Video: Tourist has just two words (repeatedly) for cabby who won't turn on the meter

[OldSiamHand]

7 minutes ago, Bluespunk said:

I don’t recall saying I always meet with refusal to use the meter. Please tell me which post I said that. 

 

I’ve said from the start that there are times, places and circumstances where there will be a refusal to use the meter. 

 

This is based on experience. 

 

Nothing muddled at all. 

 

Don't forget to let me know which post I said I always meet with a  refusal to use the meter.  

Point 1.  I didn't say you always meet with refusal to use the meter - please show me where I posted that.  Let me explain (again).  In post 5 you mention that you should always confirm that they will use a meter before getting into the taxi.  Always, not only at certain places or times, but always.  You then moved from "always" to certain times and places (in a later post which I can't be arsed to look up for you, but it is there).

 

Point 2.  Yes, thank you, your observations (whatever they may be) are based on your personal experience.  Your personal experience is anecdotal.  Please see the Oxford dictionary or other dictionary of your choice.

 

Point 3.  Don't forget to show me where I posted that you always meet with refusal to use the meter.

 

 

[tropo]

15 hours ago, FarangJon said:

I ve spent 3 years in Thailand. Ve seen enough.

No any stories, they can get very easy mental.

The girls as well.

 

I would have said, "the guys as well".

[Kieran00001]

3 hours ago, OldSiamHand said:

The drivers (not the passengers) should be focused on the authorities who refuse to lift the rates at what I agree would be a more realistic level.  I'd be all for an increase in the base rate and the time/distance incremental rate.  Until then,  the law's the law.

 

In an ideal world it would be all down to the drivers to change their situation themselves, but in Bangkok's situation of largely migrant and homeless drivers who are so easily exploited it might take the passengers being proactive to see any change in the fares, and until then I think we who can easily afford to pay more should give tips to the honest drivers and go a little easy on those refusing the meter, don't take the ride, but also not abuse them, much of the time they are only doing what the police have pushed them into and the rest of the time they are only trying to a make a little much needed money.

[hellohello123]

4 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

In an ideal world it would be all down to the drivers to change their situation themselves, but in Bangkok's situation of largely migrant and homeless drivers who are so easily exploited it might take the passengers being proactive to see any change in the fares, and until then I think we who can easily afford to pay more should give tips to the honest drivers and go a little easy on those refusing the meter, don't take the ride, but also not abuse them, much of the time they are only doing what the police have pushed them into and the rest of the time they are only trying to a make a little much needed money.

I agree . In many significant  historical cases. Eg allowing black people ti catch the same bus as a white person.

It took a couple of brave people to break the law and make a stand.

History would have condemed them at the time but later theyre treated  like heros

 

However taxi drives are doing it for pure greed and personal benefit. No aspect of honour at all.

 

 

[OldSiamHand]

2 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

In an ideal world it would be all down to the drivers to change their situation themselves, but in Bangkok's situation of largely migrant and homeless drivers who are so easily exploited it might take the passengers being proactive to see any change in the fares, and until then I think we who can easily afford to pay more should give tips to the honest drivers and go a little easy on those refusing the meter, don't take the ride, but also not abuse them, much of the time they are only doing what the police have pushed them into and the rest of the time they are only trying to a make a little much needed money.

Yes, but the vast majority of their passengers are Thai nationals, so they will be the ones who will need to make the change.  I don't see that coming without a major shift in the culture (or possibly politics).  I almost always tip up to the next 20 baht increment above the actual fee unless I get a bad driver, something the  majority of my Thai colleagues wouldn't consider.  Abusing the driver for not using the meter is just plain dumb.

 

I'm curious about your observation that the police have pushed the drivers into acting a certain way. 

[soalbundy]

7 minutes ago, OldSiamHand said:

You're still getting confused with your own use of the word "always".  I've already explained the history of this tired discussion.  You = always ask that the meter be used.  Me = waste of time, as they usually use the meter.  You = not at all times and places.  Me = agreed, so save your questions about meter usage to such times and places.  All very agreeable, at least it should be.  

 

Another mistaken reading on your part.  No retreat here.

So you disagree with the Oxford dictionary's definition of anecdotal.  A true rebel!

The egos are on a roll today.

[hellohello123]

1 minute ago, OldSiamHand said:

Yes, but the vast majority of their passengers are Thai nationals, so they will be the ones who will need to make the change.  I don't see that coming without a major shift in the culture (or possibly politics).  I almost always tip up to the next 20 baht increment above the actual fee unless I get a bad driver, something the  majority of my Thai colleagues wouldn't consider.  Abusing the driver for not using the meter is just plain dumb.

 

I'm curious about your observation that the police have pushed the drivers into acting a certain way. 

This is where because you are dealing with a non first world country whose cost of livinf is less than your original is.  Andis also an arrogant mindset

 

Lets turn the tablrs and say that you were the japnese tourist in this article

 

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/venice-restaurant-bill-charge-meal-tourists-police-osteria-da-luca-st-marks-square-a8172426.html%3Famp&ved=2ahUKEwiw0s_i7MXZAhUMWbwKHTvvC2oQFjAAegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw2i1d5PAL2he7NNFzYq1Wz-&ampcf=1

 

Are you going to lat the restaurnt owner on the back and give him the thumbs up brcahse he might be struggling to pay the rent? Or cant afford to put trufffles on his family dinner table?

[Kieran00001]

3 hours ago, hellohello123 said:

well, if the rates were unsustainable and that normal drivers couldnt make a living, theyd probably stop being a taxi driver, and the country would be have a massive shortage of taxi drivers, its then up to the governemnt or authroity to make changes ,

 

being lowly paid is not an excuse to break the rules/laws and behave like an idiot

 

Its only sustained because there are so many poor people in Thailand who are willing to move to Bangkok and live in a taxi if they just have some work.

Being lowly paid is the excuse the whole way from the exploited taxi drivers and up through the ranks of the police who exploit them.

 

 

[Kieran00001]

13 minutes ago, hellohello123 said:

I agree . In many significant  historical cases. Eg allowing black people ti catch the same bus as a white person.

It took a couple of brave people to break the law and make a stand.

History would have condemed them at the time but later theyre treated  like heros

 

However taxi drives are doing it for pure greed and personal benefit. No aspect of honour at all.

 

 

 

They struggle to make minimum wage, the greedy people are the policy makers who refuse to increase their rates.

[hellohello123]

5 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

Its only sustained because there are so many poor people in Thailand who are willing to move to Bangkok and live in a taxi if they just have some work.

Being lowly paid is the excuse the whole way from the exploited taxi drivers and up through the ranks of the police who exploit them.

 

 

Just like all the prostitutes  who say they have no choice but that line of work and they dont get paid enough

Yet next door there is a person working for 50 baht an hour at the 7 11

[Kieran00001]

16 minutes ago, OldSiamHand said:

Yes, but the vast majority of their passengers are Thai nationals, so they will be the ones who will need to make the change.  I don't see that coming without a major shift in the culture (or possibly politics).  I almost always tip up to the next 20 baht increment above the actual fee unless I get a bad driver, something the  majority of my Thai colleagues wouldn't consider.  Abusing the driver for not using the meter is just plain dumb.

 

I'm curious about your observation that the police have pushed the drivers into acting a certain way. 

 

It's easy to observe, there are several spots, all major tourist attractions, where the police can be observed collecting money from the drivers, if they stop there then they have to pay, and as the fee to stop is already above the average taxi fare they must of course charge far above the metered rate.

[Kieran00001]

2 minutes ago, hellohello123 said:

Just like all the prostitutes  who say they have no choice but that line of work and they dont get paid enough

Yet next door there is a person working for 50 baht an hour at the 7 11

 

And do you think you could make as much as 50 baht an hour driving a taxi in Bangkok?

[soalbundy]

2 minutes ago, hellohello123 said:

Just like all the prostitutes  who say they have no choice but that line of work and they dont get paid enough

Yet next door there is a person working for 50 baht an hour at the 7 11

horses for courses, the girl next door could be single living with her parents, the prostitute could have been abandoned by her husband with two children to keep and with a minimum of education,that scenario is not too uncommon.

[hellohello123]

6 minutes ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

They struggle to make minimum wage, the greedy people are the policy makers who refuse to increase their rates.

Yet theyre are thousands of drivers who were happy to take me on my 75 baht trip of which they probsbly lose 15 to 40% in fees via the meter.

 

And yet some greedy drivers want 200 baht of which theyll pocket all for themselves.

 

Eventually if it got so ridiculous people would simply change jobs or industries. 

Thats the law of economics  . Then the tsxi authority will havr to take action

[hellohello123]

2 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

horses for courses, the girl next door could be single living with her parents, the prostitute could have been abandoned by her husband with two children to keep and with a minimum of education,that scenario is not too uncommon.

You dont need a phd to work at 7 11 or be a house keeper

[oldlakey]

5 hours ago, lamyai3 said:

This is true, and if caught in one of those times or places it's completely pointless to get angry about it. So many posts in this thread blame the individual taxi, but it's more likely that he had no choice if operating in that particular location. It's down to which particular mafia controls the turf in those lucrative tourist spots. 

Or perhaps he had his own motives

[soalbundy]

Just now, hellohello123 said:

You dont need a phd to work at 7 11 or be a house keeper

There is a minimum educational requirement to work at 7/11 and also includes shift work, housekeepers are paid crap. The minimum wage is often not adhered to with such work. My missus who wanted some extra money inquired at an Esso petrol station about work, they offered her way under the minimum wage which she refused, they just said take it or leave it,plenty of people willing to work for that (Isaan)

[Kieran00001]

3 minutes ago, hellohello123 said:

Yet theyre are thousands of drivers who were happy to take me on my 75 baht trip of which they probsbly lose 15 to 40% in fees via the meter.

 

And yet some greedy drivers want 200 baht of which theyll pocket all for themselves.

 

Eventually if it got so ridiculous people would simply change jobs or industries. 

Thats the law of economics  . Then the tsxi authority will havr to take action

 

Bangkok taxi drivers change jobs so often that it's difficult to find one who knows the city, the laws of economics force the constant turnaround of drivers while also providing a pool of poor people ready to take the bait, this has left the service ruined and allowed space for other services to compete who charge more but can provide a better service, the action of the taxi authority has been to call for outlawing of competitors.

[oldlakey]

16 minutes ago, soalbundy said:

There is a minimum educational requirement to work at 7/11 and also includes shift work, housekeepers are paid crap. The minimum wage is often not adhered to with such work. My missus who wanted some extra money inquired at an Esso petrol station about work, they offered her way under the minimum wage which she refused, they just said take it or leave it,plenty of people willing to work for that (Isaan)

Third world benefits, from a third world system, in a Third World Country

[soalbundy]

Just now, oldlakey said:

Third world benefits, from a third world system, in a Third World Country

It is as it is with all its inherent results for the community.

[oldlakey]

Just now, soalbundy said:

It is as it is with all its inherent results for the community.

Thats what I said

[soalbundy]

4 minutes ago, oldlakey said:

Thats what I said

but not as nicely.

[oldlakey]

Just now, soalbundy said:

but not as nicely.

Cant argue with that

[Robbess]

Sahdt ma would be more effective.

[THAILIBAN]

I have to admit that I used these words too one or two times when exactly the same happened to me in BKK, though I didn't repeat it as I didn't want to escalate the situation and walked away quickly.

The managers of GRAB and UBER will with no doubt love this Video

[THAILIBAN]

7 hours ago, Kieran00001 said:

 

They struggle to make minimum wage, the greedy people are the policy makers who refuse to increase their rates.

 

Gen PRAYUT some months ago said that unless those plentiful scams vanish, the fares won't be raised

[observer90210]

The usual argument or debate on blocking the trafic, who was in the car first ? etc etc.....fine !!!....but let's not miss the point....

 

The Taxi/Tuk Tuk boys in Thailand are a gang of despicable opportinust crooks who try to rip off when they can !!..........obviously not all....but many...

 

It is a disgusting behaviour that must be reprimanded by the authorities.....it gives a disgraceful image of the country when you have to start to argue just after a flight......and please, save us the usual "you don't like it, you leave it "...

Edited February 27, 2018 by observer90210

[Bluespunk]

4 minutes ago, OldSiamHand said:

Not at all.  Your original point was that you "always" check to see if the driver will use a meter.  After I told you it was a waste of time to "always" check, you came around to my position that there were "times and places" where a driver would not use a meter (based of course on your anecdotal evidence, which I do not dispute).  Thus, by implication, there is only a need to check to see if a driver will use a meter during such "times" or at such "places" - not "always".

 

 

 

I’ve never come round to your position. 

 

My experiences have proven there are times and places where drivers will refuse to use the meter. 

 

This has nothing to do with my entirely separate post on my way of avoiding incidents such as the one in the OP. 

 

Something I will continue to do, as it can save time as well as avoid conflict. 

Edited February 28, 2018 by Bluespunk

[shaurene]

I can only see one reason for them not turning the metre on. They are working for the owner of the cab and they are pocketing the  fare. 

[norrska]

15 minutes ago, shaurene said:

I can only see one reason for them not turning the metre on. They are working for the owner of the cab and they are pocketing the  fare. 

Turning the "metre" on....that's what I call going the extra yard....in metric!