Unfortunately for many new arrivals the first time they’re cheated in China is right as they step out of the airport. Tired and cramped and hungry for meals that aren’t plastic-wrapped, most travellers don’t want to spend their first moments in glorious Zhong Guo trying to figure out how much a taxi to a hotel they’ve never been to should cost. Sadly, this is what the host of Chinese men slouched by the giant revolving doors are counting on as they welcome you to China with cries of “Taxi! Taxi!”

After stepping off a flight that took 14 hours and cost 1000 US dollars, most of us feel that 60 dollars to get as far away from the airport and as close to a soft bed as possible is money well spent. But 400 Yuan, what quite a few travellers report paying, is about 4 times the correct fare. A normal taxi ride from the airport to the center of Beijing, or pretty much anywhere in Beijing, shouldn’t cost too much more than 100 Yuan. There is a 10 Yuan toll fee for taking the new Airport Expressway which isn’t included in the bill but the taxi driver should give you a receipt for it. Many wish there was a smoother way to handle the toll as it’s been the source of many an argument between foreigners who don’t understand why they owe 10 Yuan more or the explanation the cabbie is trying to give them in phlegmy Chinese.

There are similar stories in Shanghai, of travellers being charged upwards of 500 Yuan to get to either of Shanghai’s two airports, like this unfortunate fellow, “I arrived in Shanghai and was victim of a couple of bad taxi men. They charged me 480 RMB to take me from the airport to the new Renaissance Hotel in Pudong.” The poor guy later found out the fare (this was some years ago) should’ve been more 130 RMB. Was it a revved up meter? Actually, it was simpler than that: “The taxi meter was working and suddenly they told me that it broke.” There’s not much you can do when you’re flying along the highway and your luggage is locked up tight in the trunk. As the traveller found out, “It was difficult to argue that the rate was high,” something all of us who lack fluency in Chinese or simply don’t know the city they’re in well can relate to.

Hold back—follow the crowd

When you step off that plane you may be itching to jump into the nearest vehicle that will take you to your air-conditioned hotel but you must exercise some restraint. Rather than follow your new driver on a very long walk to his car—if the car is parked and the driver is not in the taxi queue line you can be sure it’s not legit—you should queue up at one of the official taxi lines. The lines may be long and you may witness a fight now and then as queuing has yet to really catch on in China but you’ll feel better about your time in China not having to look back on how the first decision you made in China turned out to be the wrong one.

Once you’re up through the official line and into the cab, take a look at the drivers photo and make sure it resembles the driver – I once took a cab whose license featured a younger looking man with sleek black hair; the driver, however, perhaps his father, was completely grey, wearing dark sunglasses, and because his eyesight was gone, needed me to read the address to him. Take down the number of the cab license and be absolutely sure to get a receipt.

If it all goes wrong…

In all honesty there’s not always a lot you can do in the taxi if you lack the knowledge or language skills to argue persuasively but you can refuse to pay exorbitantly high fares and demand the meter is on and moving at reasonable speed. If anything seems wrong be assertive. Make the driver stop the car and get out and go. If you have to shout a bit to show you’re serious then go ahead and shout. And be sure you get the receipt so you or someone more linguistically able can call the taxi company for you later. 

Make a habit of getting the receipt in case you leave anything behind. A friend of mine worked for an art gallery and one day left the passports of four visiting artists in the backseat of a taxi. Luckily she had the receipt, found out the driver had gone home sick in the middle of the day and hadn’t had any customers after her, and was able to retrieve the passports from the driver’s home. The artists were able to go home and my friend was able to keep her job.

It’s not all bad news

In fact drivers are often quite helpful, calling colleagues to ask about addresses or jumping out to ask for directions. And they don’t expect tips. I recently read a story about a woman in a cab to the subway station who didn’t realize she’d forgotten her wallet until she’d almost reached her destination. The driver gave her a phone number so she could repay him and loaned her 5 Yuan for the subway fare.

So avoid the ‘black’ cabs (called so because of their legal status, not their color) at the airport and elsewhere, use the official taxi queue at the airport, keep an eye on the meter and the driver’s license number, and always, ALWAYS get a receipt. And if your driver keeps growling and shouting at you like a Chinese Oscar the Grouch or Tom Waits, don’t worry, that’s normal.

Article originally posted on Dec 16, 2008.
 

Related links
How to Avoid Employment Scams in China
Common Scams in China (Part 1): Unannounced Stops
Common Scams in China (Part 3): The Tea Scam

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