Mumbai taxi fare: did I rip my driver off?

Swe_Mats · May 9th, 2008, 05:55

I always get riped of on the rikshaws, thats why i don't like them. OK, I like them but... you know. This time i will haggle it down to 20...

Oyar · May 9th, 2008, 15:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by nayan

Unless you are a professional scamstar, its impossible to rip off a taxi/auto wallah.

Around 4 years ago, i came across an auto driver who turned out to be a real rascal. He purposefully took me a much longer way, refused to turn back & spoke abusively. I had to teach him a lesson.

I made him stop in front of a shopping mall & asked him to wait for 2 mins. The shopping mall happened to have an exit on another street. I simply went out from there & caught another auto.

This was the only time ive managed to rip off an auto driver !

skinnylizard · May 14th, 2008, 16:41

wtf is the lokmanya tilak terminus?

nayan · May 14th, 2008, 16:43

Kurla terminus (for long distance trains).... about a kilometer way form the kurla local train station

zoltan · May 19th, 2008, 04:15

Quote:

Around 4 years ago, i came across an auto driver who turned out to be a real rascal. He purposefully took me a much longer way, refused to turn back & spoke abusively. I had to teach him a lesson.

Absolutely hysterical...

Something to keep in mind for future incidents

Cheers
Zoltan

vdvoort · May 19th, 2008, 05:40

Did I rip my driver off?

There's no such thing as ripping an Indian driver off.
Agree about the fare before you get into any taxi, and if you don't want to pay at least the minimum the driver has in mind, he'll simply refuse to drive you.

...like to give you the idea they are the poorest of the poor; they are not.

No, you're absolutely right, they are not the poorest of the poor, those you see living on the streets or (and they maybe are better off) working in the fields, on the roads, nah?
Doesn't mean that many taxi drivers are not poor, living in slums in one 10 sq.mtr. room with wife and kids. So, when they 'do the right thing' as Zoltan says, won't hurt to give a bonus; seems like you did by paying 500 INR.

I don't have much sympathy for the drivers who try to scam their passengers.

Neither do I, don't like to be scammed by anyone, being a driver or whoever. On the other hand, I also don't have much sympathy for foreigners bargaining down to the last paise (not meaning OP, he obviously didn't).

Enjoy!

sanket · Jun 1st, 2008, 23:41

You were ripped off by him..

LT Terminus to the airport would be MAX Rs.200 by the meter fare.

Cabbies generally expect extra for luggage and/or journeys to and from airports/railway stations/big hotels and especially if you are white(or even black).

You should have tipped him Rs.100 extra MAX.

kristinm · Jun 2nd, 2008, 08:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oyar

Around 4 years ago, i came across an auto driver who turned out to be a real rascal. He purposefully took me a much longer way, refused to turn back & spoke abusively. I had to teach him a lesson.

I made him stop in front of a shopping mall & asked him to wait for 2 mins. The shopping mall happened to have an exit on another street. I simply went out from there & caught another auto.

This was the only time I've managed to rip off an auto driver !

The converse of this is us after our meal cowering inside a restaurant in Agra with no other exit - peeking out and saying 'has he gone yet?' while the rickshaw driver who took us there and who we asked NOT to wait staked out the door.. In the end the restaurant guy took pity on us and went and hunted him away.

OF course, as we walked along the street about 2 or 3 blocks up there he was again - driving beside us blathering on as if he'd never seen us before! Talk about rhinoceros hide...

Nick-H · Jun 2nd, 2008, 12:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by vdvoort

...like to give you the idea they are the poorest of the poor; they are not.

No, you're absolutely right, they are not the poorest of the poor, those you see living on the streets or (and they maybe are better off) working in the fields, on the roads, nah?
Doesn't mean that many taxi drivers are not poor, living in slums in one 10 sq.mtr. room with wife and kids. So, when they 'do the right thing' as Zoltan says, won't hurt to give a bonus; seems like you did by paying 500 INR.

Actually, it can even be quite a good job! These days my wife has a full-time driver (me

) so we are not so in touch, but one call-taxi driver she 'interviewed' a couple of years back told us that he owned the vehicle and paid a percentage of the fares to the call-taxi company. Even after the monthly payments on the car and the agency deductions, he was doing quite nicely.

That didn't stop us giving him a reasonable tip for being a good driver for the day!

May 9th, 2008, 05:55	#31
Swe_Mats Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sweden Posts: 58	Shit! I always get riped of on the rikshaws, thats why i don't like them. OK, I like them but... you know. This time i will haggle it down to 20...

May 14th, 2008, 16:41	#33
skinnylizard Maha Guru Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Bombay Posts: 572	wtf is the lokmanya tilak terminus? __________________ My Eating Out Blog blog

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May 14th, 2008, 16:43	#34
nayan Maha Guru Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: hyderabad/tokyo Posts: 531	Kurla terminus (for long distance trains).... about a kilometer way form the kurla local train station

May 19th, 2008, 05:40	#36
vdvoort Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Netherlands Posts: 73	Did I rip my driver off? There's no such thing as ripping an Indian driver off. Agree about the fare before you get into any taxi, and if you don't want to pay at least the minimum the driver has in mind, he'll simply refuse to drive you. ...like to give you the idea they are the poorest of the poor; they are not. No, you're absolutely right, they are not the poorest of the poor, those you see living on the streets or (and they maybe are better off) working in the fields, on the roads, nah? Doesn't mean that many taxi drivers are not poor, living in slums in one 10 sq.mtr. room with wife and kids. So, when they 'do the right thing' as Zoltan says, won't hurt to give a bonus; seems like you did by paying 500 INR. I don't have much sympathy for the drivers who try to scam their passengers. Neither do I, don't like to be scammed by anyone, being a driver or whoever. On the other hand, I also don't have much sympathy for foreigners bargaining down to the last paise (not meaning OP, he obviously didn't). Enjoy!

Jun 1st, 2008, 23:41	#37
sanket Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Mumbai - MH, India Posts: 7	You were ripped off by him.. LT Terminus to the airport would be MAX Rs.200 by the meter fare. Cabbies generally expect extra for luggage and/or journeys to and from airports/railway stations/big hotels and especially if you are white(or even black). You should have tipped him Rs.100 extra MAX.

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