13Jul/113
A (Mild) Complaint about Beijing Taxis
Has anyone else noticed that Beijing's taxi service has gotten worse? Or has it always been this bad and I just have been out of the country for too long. Recently, the following things have happened to me:
- An available taxi pulls up, takes a look at me, and then pulls back into traffic and speeds away. I was dressed in a collared shirt and slacks, if that's what you're thinking.
- A taxi driver pulling up, asking me where I was going, and then refusing to take me because he wasn't going that way. What, are we hitchhiking?
- Taxi driver after taxi driver either waving me off or ignoring me completely. In Kunming, cabbies often did this between 5 and 6 in the evening due to shift changes. But in Beijing, typically three or four taxi drivers wave me off for each one who stops no matter what the time of day.
- Taxi drivers displaying an incredible lack of knowledge of the city. By law, taxi drivers must be a registered resident of Beijing, but this means the "municipal area" rather than the city itself. I've had quite a few cabbies who have quite clearly just moved to the city from the nearby countryside and have no idea where anything is. I don't blame them personally, but shouldn't there be a modicum of training? I wouldn't expect every taxi driver to know each little hutong in Beijing, but knowing where, say, Sanlitun is seems like it should be a requirement.
- Taxi drivers grumbling loudly at simple requests such as stopping for two minutes to pick up a friend.
- Taxi drivers who, in a desperate bid to dodge the constant Beijing traffic, find creative ways to circumvent the city's main arteries and end up tacking on a half-hour and 25 kuai to the journey.
Funnily enough, taking taxis in Harbin last weekend was like timewarping back several years in China's history. The drivers lit cigarette after cigarette and the cars themselves looked like they were on the verge of collapse, but you knew by sticking out your hand you'd be taken where you'd want to go with a smile and cheery conversation to boot.
July 13th, 2011 - 17:49
It’s not just you. These are among the many reasons I finally caved and spent the money on a car and driver. I have to spend ninety minutes a day on the road. I’d had about all the pissing and moaning I could take. It’s a hard life in the taxi drivers, but alienating your customers isn’t going to make it any easier.
July 13th, 2011 - 17:53
Matt: Points 1, 3 and 4 are, I suspect, related.
I think that despite what the law says, there’s been an influx of drivers who are new to the city (which explains why they don’t know their way around as well). Their English proficiency is probably not good, which is why they think – upon sighting you – that you’re probably just another waiguoren who can’t talk Chinese. So they either don’t stop – or when they do, they take a gander and (without conversing, I presume) scoot.
Just a theory, but it could plausibly explain three of those points. Next time, try wearing a placard around your neck saying you can speak Chinese. I dare say you’ll have better results
July 13th, 2011 - 20:38
3 out of 5 days I have to repeatedly tell different drivers not to go through Sanyuanqiao to get to Wangjing. If I let them, they would inevitably drive into heavy traffic that doubles the amount time needed to my destination. I know my Chinese isn’t that bad because on the other 2 days the drivers comply without question.
How do others deal with taxis that stop but are curiously “not available”? One method I’ve used with some success is opening the front passenger door to talk to the driver – not through an open window – while looking at the driver’s registration card.