Reporting illegal taxi drivers at Taoyuan airport

Taiwan Living in Taiwan
#1

I’m sure many of you here have been targeted by illegal taxi drivers when returning to Taiwan from overseas. It happens to me most months. When you’re tired and just want to get home, the last thing you want is people aggressively following you and shouting “taxi”. They’re a bit more furtive now than years past, but remain an issue.

On occasion, I let the airport know about my experience, and they do tend to follow up, but the security fades after a while and the touts return.

However, this last trip, I went to the effort of reporting the first illegal driver who approached me to the police. It was surprisingly successful and took only ten minutes. I pointed out the guy to the police, they took his ID and escorted him inside. The police recorded the tout’s ID, fined him, and escorted him off the airport property. No paperwork from my end necessary.

So, if you get approached by an illegal taxi driver, I encourage you to seek out the airport police. At Terminal 1 they now have a little desk just next to the security exit. At the time I reported, both of the police spoke English (US flags on the lapel). Just be sure you get the police and not the airport security, who tend to be less helpful.

Also interested to learn of anyone else’s experience …

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#2

Ahh yeah those guys. They been at it for years. Never seen them as overly pushy, just say no and walk on to the legit taxis.

Tried one once, an Uber and it was a disaster,
Never again.

#3

Take the train to Hualien for work -> get outside the station -> “TAILUGA??? TAILUGA??? TAILUGA???”

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Every goddamn time. No experience with taxis at the airport, but I guess it’s the same.

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#4

Tailuga? Shami?

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#5

Or just walk by, mumble “m-mian” or something and let people get on with their lives without involving the police for nothing more than maybe people getting a taxi ride or not.

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#6

Did you at least get a reward?

#7

Yeah but soon you could have loads of them following you around.
I find them quite annoying but just ignore them completely And go to the taxi queue…
Once made the mistake of taking a taxi tout in China, never again (in China you could be waiting 30mins or more for a taxi if raining…Traffic ).

#8

I never had a problem with it. A wave and a “bu yong” has always been enough.

So much better now in places with Uber or Grab.

#9

Interestingly the taxi allocation for the right to be an airport taxi is supposedly quite fair (according to the drivers that I asked ). There’s a lottery they hold every year or two and independent drivers can apply as well. Luck of the draw. They have higher standards for the car of course than regular taxis.

#10

I took one by accident in China also.
At least it was still probably half what it would have cost back home
However when we arrived he had the fall to turn to me with a big grin and say “tip!”

#11

I’ve occasionally had drivers approach me and ask politely. The first one turned out to be driving a rather nice Mercedes. Cost me 1200 to Danshui. The second one also had a nice car, drove well, and charged the same. The third one picked up three other passengers, took an age to get where I was going, and charged me 1100. These days I just get the bus.

#12

Yeah, the whole “reporting” deal seems like kind of a punk move. Like, what fuckin skin is it off your arse anyways? Just don’t take them, big whoop.

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#13

I was outside the HSR station in Hsinchu (Taoyuan? I really don’t remember) a few months back and a few taxis pulled up adjacent to the proper queue. The guys who come out to ask you where you need to go and guide you to a taxi were screaming at the taxi drivers before saying they were calling the police and reaching for their phones - the taxis pulled just outside the station area and were yelling that they would be cheaper - a handful of people walked out to take their cars and they left.

#14

And I’d encourage you to not. Where does this end? Should we narc on every street vendor? You realize they’re all illegal don’t you? Should we narc on ticket scalpers, the guys that get you that front row seat for the Engelbert Humperdink show that time you forgot to buy a ticket? Should we narc on our mates that are teaching illegally in kindys? Or those other mates playing at Sappho at the open mic on Tuesday?

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