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Q: Will you take an illegal black cab or a legal cab?
12 years 21 weeks ago in Transport & Travel - China
It will depend on the fare quoted. Since "black" taxis do not have a meter, then mostly quote a flat fee. I have found that most of the time their quotes are higher that metered taxis, so I tend not to board them unless it is a bargain.
Besides, somehow they all so far have flunked a courtesy course in my eyes.
Harbin - cold... straight off the train. I'm waiting in line for the real taxi... guy comes up to me with a calculator, and asks where I'm going. I tell him (not that he would have understood!), and he punches in 100RMB... I say no, he goes down to 80.... tells me it will be a long wait for a taxi... 10 mins later, I'm in my cab, and end up paying under 20RMB.
'
Beijing... same sort of deal (100RMB), except my fare was about 13RMB for only a 10 min trip.
No, I won't use Black cabs.. they try to rip you off BIG time!
Black taxis are just like copy markets... they are going to give you extreme prices because there are a lot of visitors that will accept the price without thinking (or thinking in terms of how much it would cost back home). The whole fun is the working them down to a reasonable price (just can't do it too well in a really touristy area, they won't be willing to put up with hassel and go to the next target).
I don't take black cabs or motorcycle taxis. It is all part of my "anti-get driven to a vacant lot, get mugged, stripped down and have walk back to town naked" campaign.
DaBen:
The walk back to town isn't that bad if you can do it with a smile on your face.... You'll get some extra big smiles from the ladies you pass.
I use an illegal taxi every night the fare is 1rmb above a taxi and always available where I board, very rare to see a taxi in the area thats why i use them.....black taxi no way rip off merchants
Black cabs aren't all bad. I know a few guys who will take me to the airport for the same fee of a taxi. If you know where you are going and what it costs you can bargain to about the same as a taxi. But I'd have to say the taxis are the best bet cause its metered and you usually pay less than a black cab. In terms of safety... I don't really worry about being stripped and mugged, does that really happen that often?
I take them all the time. Especially late at night when im around Chaoyang.
Just agree on a price and drive......
Black taxis at the airport or train station are a bad rip-off... if you can get them on a random street AND know how much you should pay, it can be a bargain, up to 30% off the normal taxi fare I would say. Some of them even can offer you some fapiao, which they get from real taxis^^
I mean the real taxis for sure are quite safe as they got the meter, but it happend to me many times that they missed an exit on the elevated road and therefore increased the fare by 5-10 kuai on a 25 kuai ride...that sucks too...
recently met a couple of mates, who were visiting my city, at the airport. The taxi driver tried getting an off-the-meter fare of 100 kuai for the journey, which i refused to accept, insisting on a metered ride. It cost 60 kuai.
experience has taught me to watch the meter - another driver tried to rip me off by taking a long route to my destination - reported him straight away.
in contrast a Beijing taxi driver who got lost, turned off the meter and continued on the journey untill i arrived safely - a class driver!
getting to know prices is a good way to aviod being ripped off - and i always keep in mind that many drivers see you as a way to make extra money !
a learning experience all round
It seems like in Beijing that taking the illegal black cabs could save you more money these days. I thought before when the rate was 10 kuai starting off and 2 kuai for every certain distance you traveled was quite good. NOw it's gone up to starting 13 kuai and distance fare 2.3! Right now I wouldn't take either unless I really had to.
He he, I said: "fare"!
never, i've seen them drive crazy in reverse fully loaded with passengers in order to get away from the police. be smart, you are a foreigner in china, do not do anything even remotely illegal . you are a foreigner you will get in trouble when a chinese normally would not.
I hate the black taxis but the thing I hate more is the guys that will not take no for an answer even resorting to intimidation. I would rather wait for an official taxi.
