Where are the best (and worst) Taxi drivers?

There are plenty of good taxi drivers out there… and then there are the ones that try to rip you off, don’t drive to the road rules and have loud conversations in a language you don’t understand.

This week the question of where you will find the best and worst taxis drivers was asked, and it elicited some very interesting responses! While taxi rip-offs are not uncommon overseas, it seems that this is also a problem in Australia. One member recalls an indirect taxi ride from Melbourne city to Tullamarine Airport via the West Gate Bridge. Another member, who happens to be a former taxi driver, heard of a similar story in Sydney.

Cowboys there were a few, remember hearing from a transport inspector about the tourist who went from the airport to the city via Gladesville Bridge AND Harbour Bridge. Realised they were being dudded when they saw the city buildings from 3 different angles in an hour.

If you talk to anyone who has used a taxi overseas, they will probably have a story or two to share about dodgy taxi operators. Bangkok gets a particular mention as just one of many cities where the driver is unlikely to want to use the meter. Where the meter isn’t used, the fare will almost certainly be (much) higher, so this is something to watch out for. But when it comes to bad experiences, this one would surely have to take the gong:

Kuala Lumpur. The cabbie, amongst many many other things, hit a pedestrian. She was knocked flying, the cabbie didn´t even look back in the rear vision mirror.

A common difficulty experienced by our members is with drivers that don’t want to accept short fares. Sydney and Melbourne taxi drivers both get special mentions for this. But there are a few cities where this is less of an issue. Singapore gets a vote as a city with a good taxi service and cab drivers that don’t mind shorter fares. And in New York, drivers who pick up short fares out of JFK Airport are allowed to return to the airport and skip the queue once they have dropped off their passenger.

Nowadays Uber has become a popular alternative to taxis. Many of our members find it a great way to save money and a better all-round experience. However not all are convinced that Uber is much better…

Uber lets get into a strangers car, that is operating illegally, hasn’t done the advanced driver course that is required by Taxi driver

Taxi drivers lets get into a older car, get charged more than uber and learn a foreign language AAHmmm thank god for family running me to the airport

Share your taxi experiences – good and bad – HERE!

The editor of Australian Frequent Flyer, Matt's passion for travel has taken him to over 70 countries… with the help of frequent flyer points, of course!
Matt's favourite destinations (so far) are Germany, Brazil & Kazakhstan. His interests include economics, aviation & foreign languages, and he has a soft spot for good food and red wine.

You can connect with Matt by posting on the Australian Frequent Flyer community forum and tagging @AFF Editor.
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