Singapore Taxi Scams

[coops]

No, really

Am presently in Singapore for some training.

My girlfriend came over last weekend - she's never been to Singapore and I certainly wouldn't choose to come here for a holiday, so it was ideal. And it's Singapore Sale time, whoohoo......

Saturday night we went to the Night Safari (now that's love and dedication for you ) - but never mind that....

finished that and went to get a taxi.

Plenty of taxis lined up at the taxi stand (a shock in itself)....

Got in, told driver our destination.

Taxi driver, leans over, prods at his meter....

"Meter, not working..." starts muttering something else, but i didn't hear it as i'd already started getting out.

Got in to the next taxi, and went downtown no problem.

Oh, priceless. In Singapore......

Do I get a Blue Peter "Street Smarts" badge?

Another one - you'll see some white taxis going round, usually Mercedes - bit of a hint that, but still, it's not like there's a big sign on the roof saying they'll charge you $25 as soon as you get in...

coops

ps obviously, the $25 taxis aren't a scam - they're just a ripoff.

[Jared]

Yeah I was there a few months ago and done the same short trip everyday for around $25, then one day one taxi driver charged me $50 for the same trip

[Mid]

try getting a cab for the 30 minutes before midnight ...............................

[A_Traveller]

Or shift change, or if it's raining.

Regards

[thaihome]

The meter may have not have actually been working, Taxis can get in a lot of trouble picking someone up at a stand and not using meter. But then again, he may have been just trying you out, as is common in most of the Asian world.

On the whilte mercs, if you have ever been at a stand on a rainy Friday night with 50 people waiting and no taxis coming, the S$35 they charge to take you most anywhere is cheap by any standards. They will indeed start S$50, but will settle for 25-35 depending on how far it is.

TH

[coops]

try getting a cab for the 30 minutes before midnight ...............................

About 9 years ago - went to Boat Quay for New Years Eve. Drink, drink etc naturally.

'bout 1:30am we decide to head homewards (to Loyang Valley )

All buses, MRT were shutdown.

Taxis..... , oh, the humanity.

didn't have a mobile in those ancient times, and finding coins for a public phone, if u could find one... there were people giving up and lying down on the seats at bus stops

Did eventually get hold of one - got home at 6am in time for my alarm clock to go off for me to catch a morning flight to Vietnam, marvellous.

SO:- if in singapore have a working mobile phone, and some taxi numbers. Book your taxi - and remember the taxi licence number they give you!

The Singapore tourist marketing people are geniuses...... they must be.

coops

[JCCR6]

I was over a couple of months back, a taxi driver openly told me he had a 'fast' meter, and that most taxi drivers rig them...

[steelepulse]

I flew from Phuket to Singapore a couple of weeks ago.  Got through immigration at about 20 till midnight, queue didn't move until midnight.  Then right at 12:00 in comes the cavalary.  I muset have been number 100 in line so it still took 20 minutes for me to get to the head of the queue.  Of course I mentioned this to my driver and he blamed it on the ones at the front of the queue.  When we drove away from the airport I saw at least 500 taxis queud up, so not sure if they all agree to wait or what, but it sure is frustrating.

I was over a couple of months back, a taxi driver openly told me he had a 'fast' meter, and that most taxi drivers rig them...

[Prakanong]

No, really

Am presently in Singapore for some training.

My girlfriend came over last weekend - she's never been to Singapore and I certainly wouldn't choose to come here for a holiday, so it was ideal. And it's Singapore Sale time, whoohoo......

Saturday night we went to the Night Safari (now that's love and dedication for you ) - but never mind that....

finished that and went to get a taxi.

Plenty of taxis lined up at the taxi stand (a shock in itself)....

Got in, told driver our destination.

Taxi driver, leans over, prods at his meter....

"Meter, not working..." starts muttering something else, but i didn't hear it as i'd already started getting out.

Got in to the next taxi, and went downtown no problem.

Oh, priceless. In Singapore......

Do I get a Blue Peter "Street Smarts" badge?

Another one - you'll see some white taxis going round, usually Mercedes - bit of a hint that, but still, it's not like there's a big sign on the roof saying they'll charge you $25 as soon as you get in...

coops

ps obviously, the $25 taxis aren't a scam - they're just a ripoff.

The big white ones do not always charge you $25 - if they are acting as an ordinary cab they have to use the meter.

This is not to say some of them will not try it on at places like Clarke and Boat Quay etc. My Hokkien pal got in one recently and they tried - lots of expletives later and he is one the phone to the Govt office who are very strict on this - the taxi takes him home to Bukit Tima on the meter.

I must say i have never had the meter not working as I would phone the govt office.

You do get the bastards hiding just before the min fare goes up at 12 and others saying they are hired driving around saying they are hired when not waiting for a call which gives them 4 dollars more.

After all that though I had more attempted scams last week in 1 day in Bangkok than ever I have had in Singapore - I will also say its the first time in ages they tried but maybe its the lack of tourists

[Mid]

I was over a couple of months back, a taxi driver openly told me he had a 'fast' meter, and that most taxi drivers rig them...

too easily , smaller rims is all it takes ..................

as to midnight , for those that don't know , starts a hefty surcharge .

[Prakanong]

I was over a couple of months back, a taxi driver openly told me he had a 'fast' meter, and that most taxi drivers rig them...

Never ever heard of that and I live here.

Had it done to me more than once in Bangkok though.

[TopDogger]

And you could start a thread like this for almost all SE Asian countries.....

[Prakanong]

And you could start a thread like this for almost all SE Asian countries.....

Make that ALL countries

My view of Singapore taxi's though is they are generally excellent - they are cheap considering as well.

Difference of about 5 dollars between taxi from airport to my usual hotel in Bangkok and taxi from airport to condo in Singapore - same distance approx - Thai land slightly more but not by much.

[coops]

I flew from Phuket to Singapore a couple of weeks ago.  Got through immigration at about 20 till midnight, queue didn't move until midnight.  Then right at 12:00 in comes the cavalary.  I muset have been number 100 in line so it still took 20 minutes for me to get to the head of the queue.  Of course I mentioned this to my driver and he blamed it on the ones at the front of the queue.  When we drove away from the airport I saw at least 500 taxis queud up, so not sure if they all agree to wait or what, but it sure is frustrating.

This happened to me in Malaysia - when the new airport opened at KL.... and the ONLY transport option (at that time) was taxis......

For this Singapore 'incident' I did consider staying in the taxi, noting his number down and phoning the police.... but afraid i just couldn't be bothered , sorry about that.

Have never had a problem with taxis in Bangkok, oddly. Well, apart from when i'm driving and some eeejits are poking their heads thru a taxi window 'asking' if he can take them to X...... it's a taxi - get in, tell him your destination and go. Any <deleted> about meters etc, get out and get the next taxi - which, praise Bangkok , will be there shortly.

coops

[Prakanong]

"Have never had a problem with taxis in Bangkok, oddly. Well, apart from when i'm driving and some eeejits are poking their heads thru a taxi window 'asking' if he can take them to X...... it's a taxi - get in, tell him your destination and go. Any <deleted> about meters etc, get out and get the next taxi - which, praise Bangkok , will be there shortly."

Excellent advice and what i normally do - get then tell him where I want to go - any slaver and I am out.

Last week though we got in one and headed to Sunrise Taco's in the night as i had the munchies - when we got there my friend paid. I asked her about the change and she said nothing till we got out then said, "He said you with farang its 100THB" - the piece of shit I hope he crashes in the car alone with nobody in sight.

Next day at MBK - get in taxi and say hotel, "Rot dit rot dit - 100THB". I ask him why he drives a car if he does not like traffic then ask him if he knows the way to Suk through the tobacco monopoly up Rama 4. Blank look so I say "Go go" - get out of the taxi rank, ask him to stop and get out then get in the taxi behind who takes me that way no prob. 50+ THB on the meter but i give him the 100THB for not being a <deleted>.

First time in ages that has hapened to me but have been with colleagues when they have been done in the other car including Thai's who are also complaining about the taxi drivers right now - well yesterday.

[alexth]

Singapore taxis are still uncomparable to thai taxis, I've never been scammed in Singapore and never told that they won't go to the requested destination.

[Mid]

First time in ages that has hapened to me but have been with colleagues when they have been done in the other car including Thai's who are also complaining about the taxi drivers right now - well yesterday.

hip pocket nerve ,

most sensitive in the body , interesting to see the locals beginning to twitch ...........................

[Prakanong]

First time in ages that has hapened to me but have been with colleagues when they have been done in the other car including Thai's who are also complaining about the taxi drivers right now - well yesterday.

hip pocket nerve ,

most sensitive in the body , interesting to see the locals beginning to twitch ...........................

I was just talking about this on our internal IM system yesterday and my colleague brought it up saying quite a few taxi's wil not take her home from the office when they never used to refuse before.

Then she brought up the fact her boss was complaining about taxi scams and no meter and if you knew the boss she is a very tough cookie indeed - I have seen her count everybottle on a river cruise dinner and match them against the total bill from the free bar if you get what I mean - 50 sat on the bus 30 minutes waiting.

[goldenmile]

every time i feel angry about Singapore taxis I just remember how much the taxi cost from central London to Heathrow airport and then everything seems right with the world once more.

[Amethyst]

In singapore they got midnite charge

[chickencurry]

every time i feel angry about Singapore taxis I just remember how much the taxi cost from central London to Heathrow airport and then everything seems right with the world once more.

yeh we got taxi from Heathrow to central London couple of months ago - 50 pounds - more than 3000 baht

[steelepulse]

>>In singapore they got midnite charge

Yes I think we know this ,but even the taxi drivers will tell you that you need to report the taxis who hold up the queue at the airport before midnight.  Can't blame them for wanting extra cash though.  Maybe a transistion phase where between 11:30 and twelve it's 125% of the metered fare, just as they have it on pickups elsewhere on the island.

[viciouskitty74]

>>In singapore they got midnite charge

Yes I think we know this ,but even the taxi drivers will tell you that you need to report the taxis who hold up the queue at the airport before midnight. Can't blame them for wanting extra cash though. Maybe a transistion phase where between 11:30 and twelve it's 125% of the metered fare, just as they have it on pickups elsewhere on the island.

Just go for the meter, and if they dont, just call the numbers on the side of the taxis and complain to the Companies. These drivers, though sometimes I pity them for trying to earn a living. Taking advantage of tourist is not good business either way.

Some of the extra charges for the airport trips are just because the airport is out of no where, and its harder to get flag down passengers worth their while.