Navigating the Maze of Taxi Trickery Around the Globe
Travelers, take note: predatory taxi drivers are the bane of every travel experience.
In Malaysia, a driver haggled over his fee while I cradled a broken bone.
Then there’s Italy, where a cabbie took me on a merry-go-round, passing my destination twice to inflate the fare.
Or Albania, where “close enough” meant being dropped off two blocks away because the driver’s pride wouldn’t let him glance at GoogleMaps.
It’s one thing to earn a fair wage; it’s another to turn it into a near hostage situation — as happened in South Korea at 1 am.
Navigating their tricks requires a blend of street smarts and a firm grip on your sense of humor.
Pro tip: Always keep your destination and phone number available.
That all said, sometimes it’s simple human error, and a smile can smooth out the situation — and end with a proposal! (It’s happened twice.)
