xxx

Hello, everyone.<BR>I think I've got best (well, worst) taxi horror story.<BR><BR>I've got a friend who lives in the U.S. who was going to Prague to meet up with a girl he was dating at the time. <BR><BR>He flew into Heathrow and had a limited time to catch a flight to Stansted airport. By the time he cleared customs and got his bags, his time was getting tight. He tried checking into taking the train and the coach, but they wouldn't get him there in time.<BR><BR>Finally, he decided to take a cab. He didn't take one of the licensed London cabs; he took a mini-cab instead.<BR><BR>Since he was in a rush (although I wouldn't have made that an excuse), he jumped in and asked what the fare was. The reply he received was, "we'll sort it out."<BR><BR>While driving, he says the cab driver seemed to be taking an extra-long route to get there. My friend also let it slip that this was his first trip to London and that he was on his way to Stansted to take a plane to Prague to meet up with his girlfriend.<BR><BR>When they pulled up to Stansted, he had very little time to make the plane. The cab driver stopped at the terminal, locked the doors and wanted to get the fare sorted.<BR><BR>By the time all was said and done, this driver charged my friend $300.00 U.S. Dollars for the ride.

dan woodlief

Cabs are interesting. In Beijing, my seat was not anchored to the floor and would try to tip over in sharp turns, the driver in Taiwan had incense burning on the dash as he swerved in and out of traffic, and a Madison (WI) driver slid into a snowbank (almost hitting a pole). Yours is still worse. I think I would have looked around for a police officer, but I wouldn't want to miss my flight either.

JOdy

Had almost the same experience but on a MUCH smaller scale in London, had an early flight and needed to get to Victoria for Gatwick express, asked the hotel to order a cab, stupidly assuming they'd order a regular Black cab..got mini cab instead and didn't realize it untilwe were inside! This driver also started on a roundabout route and when D asked where the hell we were headed since we know the way to Victoria..he changed his route and got us there but not until we had to pay 25.00 for a 5.00 cab ride and a piece of davids mind!!<BR><BR>NEVER take a mini cab in London - stick to the licensed drivers

Ted

That's the problem when you're in a hurry. Your friend made all of the standard mistakes that he probably wouldn't have made had he been thinking clearly and not about catching his plane.<BR><BR>Never take an unlicensed cab.<BR><BR>If the cabbie tries to grossly overcharge you, get a police officer involved.<BR>

Judy

This isn't exactly a horror story although I alternatively felt horrified and exhilerated. We were in a perfectly legitimate cab travelling from the center of Cairo, Egypt to a 'rug factory' in the outskirts. We had to roll the windows down, because I was getting an asthma attack from the foul smelling smoky interior. This was in the evening and as we were speeding down shortcuts of surburban streets, rural roads, the driver would turn off the lights only flashing them to oncoming traffic to let them know that someone else was on the road! This included the Cairo manner of proceeding through intersections when the light was red and bullying his way when at 4, 5, or 6 way intersections where traffic was at a standstill, people carrying bundles including children were dodging the autos, all with several Americans in the car a few weeks after the bombing at the museum!! It certainly is a vivid memory from our travels. Judy

kim

We were on our honeymoon, first trip to Europe for both of us. Landed at Gatwick and took the train into London. Being a couple of inexperienced travelers, we picked up our EIGHT bags and started to try to find our way to our hotel. A man approached us about whether we needed a lift. Told him no thanks, we are fine. We went up to street level, started looking around, pulled out our map, determined we needed a cab. Same guy comes up to us and asks if we need a cab, this time we kind of shrugged and said ok. He grabbed our largest bags and started off very quickly, we were practically running to catch up. Kept going and going until he reached where his car was parked - certainly not a legal cab. Threw our bags in the trunk and got in. We followed, both of us a little stunned and definitely intimidated. Helter skelter ride through town, neither of us saying a word to each other, not knowing where he was taking us, when all of a sudden he pulls over on a side street and gets out, no hotel in sight. I'm thinking, this is it, newspaper story tomorrow about two idiots on their honeymoon, mugged or worse...@#%$, my parents are going to be really p*ssed if I get killed after they spent all that money on the wedding...<BR><BR>Well, it turns out the trunk had popped open, so he had pulled over to close it, then promptly took us to the hotel and dropped us off. I don't even remember if the cost was reasonable, I was just glad to be at my destination! Even though the danger was in our minds (in this case), that feeling of vulnerability will NEVER be forgotten!

Patrick

It seems that at just about any airport or train station in major European cities, you will be approached by men asking you if you need a "taxi" as you approach the regular taxi line. I have never understood why so many people go for this. It just seems logical to me, that the guy who has to park his "taxi" somewhere and get out to go solicit customers is most likely going to charge more than a regular taxi. Why would he go to that effort when he could just get in the regular line of taxis (assuming he is licensed --aha, there's the rub!) and take the going rate for transport? It just doesn't make sense that he will charge you less!<BR>But xxx, you're right, I think your friend deserves the prize for the worst taxi story!

Dina

Maybe I've got the BEST (as in happy ending) taxi story.<BR>The cab driver Ali, pictured in my Cairo travelogue was recommended by a friend. He picked us up at the airport and was at our service, more or less, for almost 4 days, though we did spend some of the time on our own. <BR>In Cairo it's common to hire a driver for the day, which is convenient for the tourist, and easier for the driver than hustling small fares all day. Ali took us to and from about 10 destinations (as Judy says, the traffic is terrifying!), also acting as city guide, interpreter, and haggler with other guides/vendors. My husband is a former cab driver, so they bonded over taxi experiences. Ali's English teacher brother-in-law guided for us in Khan el Khalili, while Ali waited with the cab. All this made our first Cairo experience, which might've been stressful, a pleasure. <BR>Each time my husband asked him what we owed, Ali refused payment, saying that we would pay at the end of our time in Cairo. <BR>While getting ready to leave, we again asked for the total. Ali told us to pay what we felt he was worth. We gave him $160 (plus a box of multi-colored ball point pens which seem to be much coveted there). He seemed happy. Believe it or not, this is above the going rate there, but it still seemed ridiculously low for so much service. <BR>I didn't include this story in the travelogue<BR>(www.costumegoddess.com/travelog.htm), because Ali might read it and possibly be embarrassed. We still correspond.

Danie

I have a story also. Get to Nice with my elderly mother and plenty of luggage. Had no problems getting a decent cab from the airport to our hotel. (about $25). Checked into our hotel but hatted it. I leave my mother and walk over to another hotel to look at their room and book this one. Go back to the first hotel, check out and ask for a cab to take us over to the second hotel practically around the corner. (remember I walked over there but now I have the bags and my mother). He charged me $50. I was stunned, his reply was: Mais madame, you have luggage!!!!

horror

In all these taxi horror stories was the meter running or did people get in the cab without a meter? If they got into the cab and the meter was not running, did they fail to agree on a fare before accepting to ride?

got lost

Here's one from NYC. We were in a cab going home after a night on the town, when our cab expected the car in front to go through the yellow light and didn't. Needless to say we banged bumpers. We paid the cab and started to walk away as they began arguing. The cabby went to his trunk and got out a sledge hammer and took out the windshield as the other guy tried to drive away. We didn't stick around after that.