why because they earn the most money when they turn on the meter - it is called the flag fall, every time that meter starts that's $3 to $5. driving a km is worth $1 or so. An experienced driver wants you out and the next guy in paying the flag fall.

 

[Mal]

Not really. Get out iphone and start looking at the maps function. Preplan - check a map before going to the city. Talk to them and let on that you have lived in the city in the past and know where you are going. If you know where you are going give directions up front.

Definately good advice. It's what I do when I go to a new city - never let the cabbie know it's your first time there.

Although, you do need something to back up your story, plenty of cabbies have asked further questions like whether I liked the place, where I'd been, where I'd stayed etc! Each time I managed to give appropriate answers.

Another tip - may not be the best idea to lie that much in front of a Significant Other, or similar people. A friend of mine couldn't believe how well I'd carried the story that I'd been in the town before by blatently lying to the cabbie in front of her... wasn't really the best step!

 

[straitman]

medhead,

Not disagreeing with you at all but have to ask if the 'Not really.' comment refers to NYCguy suggesting a Limo service or mine about having a lisy of cabs and Limos :?:

I think they are, depending upon circumstances, all relevant

 

[JohnK]

I try to avoid taxis as much as possible especially in strange cities. Even though you know you may be taken for a ride there is not much you can do.

Had a funny experience in Bangkok recently. Went from Novotel Lotus on Sukhumvit Soi 33 to the airport and I know the taxi fare is around 300 baht and I asked for tollway. Partway through the trip the driver asked for 500 baht and he will pay for the tolls which are 65 baht. I said no I pay for the meter and the tolls.

The smart cough took the long way on the tollway and basically circled the airport. The fare came to 403 baht (way more than normal) so I counted out exactly 403 baht and gave it to him. Sure we may have paid ~100 baht more but the feeling of counting out the single bahts to him was more than enough pleasure for me in the end.

 

[Hvr]

Otherwise, an experienced driver will want you out of the cab as soon as possible. Why because they earn the most money when they turn on the meter - it is called the flag fall, every time that meter starts that's $3 to $5. driving a km is worth $1 or so. An experienced driver wants you out and the next guy in paying the flag fall.

So why do so many drivers refuse short fares? It drives me mad travelling around Australia and having drivers try to rip me off at every opportunity.

The favourite scam in Melbourne is to put the $2 phone booking fee on a hailed taxi and plead ignorance when called on it. Using a credit card in an Melbourne taxi is almost guaranteed to result in fraud. I've seen more honest drivers in BKK than MEL.

The taxi directorate is only there to protect their members (owners) and they hate passengers with a passion. Every so often the issue a press release and do nothing.

About time that thieving drivers and their taxis were taken off the road for a month for a first offence. If it is an owner driver then forfeit the plates.

I caught a taxi today in the outer suburbs of Sapporo to go to Shiroi Kiboto Park. The fare was literally 2-3 minutes (I didn't know where I was going). The driver refused the extra 50 yen over the flag fall and thanked me for travelling with him.

Never happen in Melbourne.

 

[Mal]

I try to avoid taxis as much as possible especially in strange cities. Even though you know you may be taken for a ride there is not much you can do.

That's the other thing I try to do. If I can (safely) avoid a cab either by a public bus or train or tube, then I will. A "tourist" heading to the airport is ripe for picking. Same with a confused tourist walking around an airport looking for the cab rank.

 

[hedge]

Maybe we need a thread detailing good, well priced cab and limo services at each major city.

I agree. Would be handy for all.

 

[JohnK]

That's the other thing I try to do. If I can (safely) avoid a cab either by a public bus or train or tube, then I will. A "tourist" heading to the airport is ripe for picking. Same with a confused tourist walking around an airport looking for the cab rank.

I try doing this as much as possible in places I have visited in the past but sometimes taxis are unavoidable.

Another fun story was going from Kowloon station to Oriental Lander hotel recently and the taxi driver had lost the plot. Driving around and around, cursing in Chinese, and he was not sure of the location of the hotel. At one stage I thought he was going to let me out top find my own way there. In the end the fare was only HKD50 compared to the normal fare HKD30. Very scary encountering angry taxi drivers....

 

[Hvr]

Reminds me of a funny story when in Macau recently, I wanted to go the facade of the church in the early evening to get some sunset photos.

I showed the female taxi driver a picture of where I wanted to go and she nodded and off we went.

We obviously were near where I wanted to go but I couldn't see where the dashed facade was, and the driver was pointing up a road and I was pointing at the picture. She started talking loudly in Chinese and I was totally confused.

Eventually I got the hint and got out and there was the facade just behind a building.

Funny now but very confusing at the time.

 

[N860CR]

I haven't come across any worse than the Chinese taxi drivers yet. I had a taxi card from a major hotel, however managed to get shoved out of three taxis before I gave up and walked. On another occasion, my guide put me in a taxi and told the driver where to do. He drove around the corner, stopped and kicked me out. And people say we're racist!

 

[munitalP]

I haven't come across any worse than the Chinese taxi drivers yet. I had a taxi card from a major hotel, however managed to get shoved out of three taxis before I gave up and walked. On another occasion, my guide put me in a taxi and told the driver where to do. He drove around the corner, stopped and kicked me out. And people say we're racist!

My recent adventures in China, we used taxi's quite a lot, the only problems I had was early in the morning in Beijing trying to get to a rail station in heavy snow - drivers refused to take us, they wanted airport fares until we paid 100RMB to a driver - the other single issue was in Harbin, again trying to get to the railway station, we paid 50RMB for this ride.

The only real issue I have had with a taxi in another country was in London where a black cab charged me 145 for bayswater to LHR... I didn't realise until too late, he also dropped me at T2 :evil:

Melbourne cabs - they are hot and cold, evenings seems to bring the worst drivers out - with some of the cab drivers attitudes (city) I can understand why some drivers get a biff every now and again (I am not condoning this) - we have a local yellow cab driver who takes us to and from town (local) and is a gentleman - he's from Iran.

For longer trips, 99% of the time I use a limo service.

Mr!

 

[swylie]

There are some great cab drivers out there, and while the bad experiences are usually exceptions, I've had some pretty bad cab trips - dirty cars, rude drivers, drivers who swear and/or abuse other drivers, excessively late arrivals for bookings to the airport, waiting in mega-long taxi-rank queues, drivers adding on more $ for tolls than they should, etc...

Due to the poor consistency in quality/service/etc I used to spend $200+ /week on cab fares, which I really didn't see value or convenience in.

I've now decided that wherever possible I will always hire+drive my own car (usually cheaper and more convenient), or use corporate airport transfers (usually similar pricing, but also more consistent compared to taxis).

 

[notzac]

The favourite scam in Melbourne is to put the $2 phone booking fee on a hailed taxi and plead ignorance when called on it. Using a credit card in an Melbourne taxi is almost guaranteed to result in fraud. I've seen more honest drivers in BKK than MEL.

I've never run in to CC fraud problems in taxis in Melbourne (I can't say the same for other cities, sadly). Certainly plenty of rude drivers or ones that don't know where they're going though.

 

[harvyk]

it is a bit of a furphy to think that cab drivers will take you the long way.

The guy magically knew the correct route as soon as I picked him up on it...
He turned off a main road onto a quiet side road. I know the way he was planning on going, and I doubt any Canberran would consider that a valid route...

In Canberra especially heading down towards south Canberra it's rare that the back roads are faster than the main roads, especially at 3am.

 

[JohnK]

I've never run in to CC fraud problems in taxis in Melbourne (I can't say the same for other cities, sadly). Certainly plenty of rude drivers or ones that don't know where they're going though.

Fraud and cab charge where the 2 reasons I stopped using credit cards to pay for taxis.

A couple of years ago I had transactions appear on the Amex a couple of months after using the taxi service and I disputed them with Amex. Money was refunded after their investigation.

 

[straitman]

I've never run in to CC fraud problems in taxis in Melbourne

I have had issues :!:

 

[notzac]

I have had issues :!:

I make a point of not letting my card be used in a manual imprinter - I always ask at the start of the journey and will happily find a different cab if it's not working (IMHO, that was the cause of my CC fraud problems interstate - forgetting to ask and then having it as the only option for payment).