visited Taichung after many years. was annoyed by the attitude of taxi drivers compared to TPE.
2 refused to take me downtown from Beitun because "too much traffic " , one tried to offer a fixed price instead of meter.
Never happened to me in Taipei, is this common ? or i just had bad luck?
I have a friend who really wanted to live in the high rises up in the mountains of Danshui. It’s poorly served by public transit. So we took an uber to go to his house once he moved in.
We were quiet, making some small talk on the way there. Uber driver had audibly complained about the roads that we had to take to get there. Like…he coulda just used his Google Maps to find an alternate route.
He gave me a 1 star review. I never recovered from that. I managed to claw back to a 4.95 over time, but could never get back to that 4.97 rating.
I had uber drivers refuse me and try to make me cancel, making me take the penalty because the ride was too short. Embarassed me on a date. He then drove round and round and round trying to make me cancel and incur the fine.
Specifically Taichung? Idk. I’ve had multiple cab drivers say they didn’t know where my house was (on the same day). Fine cool Uber it was. I’m sure those same people complain everyone uses Uber and not regular cabs lol.
Ohhh editing to add. I’ve had a Uber driver drop me off in the middle of nowhere?? Like wtf. Then another I told him let me out and he wouldn’t for a second. Then he gave me one star lol.
This happens to in various cities in Taiwan , often at the local train station (no meter, fixed rates from the far north-Keelung to the East). In Taichung at the old station I had to haggle but not sure now, but not the bullet train stations where I think it’s one taxi company and very well watched (In KHH station, if there is delay in the taxi rank the line warden will fix the problem). Haha, sometimes they start in Japanese to try a higher price and in Chinese I will use the meter it often works. I Souther Taiwan I drive so not sure if it is like that too in smaller cities.
I other point I remember now, in Taipei is to the Taoyuan Airport sometimes they do not want to go (because they can not get a ride back, if not the right company) or asked for a fixed price (on the good side they used be shared rides with the fare split but not sure now), but most use the meter and will go (Before Covid)
How can you be a bad Uber passenger? Bad is when you stink up the car or puke on the seat, but for other reasons like distance or of the beaten track is just vile. It’s their job to drive you to your destination, that’s why they do it, make money from ‘sharing’ their car aka alternate taxi service. Don’t like it, stay home, watch TV, drink Kaoliang, chew some nuts!