More Foreigners Conned!!
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THREE men in crisp white shirts and black trousers lingered near the Clarke Quay taxi stand.
http://www.straitstimes.com/Free/Story/STIStory_166922.html?vgnmr=1
They had their eye on foreigners who were standing about, looking uncertainly at the snaking queue that had formed.
Then one of the trio approached a Caucasian in a business suit. 'Taxi, sir? I can help you call one. No need to wait.'
His price: $20.50 to Kovan, a ride which would cost about $9. Deal done, he whipped out his walkie-talkie to page for a cab. When no one responded after two minutes, he turned to the Caucasian and said: 'Sir, price too low. No one pick up. You up price to $30.50?'
Bargain struck, he paged for a cab again and a Comfort Mercedes-Benz cab arrived in five minutes. This was 9.30pm on Tuesday, a scene that The Sunday Times found was being repeated at tourist spots such as Boat Quay, HarbourFront, Orchard Towers and Jurong BirdPark at different times of the day.
At each site, at least five foreigners were lured into the touting trap by Mercedes-Benz cabbies and their humbler cousins during the 11/2 hours The Sunday Times team was there.
Besides the tout system, which was most blatant at Clarke Quay, the other ruse is for cabbies to sit in their taxis with the 'on call' sign switched on. They decline to pick up passengers but change their minds when a distinctly foreign-looking person asks for a ride.
Haggling starts.
A flat fee of $30 to $50 is negotiated. Some cabbies add 'surcharges' such as 'area' taxes. The meter, as far as these cabbies are concerned, does not exist.
The chief culprits are Mercedes-Benz limousine drivers, who 'trick foreigners into thinking they have to pay more for their ride because it's a nicer car', as Comfort cabby Michael Tan, 57, put it.
But their smaller counterparts - the Hyundais and Toyotas - are also getting in on the act.
The taxi touting problem is riding on the crest of Singapore's tourist numbers, which hit a record 952,280 in July this year.
Of the 50 foreigners The Sunday Times spoke to, almost all said they had been ripped off at least once by cabbies who refused to charge by the meter.
Two were driven to write to The Straits Times Forum Page in the past two weeks.
When New Zealander Kevin Pledger, 49, tried getting a cab at South Bank Road's taxi stand last week, 10 Mercedes cabbies approached him, but none would charge by the meter.
'To go to Dover, they wanted to charge me $25 or $10 plus the meter fee,' said the technical manager who has been working in Singapore for 17 years.
'That's insane. It wouldn't be more than $10 if we go by meter.'
Mr Pledger, who goes to Batam regularly on business, told The Sunday Times that he has also been harassed by touting cabbies at the HarbourFront taxi stand. They pounce on foreigners coming out of the ferry terminal, refusing to pick up passengers in the taxi line.
'My expat friends and I all think that the problem has got worse in these two years,' he said.
While expatriates are more savvy about the taxi system, tourists are led up the garden path.
Argentinian doctor Milagros Rodriguez, 28, who was in Singapore with three friends for a holiday, did not know Singapore cabs charge by the meter.
'I thought touting cabbies is the normal practice here, just like in Thailand,' said Ms Rodriguez who was spotted at Boat Quay. She was quoted a flat rate of $15 for a ride to the nearby Raffles Hotel, almost three times the usual rate.
Australian Ken Howard, 32, who has been in Singapore for two months, has given up flagging down cabs along the road.
He gladly pays the $4 booking fee when he needs a cab.
'Why waste your time bargaining with the drivers when I can call for a cab and still pay less?' said the IT manager.
While foreigners are being taken for a ride, the locals are upset that they are not even getting one.
Mr David Segar, a project officer who had been waiting more than 20 minutes for a cab at Boat Quay on Wednesday night, said: 'It's so frustrating when empty cabs refuse to pick up locals, but only stop for tourists who pay ridiculous prices.' -
A pox on those cheats.
They only bring shame to their counterparts who struggle to earn their keep. -
now i know why they shooed me when i want a cab at orchard towersOriginally posted by iveco:A pox on those cheats.
They only bring shame to their counterparts who struggle to earn their keep.
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a light indicator should be installed on top of all taxis to indicate whether the meter is switched on or not to help prevent rouge taxi drivers from not turning on the meter and charging lump sum fare.
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thumbs down...
merz cab somemore........ -
The cab companies should print the fare charges BIG BIG on BOTH SIDES of the cab door. -
The fare card is displayed on the left rear door window where most passengers board and alight, no need to print it big on both side of the door. For the latest fare structure, one could always visit the respective cab operators' website.
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Fark la ........
The guest can say "no thanks ma" ?
It the buying stops , the selling stops too .
What's the problem with just dial 6552-1111 and get a cab ?
If everyone dial a cab , then the Limo fella no business , have no demand , then they'll not do such thing , then there'll be no toutings ! -
u think all ang moh so clever ar? if yes the how come they at orchard towers? kena cheated...Originally posted by Poolman:Fark la ........
The guest can say "no thanks ma" ?
It the buying stops , the selling stops too .
What's the problem with just dial 6552-1111 and get a cab ?
If everyone dial a cab , then the Limo fella no business , have no demand , then they'll not do such thing , then there'll be no toutings !
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now everyone looks for nothing except $$$
they learned all these good things from their gahmen
no free lunch in singapore... you don't like... walk lo
there's a chinese saying, the upper one not straight, the bottom one will also be slanted
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Its very wrong for taxi drivers to tout , touting is a serious offence & should anyone here got touted by taxi drivers should take down details of the cab & report to the police.
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If the taxi companies keeps on increasing the rental rate for their taxis, I am not surprised more taxi drivers will resort to touting.
Common folks are learning well that there is no 'fair' play in this competitive society. Only by taking smart and well calculated risk/s will one tide through. This taxi touting issue is only one of the many social and economical issues in this country.
Just my opinion.
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i see until sianOriginally posted by Poolman:Fark la ........
The guest can say "no thanks ma" ?
It the buying stops , the selling stops too .
What's the problem with just dial 6552-1111 and get a cab ?
If everyone dial a cab , then the Limo fella no business , have no demand , then they'll not do such thing , then there'll be no toutings !
its not those anmoh dun wan call
its more like they dunno
nowadays i as a student also always call cab.
cuz its too hard to get cab. -
thats a new info to us..
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appeared on the ch8 "qian xian zui zhong" for many times liao lehOriginally posted by richkid:thats a new info to us..
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take away their licenses please