Cheating taxi drivers...what do you do?

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
#1

90 percent of the taxi drivers in taipei are nice guys. But there are those who will try to take you the long way around or manually push up the fare on the ticker when you’re not looking. During chinese new year, even the nice guys like to give themselves a 150 NT “tip” out of my wallet.

After a year of riding in taxis I’ve made a mental list of appropriate fares. If a driver tries to charge me more than 20 NT over what he should I simply pay him what the ride was worth and walk out on him.

So far none of them have done worse than yell at me, but my girlfriend claims that I should be careful. Supposedly, these taxi drivers are psychos and/or have mafia connections.

If you had serious mafia connections, why would you be driving cab? Hmmm…

What do you think? Am I breaking the law when I refuse to pay an excessive fare? Am I putting myself or my girlfriend at risk?

How do other foreigners deal with these situations?

#2

Pay the fare as you are no expert on what exactly happened as maybe there was traffic, maybe it was a different fare structure for that time of day or day of the week maybe a slightly different route. How can you be 100% he was ripping you off? BTW, I think it is more like 99% of the taxis won’t rip you off here.

You are putting you and your girlfriend in danger and breaking the law and making yourself look like an ass. Many are connected to the mafia and yes they could be driving a cab and be connected in terms of relatives, or friends friends, and so on. Ever hear of some of the sanitation or construction workers in New Jersey being connected? Unless you are 100% certain, you should pay the damn fare not because of the mafia connection, because it might actually be the correct fare.

#3

See my post in the other taxi driver thread. Think about that gibbering crackhead driver and what he might do if he felt you were stiffing him.
It’s not that they’re “mafia,” its that they have an unofficial but very powerful “union” that they can call upon at any time and have as many as 100 cabbies converge upon you in a matter of moments. They don’t ask questions first – their cabbie “brother” is always right – and a lot of them are ex-cons and well-hard.

I suggest that if you really do make a habit of stiffing cabbies, you should run like hell when you get out of the cab and stay off the main roads until you’re well clear.

Best to take a note of his name and cab ID and report him.

#4

I’m just wondering how you decide what is “excessive” and what “the ride was worth”.

Your girlfriend is right, mate. Don’t fu** around with these guys.

Be careful.

#5

The only place I’ve ever had a taxi driver attempt to fleece me was in Taichung, and even then, that was as I was getting off a bus from Taipei. Never once in the time I was in Taipei. In fact I found them to be incredibly generous.

Be careful, they might start gibbering at ya (see the other taxi thread).

HG

#6

Word to the wise: Check the crime figures and see how many taxicabs are used as getaway vehicles in robberies, or for transporting kidnapping victims. It’s pretty high.
Check also the percentage of cabbies who have been in jail, and of that number, how many were in for violent crimes. It might make you think twice before stiffing them for the fare.

#7

[quote]I’m just wondering how you decide what is “excessive” and what “the ride was worth”.

Your girlfriend is right, mate. Don’t fu** around with these guys. [/quote]

I take cabs constantly so I’ve got a pretty good idea of what the usual fares are. I only do this in cases of gross overpricing.

For instance, If a fare that’s been 110 NT every day of the year magically becomes 250 NT during the new year, that’s excessive. Or a fare that’s been 80 NT every time i’ve made the trip (including once earlier that day) suddenly becomes 160 NT - at 3:00am on a light traffic day with no inclement weather or road construction.

#8

Even in cases of obvious, gross overpricing? For instance, a fare that’s been 110 NT every day of the year magically becomes 250 NT during the new year. I should pay this?[/quote]

Elevated fares over Chinese New Year are quite normal.

It even costs more to have a haircut then.

#9

Yes you should – there’s a government-approved surcharge for those poor bastards who have to work over CNY. Its published prominently in the newspapers, including the English-language ones, in advance every year. There’s also a surcharge for late-night pickups. There’s also a surcharge for getting stopped in traffic jams.

#10

Well crud, looks like I was wrong.

#11

[quote=“beautifulspam”]I take cabs constantly so I’ve got a pretty good idea of what the usual fares are. I only do this in cases of gross overpricing.

For instance, If a fare that’s been 110 NT every day of the year magically becomes 250 NT during the new year, that’s excessive. Or a fare that’s been 80 NT every time i’ve made the trip (including once earlier that day) suddenly becomes 160 NT - at 3:00am on a light traffic day with no inclement weather or road construction.[/quote]
Did you know that there is a HUGE LEGAL surcharge for Chinese New Year? Did you know there is a more expensive charge rate for night fares after a certain hour and that 3AM would definitely qualify. You were not being ripped off, that was the actual legal fare. They are legally allowed to charge you more for Chinese New Year or in the middle of the damn night. The reason is that if there was no surcharge you might find that there would be no taxis to be had anywhere as they would all be at home sleeping or enjoying the New Year holiday with their family. Sheesh! I am really surprised that a taxi driver hasn’t kicked your ass already. They must have thought you were mafia for having the 'nads to walk out on their fare.

#12

Your friends are wrong.

#13

Folks, fares do not double even during CNY unless I have been asleep these past 10 years. Nor do they double at night. There is a difference, but it ain’t this big.

#14

[quote=“Muzha Man”]Folks, fares do not double even during CNY unless I have been asleep these past 10 years. Nor do they double at night. There is a difference, but it ain’t this big.[/quote]Maybe we should all either trust the taxi drivers or at least know exactly what the surcharges are before we accuse anyone of stealing from us! Sounds like you are not 100% what the surcharge is.

#15

I’m taking into account the hyperbole and exaggeration factors, MM. Plus, I KNOW how many times a cabbie has knowingly tried to stiff me. In every single case I can recall, it’s been the result of the cabbie not actually knowing where he’s going and not wanting to lose face by saying so. In fact, last time it happened and I queried where the fuck he thought he was going, he sheepishly admitted that it wasn’t his cab but his brother’s. The brother was sick and couldn’t work, so he took over for a shift. Problem is, he was from Kaohsiung and didn’t know Taipei at all! :laughing:
He did have the good grace to turn off the meter and didn’t charge me at all. I was happy, therefore, to give him a couple of hundred “off the meter.”
Think about how much these guys make after paying off their cab license, rental fee, etc – they’re very lucky if they clear 30k for 12-hour shifts 7 days a week.

#16

Cheating taxi drivers?
Well, my favourite ways include:

-Telling them to stop a couple of blocks from my house, thereby screwing them out of an additional 15 NT
-Lying when they solicit my opinion about Taiwan, eg “Yes, it’s very beautiful here” “Yes, the Taiwanese are very diligent” “Taiwanese kids are so smart” “CSB is a great president” etc, completely skewing their opinions about foreigners
-Saying “thank you” and “drive carefully” when I don’t mean it
and, my very best one, reserved for special cases
-Telling them I’m TpeBob and then covertly pissing on the floor

That’ll show them!

#17

The fare at night is “jia cheng” meaning 10% more after the flagfall. The distance included in the flagfall is also shorter. The driver is entitled to switch the meter over at 11pm exactly even if you got in the taxi before then. The ordinary button is on the left. The night button is on the right. As the far increases on the day tariff the meter beeps once: “beep!” If you are on the night tarrif it beeps twice like this: “beep-beep!” If the driver also beeps it may be time to pay the fare and get out.

At Chinese New Year the taxis are on night fares all the time, but at night and during CNY eve night and CNY day there is an extra NT$20 to pay on top of what it says on the meter.

No matter what tariff you are on the extra is a pittance really and I don’t get upset about the “oh I thought it was night” or “I usually work at night so er um” chancers. What does annoy me is the people who take you on a huge journey which will leave you late for work and make them a mere 20 NT extra.

I take two NT$250 taxis a day, one to work and one back. There is a problem with every third guy. Some just don’t know how to get from place to place. Some don’t know the quickest route at a certain time of day. Some do. Some are deliberately trying to rip you off.

Bear in mind that the Taiwanese are generally, shall we say, “frugal”. One guy couldn’t understand why I wanted to take a certain route and swore blind that if a “local” had been in the car it would have been no problem. He said that the route I suggested was an extra NT$20 and had he automatically taken that route (quicker) the passenger would have had a coronary.

So sometimes they do deliberately take a route than is in fact shorter by disctance, but longer in time, because most punter want that.

What I do in the evenings when drivers take advantage of my inebriated state is to have a blazing row with them and then leave on their back seat whatever expensive electronic gadget I happen to have on me at the time. It’s like a little No Concrete Jeans Please tip.

I have no adopted the practice of never giving the final destination but just acting as a sort of human GPS satnav system. “Take the second exit at the next roundabout…” in my best Angela Rippon accent.

#18

I’m not exaggerating, and I can’t tell the difference between a crook and someone who’s honestly lost. The result for me is the same.

I guess I will just ignore the guy who called me a moron.

I don’t mind getting cheated out of a few NT every now and then, but when the fare doubles or more I definitely have a problem with that especially as money is getting tight recently (it’s hard to find full time work on a student’s tourist visa)

#19

It has been written many times, and bears repeating:

Do not rely on random cabs, unless you are with friends who are capable of protecting you. Call a cab service. Most of the nicer cabs are affiliated with a dispatching service–just jot down the number to the service next time you take one, or ask the driver if you can “jiao(4) che(1)” next time you need a cab. Put the number into your cell phone.

I do that for myself, as well as for my wife. Never have any problems. Sure, most drivers are okay, but there are a few nuts out there. Why take the risk of having to deal with one of them, unless you actually enjoy looking down the business end of a tire iron, knife, or baseball bat?

#20

And make sure he sees you doing that. I once had a guy who tried to cheat me by pressing the late night fare. When I saw him doing that, I just shook my head and said to him, “Why did you have to pull a stupid stunt like that?” and proceeded to take out my notepad and pen to copy down his name and license number. He was scared s***less. Apparently, a cabby would be fined something like $10,000 for doing that, and they know it. In addition to apologizing profusely for “accidentally” hitting the wrong button, he even offered to give me a 50% discount. :smiley: I never reported him, but it’s a great deterrent.