Taxi Scam

[Canadian Dude]

It is possible for this to happen...

You have taken a cab somewhere, you pay the driver, get out walk to the back to take your bag, and off he drives with all your stuff!!! that ass hole!!!

To prevent this leave the door open when you get out to get your bag, ask the driver to get out and help you, don't pay until you get your bag out, or don't use the truck of the car at all.

[travelpunk]

Yeah, I always lug my backpack with me inside the cab, not in the trunk. Pull it out with you as you step out of the cab. Be especially careful in Amsterdam and Prague .

And a reminder to check the cab seats for anything that may have dropped out of your pockets or slipped out of your pack

This is an important tip because you´ll probably take more taxis on your trip throughout Europe than you have ever taken in your life(unless you´re from New York)!

THAILAND!

Be very careful which taxis to take, as most of them tauting for your service are scams, and most likely they will NOT bring you to your destination, and rob you instead!
Only take frm official taxis at airports.

[travelpunk]

Holy crap ! Thanks for that tip, Rave ! Getting scammed super-sucks when you´re traveling!

Also, It´s common in Madrid for cabbies to ask for a dollar or two extra(above the amount on the meter) for each luggage that they placed in the trunk. If you feel that you are being charged too much money, you can also ask for a receipt from the cab driver and ask him to write the fare and his name on it. This may shake him up a bit and he´ll settle for the price on the meter.

[Glacier]

Geez. Thanks for the advice about backpacks in taxi trunks. I never even thought anything of it.

It reminds me, when I was in Whistler, I left my daypack (with camera and other valuables) in a waiting taxi while I popped in to collect a pay cheque. If he had of just driven off, I would have lost a lot. I guess I tend to trust people a little too much sometimes - but this time it went well.

Since I'm backpacking around Europe I'll be catching lots of taxis and maybe even some hitchhiking - so I'll be ultra careful now. Thanks for the advice, you may have just saved me a great deal of heartache!

[travelpunk]

Glad to see you again, Glacier Yeah, I´m a pretty trusting guy myself, but sadly, being that way in Europe is not in our best interest.
Not to say that all taxi drivers in every city should not be trusted, just better safe than sorry .

[Diorama]

And make sure your getting in an actual taxi...seriously

In costa rica me and this other girl needed a taxi so we asked a bunch of guys standing around where we could find one. This one guy said that he was a taxi. Well he led us to a red pickup truck (keep in mind that taxis in central america come in all kinds of colours and we were in a remote town with dirt roads so trucks were the automobile of choice) We got into the back of the truck and he took off down a dirt road. Occasionally he would stop and chat with people that we passed on the road. obviously showing off that he had two girls in the back. Then the girl I was travelling with (she understood spanish) turned to me and said "uh jill I don't think this is a taxi!" yup Here I was in a pickup truck on a dirt road with no one around. oh vey..theres more to tell but mabye i'll save it for a future contest hmmmm...hehe

anyways bottom line make sure it's a taxi that your getting into!

[travelpunk]

Good friggggin point ! You never know in poorer countries. I guess you can always ask to see identification, but even that can be false

Good to see that you´re still in one piece

[verstehen]

When travelling in St. Petersburg you quickly realize that every vehicle is a taxi. You put your hand out, someone stops, and you negotiate a price.

In situations like St. Petersburg and some poorer countries, I personally don't take taxi's unless absolutely necessary because of the issues mentioned in this post. Take busses, trams and other forms of public transport whenever possible.

Then again, I like to walk a lot so maybe I'm biased.

[travelpunk]

Welcome to the boards, Verstehen B)

Thanks for the low down on St Petersburg. Walking will definitely save you lots of dough and keep you in good shape That´s the great thing about Europe, you can just about walk everywhere. Very backpacker friendly unlike most cities here in the USA.

You brought up a good point on negotiating. When I was is San Francisco a few years back visiting my brother for a couple of weeks, I would leave the area where his hospital was located(he was in a car accident)really late sometimes and would miss the last BART train (Bay Area Rapid Transit. Their subway). I then would flag down the next taxi knowing that the fair would be around $25 to get back. When the taxi rolled down his window, I would ask "how much (to get to my hotel)?" They would answer roughly $25 or so, and so I would say "would you take $15?" and show them the cash. Most say no at first, so then act like you only have two bucks left and pull that out too. They´ll usually go for it. These guys get 25 miles per gallon, at $1.25- $1.50 a gallon back then, so they pocket $15 cash for a 15 minute drive. That comes out to $60 an hour.
The meter may say one thing, but you can negotiate anything you want before hand.

Now, if that works in the USA, you bet your asses that it will work worldwide! Flash the cash and they know that you´re not wasting their time.

This is otherwise know as the "Golden Rule" (throughout life, my friends ) "He who has the gold, makes the rules."


Thanks again V!

[Marcfj]

If you really want to play it safe when taking a taxi then just bring along a pen and paper. Then before you get into any taxi just write down its license plate number, taxi number and the number and name on the taxi driver's picture I.D. card. If you are in San Francisco there is even a branch of the police department known as "The Taxi Detail" which specifically handles matters involving taxis.

[TheWills]

tony man you rule thats a great idea, and rave thanks for the heads up on the thailand thing I should be there in the next couple of months so that was good too hear. Anyways you should negotiate for anything i got 15 bucks off a pair of sandels cuase I was like hey these are size 13 its coming on winter I'll buy them right now if you knock off 15 bucks, they said no so I walked out and then as I was leaving they like fine.....saved 15 (original price was 30) Anywyas everythign is negotiable.
Will

[samuellwarner]

This is an important tip because youВґll apparently yield added taxis on your cruise throughout Europe than you accept anytime taken in your life.

[carrera777]

Thanks for the information! One month till Europe and the negotiating beforehand plus the travel warnings will come in handy once I get there. I will be sure to bring a notepad and document the taxi as well in the event something goes not according to schedule.

[joe7f]

For the most part Europe is fine. But it is always a good idea to get an estimate. Even if the driver uses the meter they can give you a tour of the city.

--Joey

[lisatr12]

Thanks for the advice!

[jamesjennifer]

Ok Got It, Thanks for sharing the informative information.