I am not sure what is the market going, but I met quite a few
passengers who ask for free taxi rides when we reach their
destination.
They either say the route taken is wrong or I taken too long or
some wrong turn earlier. I always ask for preferred route and will
follow unless the passenger say anything also ok, but these
passengers give confusing or contradicting instructions (for
example they keep saying Turn This Side Turn This Side but Dont Say
Which Side or Point Direction), or they say they not sure or I am
driver I should know what to do. Sometimes they give very last min
instructions, its too late to turn so have to continue, then U-Turn
or circle back. Sometimes I follow the route they provided, but
then when we reach, they also say I drive wrong, or trying to take
advantage.
They usually say so just about to reach the destination, then
they would say the ride costs them so much time they are now
very late or in trouble or other things. They say they are already
very kind not to ask me to compensate them $50-$100, but I should
be a man and not ask them to pay. When I ask is it so? They say
other Taxi Drivers also make mistakes and they dont ask them to pay
and this happens all the time, its very normal. Besides, a few of
them said our Taxi Companies also gives free rental regularly
right.
On other occasions, they are a few others who jump onboard the
cab with a piece of paper with the destination or can only say the
destination in one or two words, if the words are not clear, I ask
them if they understand simple English, they then shake their
head or continue to speak very quickly in foreign language. When I
ask them to ask other people, they also shake their head and use
their hands to gesture to start drive, refusing to alight. I make a
guess where they are headed and they usually keep quiet until I am
about to get there, then they will use hands or fingers to point
left, point right or go straight. When we reach, they would see the
meter and take out less money, sometimes $1, sometime a few
dollars, sometimes 50%. Then when I ask them to pay in full by
pointing to the meter, they shake their heads and open their hands
to show they have no more money. After I accepted the payment,
sometimes, some of them insist to print the receipt for them. Some
of them also insist to check the receipt, to make sure its printed
correctly, date, time, amount (full meter).
The last group of passengers, when we reach the destination,
they say they no cash (in very simple English), only cards, but
when we try the cards, the payment is not successful, cannot
approve. These passengers then insist they could use their card
just only recently, why now cannot, it must be machine or driver
fault, so not their problem. When I offer to drive them to draw
cash, they insist I bring them to a nearby mrt station where the
ATM is underground somewhere or when I ask further, they want to go
to another nearby location where after they go out to draw, they
come back saying the ATM is not working. After that again they
insist they have no other money, so I shouldnt delay them and
should just drop them nearby, becos the problem is the taxi company
fault, not theirs.
call the police and let them handle?
I think go-to-hospital one can close one eye...all the above
sounds like taking advantage.