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Hanoi is at the top of my list of places where tourists are treated as walking dollar signs. Coming off a bus/train, you get swamped by drivers and you absolut
by nkingsy 5y ago
Hanoi is at the top of my list of places where tourists are treated as walking dollar signs.
Coming off a bus/train, you get swamped by drivers and you absolutely must know exactly where you're going and how to get there or you will be taken wherever the driver is being paid to take you.
Cartagena is a close second.
Interestingly, outside of major ports of call, Hanoi was lovely, some of the best food I've eaten anywhere and $10/night for a beautiful room. You get a lot of ding for your dong as long as you know how to miss the scams.
- ekianjo 5y ago> Hanoi is at the top of my list of places where tourists are treated as walking dollar signs. Some parts of thailand are pretty much like that too. Being screwed by Taxis if you are a tourist is the norm.
- digianarchist 5y agoTends to happen in places with unmetered taxis. Never heard of anyone modifying a meter in Thailand.
- ekianjo 5y agoEven with meters, the usual trick I saw was: "oh sorry sir I took the wrong turn, and now we are stuck in a road with major traffic, I'll try to turn back as soon as I can" - added 10 minutes worth of ride. The only solution I see for this kind of abuse would be meter + "strictly follow GPS" rule.
- fy20 5y agoWhen I was in India they were at least honest about this. They said the meter in the rickshaw was only for locals :-) The ride was still only $10 for what would probably be $50 at home so can't complain...
- kylehotchkiss 5y ago700 rupees is a day or two of pay for rickshaw drivers. He probably enjoyed the day off after dropping you!
- fy20 5y agoExactly... I mean tourism is a big part of the economy in some places. As a tourist I don't mind paying a reasonable amount more than locals, but charging $40 for a 2km ride is clearly just taking the p***. Our ride was 45 minutes maybe 20km, so $10 felt like a good deal to me :-)
- hiram112 5y agoWow. 70 rupees / US dollar. That's some devaluing in the last decade.
- kylehotchkiss 5y agoIt's closer to 75/dollar right now!
- mmmmmbop 5y agoWhen I was in Thailand, drivers often simply refused to turn on the meter, insisting on a (higher) lump sum payment, or get out of the car. One time after I begrudgingly accepted the lump sum, our cab got stuck in bad traffic and the supposedly 20 minute ride turned into a one and a half hour ride. At some point the driver half-jokingly suggested that maybe we should go by the meter after all.