Taxi!
 

Hola all, long time reader etc etc...

May i tax your local knowledge please? I've only caught a cab a couple of times from AD to just over the bridge, once to the shangri la and once to Officer city. Both times the cab drivers have refused to put the meter on, saying that it's only a metered fare to the bridge. Now, when i've tried to press the point they've refused to move. What gives? Is this right? Or if it's not right but unavoidable, what should i tell them that i'll pay?

Cheers.

Re: Taxi!
 

Pay? How about pay a visit to them in their cell when you report them to the police.Should be metered.Some of the old AD taxis operated w.o meters but could still agree fair price.Metered fares don't stop at the bridge-claptrap-tell them you calling police.

Re: Taxi!
 

I thought as much before and got a bit aggressively myself last time, but the geezer didn't blink. Just stayed calm as you like repeating 'not after carrefour'. I was a bit scared of him to be honest and didn't really want to go through with the 'call the police bluff ' as essentially you're then stuck with a driving maniac for the next 20 mins, who's kind of pissed with you.

We paid him 20 from the cross of 13th/ airport road to get to the Shangri-la, so it wasn't too bad but i STEWED with resentment.

Re: Taxi!
 

I'm not familiar with Ab Dab taxis but isn't the idea (as per everywhere else on the planet) that he "refuses" to put the meter on (i.e. offers not to) when he is doing a SHORTER journey - you're happy as it costs you less than a metered fare would have done, and he's happy as he trousers the lot, with none for the taxi firm........?

Re: Taxi!
 

2 & 13 to The Shang for less then 3 quid between two of you ain't that bad.
Watch the time when you are calling taxis in relation to prayer time.Some drivers genuinely do calculate distance -v- next prayer call.
And of course as with every other place in the world,you'll get the arseholes who try it on in terms of fare.

Re: Taxi!
 

I know it's not much money in the scheme of things, but the lack of charm at negotiation means i just want to be forearmed with local knowledge on what to pay or how to handle it. Don't want to threaten the cops and then look like a complete nonce when it turns out the cab driver was right!

Prayer time is something else i hadn't factored in!

My mate was charged 120dhs to get back to Seashore villas from le meridian. She suspected she was being taken for a ride (yep, bad pun) but was too scared to do anything about it.

Re: Taxi!
 

Then she shoulda chucked 40AED at the driver.Seashores? that the gated community with a guard at the entrance yes?

Re: Taxi!
 

Your mate was royally raped! I refuse to get in the cab if they won't put the meter on.
TBH now I just tend to get into the nicer taxi's (Al Ghazel or National) and they always put the meter on.
BTW that should cost 50AED max

Re: Taxi!
 

Yeah the new one next to Mangrove. Between two bridges

Re: Taxi!
 

Is it special? We are getting ridiculous requests for housing allowance........

Re: Taxi!
 

Not especially but it is nice. I know that the residents are a little embittered as Mangrove (where the majority got in before the prices here skyrocketed) have great facilities etc for comparatively less rent. SV are 400dhs for a sea facing one and 320 for none and the facilities appara don't compare to MV.


To go back to the taxi topic - thanks for your insight, i've obv found my haggling mojo and i'll tell my mate to find hers!
x

Re: Taxi!
 

They try it on all the time!
Have been charged 10dhs to get to Marina mall in the morning when it should be 5dhs because he say he cant pick anyone else up from there at 10am in the morning. Gave him 5dhs when i got out and told him no way!

Have called Gazel before on a Thursday evening and they always send one of their white cars which costs me 30dhs instead of 7dhs and its metered!

Also when i have been out on a Thursday evening many of the taxi's turn off their metres coming back and you have to just haggle a price which is twice as much as it should be! When you think of it that 3quid as aposed to 8quid i would have to pay in the UK but its just not right that they force people to pay double. I expect they love the tourists!...:ohmy:

Re: Taxi!
 

Will this help drive prices down?

http://www.ameinfo.com/158417.html

Re: Taxi!
 

the taxis always turn off the meter after midnight and you need to 'haggle' the price before, but 120 was way too much, you can get half way to dubai for that. Now with the new taxis you should be able to report the taxi driver if they refuse to take you, and if they get 3 hits then they will be penalised and not allowed to work for a little time, to try and stop them doing this, but you do have a problem with getting taxis to go 'over the bridge', but if you use the old white ones, ie al ghazal, fast etc they usually will do the airport runs and so should take you, and the cost for a taxi from the airport to town is 75 dhs, so 120 was a right rip off.

Re: Taxi!
 

I think we saw some of them the other week. We turned off 2 onto 15 and there was a carpark full to the gills with them. All looking very shiney indeed. (or it could be a depot!).