Taxi Tips and Terror Tales

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Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #15 on: April 28, 2007, 11:11:03 PM »
Another point: try project as much knowledge and capability as possible- the crooked drivers, and there are some (especially in Beijing, don't get me started on those f asasasasas ckers, will first suss you out, hoping to conclude you are helpless and clueless.  Saying the name of your destination out loud, only then offering the card with the entire name on it, shows you have enough confidence to expect he would understand you, and are that much more likely to catch him if he tries to cheat you.
« Last Edit: April 29, 2007, 01:35:12 AM by Raoul Duke »
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babala

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Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #16 on: April 29, 2007, 06:00:08 PM »
Good point. I try always to speak Chinese to the driver. Sometimes you get stuck but the few times that a taxi driver has tried to rip me off was when I handed them a paper with the address written on it. Even now, if I hand them an address I still speak some Chinese to them to let them know I'm not a tourist to be taken advantage of.
Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try. Homer Simpson

Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #17 on: May 07, 2007, 02:10:13 AM »
Had to take taxi in Beijing.

Why won't they take you where you want to go??  Twice, they stopped across the street and said walk across.  I'm talking 6+ lanes.  Had to climb bridge to get across.  First time was ok.  Last time I had all my luggage and wanted the train station.  I refused to get out of the cab.  He wouldn't budge.  I told him in chinese what I thought, told him I had a bad knee.  He then drove 40 feet to a crosswalk not a bridge and turned off the meter.  I would have paid the extra for him to drive a few blocks and get to the other side of the street.  Idiot  asasasasas asasasasas asasasasas asasasasas asasasasas


They will have to clean up their act by next summer if they don't want to piss-off the world.  asasasasas
Be kind to dragons for thou are crunchy when roasted and taste good with brie.

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Lotus Eater

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Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #18 on: May 07, 2007, 03:24:38 PM »
Shift change in Xi'an is from 4:30-6:00 - definitely a bad time to try to find a cab - they ONLY want to go in theh direction of their switch with the next cabbie.

But cabbies love to chat, and I learn many things from them.  I've also had several offers from them to find me a boyfriend - obliging lot!  One or two wanted to be that boyfriend, but others had a good friend they wanted me to meet.

No thanks!

Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #19 on: May 08, 2007, 01:45:01 PM »
Beijing taxi drivers are lazy and often rude. They don't like traffic but don't listen when you tell them how to go. Hence my constant fights with them. Couple of times I had great drivers - very polite and kind. But the rest of the time - God, help me!

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Lotus Eater

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Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #20 on: May 08, 2007, 04:31:44 PM »
Beijing taxi drivers at the train station don't even want to pick you up.  Very strange.  They do seem to be the worst ones around.  Otherwise i usually have a good time with them, and they in general don't try to rip me off, or at least not to a great extent.  That's only happened once and I got to practice my Chinese bad language in earnest.

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Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #21 on: May 11, 2007, 06:34:51 AM »
Raoul is right. They don't care what you or anyone else thinks, and would in fact find it peculiar that you cared.

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Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #22 on: May 12, 2007, 01:01:33 AM »
I can hardly wait for the Olympics and the thousands of irate foreigners going home to tell everyone the wonders of Beijing and their taxi drivers.   agagagagag
Be kind to dragons for thou are crunchy when roasted and taste good with brie.

Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #23 on: May 12, 2007, 10:02:47 AM »
By then there should be a better subway system connecting every damn corner of Beijing. So, really, no use in taxis!!!

Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #24 on: May 12, 2007, 05:42:11 PM »
Subways are for locals.  The foreigners will opt for taxi's 95% of the time.  Only a few brave tourists will do the subway.  I may be wrong, but even I steer away from the subways.  Don't know routes and am afraid of getting lost.  I did download the subway map in English for Shanghai.  I did take the subway, but was worried the entire time.

Buying tickets for the subway is difficult if you don't speak Chinese or don't have a map to point to a stop so they know what to sell you.  I am not new to China, and I still prefer taxi's.  The cost is worse but ...

I took the subway in Montreal and almost missed my stop because people wouldn't move to let me get to the door.  That was 16 years ago and I still remember!!!  I was living in Montreal but didn't speak the language there either. llllllllll llllllllll
Be kind to dragons for thou are crunchy when roasted and taste good with brie.

Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #25 on: May 13, 2007, 01:54:40 AM »
Sorry, DS, you are wrong here. Students and teachers as well as a whole bunch of people with other jobs like subway. I think odds are here rather like 50-50 or 60-40. But not more than 60.

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Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #26 on: May 13, 2007, 03:41:58 AM »
I've been a foreigner in a fair few cities and I always prefer the underground over buses. And I view taxis as a decadent expense.

Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #27 on: May 13, 2007, 08:29:18 AM »
I use buses and taxis. Sometimes subway. Sometimes not because I am uncomfortable - I just don't really live near one (the nearest is about 30 mins walk and 15-20 mins by bus).

Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #28 on: May 13, 2007, 03:04:19 PM »
Students and teachers are locals.  Tourists - people from other countries here for a few days will opt for the taxi's.  I may be wrong but I can remember when I was in China a few years ago there was a lady afraid to go on the elevator without her husband. (I came to China alone as a tourist) He wanted to walk down - so she got off the elevator and walked down with him.  Tourists from smaller cities or from countries without subway's will be leery to try. Tourists from cities with subway's would be more willing to try.
Be kind to dragons for thou are crunchy when roasted and taste good with brie.

Re: Taxi Tips and Terror Tales
« Reply #29 on: May 13, 2007, 04:05:50 PM »
I am not local!!!  ahahahahah

Again, whole lot of tourists would use subway - they come equipped with Lonely Planet guides, thoroughly study the subway system (which actually isn't that hard - only 2 main lines and 1 auxiliary - wait till 2008 when there will be more like 6 or 7!) and march in and out  agagagagag