Taxi Drivers

[aclassiccigar]

Just an FYI to everyone ( not that this is not new news ) but a friendly reminder..

I was with a buddy who was visiting town for the weekend - we popped by Soi Cowboy - bothing major - but for him to get an idea of what it was like. 1 hour of walking around, not a major eventful evening, until the end of the hour "tour" when we went for a cab. I asked a driver if he could take us back to Soi 4...He stated 200 bhat ( not a large amount of money - but we ALL know the system - Meter only thing ). We said now, he told us we were Blank Blank Farong..Pulled a knife and we decided to walk to another cab. Within seconds I was on the ground bleeding from the left back side of my head and my buddy was pulling this guy off of me, as he was beating me with a large stick. We managed to have a taxi driver stop in the middle of the street - yell get in , and he brought me to the hospital. After 3 hours of X rays, 17 stitches and a split 7 centimeters long...we took a trip to the police station - where they are STILL looking for this "gentleman". Apparently from what the police were telling me - the local gangs ( for the most part operate and control the cabs at Soi Cowboy. )

[BoomBoom]

not once had a prob with gettin them 2 put the meter on @ soi cowboy

[stumonster]

I am a little sceptical that after he had told you 200baht, you walked away and tried to find another cab. then he jumped out of his cab , armed himself with a stick and hit you with it?

[dfwbkk]

I would believe your story, but thinking you probably left something out in the part about the conversation when he asked you to use his (inflated cost) services...

/// dfw

[p_brownstone]

You were very brave to turn your back an someone who had already "pulled a knife".

Also, I guess it was very considerate of the chap to put the knife away and take out a "large stick" to continue "beating" you.

Basically........

I don't believe a word!

[English Noodles]

What a complete load of <deleted>

[aclassiccigar]

What a complete load of <deleted>

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Right, &lt;deleted&gt;, but the good news is the cops have him in custody now.... Turning my back - with my mate still watching him - as he did put the knife away - guessing it was a visual threat only.., however the only missing bit was that he took the swings at me after we started walking down past the English Pub. I have been going to SCB for 5 years now and never had a problem, but it appears after having a chat with a few other Farong that the local boys are growing a nice size set of balls to do what they want - when they want - wherever they want.

It was a general bit of info to keep you boys in the loop - however if you do not want to absorb the details - that so be it.

[stumonster]

so how did the conversation proceed, you asked him to take you to soi 4 and he said 200 baht and you said.......??

I am not convinced that he showed you a knife and then hit you with a stick because you asked him to use the meter?

if you desire credibility, the full story helps.

[aclassiccigar]

Hi Stumonster...

Pretty much in a nut shell - walked out of Soi Cowboy as I always do....saw a line up of cabs....asked the first driver who was waving to us - if he could take us back to Soi 4.....He replied 200 baht ( which is not the first time of course that the drivers have tried to stiff me ), as I always do - said no. I stopped to look down the lane for other possibilities and he snapped and started swearing and waving a knife - yelling ( blank blank blank ) Farongs..... I pretty much backed away and started down the lane for a cab at the end of the line and the next thing I knew - I was on the ground with my mate pushing this guy off of me.

The Cops have done a background check on this guy after detaining him and me verifying him - and stated that he was a "moderate" ( love the phrasing ) - drug user. SO - after a looooooooooooong chat with a few other Farongs at the pub (no booze for a week! Argh! ) a few others mentioned that the local boys - drivers - a small group - in particular are "gangs" of drivers - who frequently move around together...and have no fear of doing harm to Farongs.. Not like I like to encourage a bad scene - don't need it , don't want it.. a fun night out is a few drinks and a few laughes with the boys - than home.

I do recall an incident near Soi 4 with a Farong and his GF trying to get into a cab and the driver actually got out of the cab and was swinging a pipe at the Farong...

SO - I am guessing , the driver may have been a bit in his own perfect world and felt Farongs would just give him any rate he picked. As I said before - I have been here 5 years and have done nothing different - same approach and same places.

[ProfessorFart]

Sounds like a case of wrong time, wrong place. This guy was probably spoiling for a fight and you came along and WHAM!!

This kind of stuff could happen anywhere in the world not just in BKK.

Hope your onion gets better soon.

[Nam Kao]

Aclassic

Keep that cut clean. Looks nasty.

Thanks for the warning.

I always took Tuk Tuks from Cowboy with no problems.

regards

nam

[aclassiccigar]

Cheers Gents! 2 more days and the stitches come out - back to the local watering hole...any other good recommendations?

The hardest part of this mess is having to sit in the condo and sit in front of this bloody computer to kill the time! ( Not to say the tablets the hospital provided aren't "spacing" out the time!

[stumonster]

there are a couple of quiet bars down soi 7/1 , just past the eden

though I imagine all taxi drivers are feeling the pain as the fuel prices continue to rise, but their fare pricing scheme does not.

after the election in january, and mr T floats the fuel prices you might see a fair bit more craziness.

[Ijustwannateach]

If it were me I'd make a small "donation" to the police to make sure that Mr. Psychotaxi's time in prison is extra interesting for him. Not that I'm normally vindictive, but if the problem is gang-related perhaps they need some negative feedback.

"Steven"

[griser]

hmmmm. I'm not usually one for violence but i have a good idea!

This jerk needs to be used as a messenger boy back to all his buddies that Foreigners are off limits.

I propose we get about ten farangs together and have someone get in his cab at Soi cowboy and get him to drive to a nice out of the way location where WE will be waiting...

Lesson one ....DON'T (Punch) HIT(Kick) FARANGS(Smack)

A suggestion

I for one am mortally TIRED of hearing about Thai's getting away with assaulting foreigners.

Greg

[stroll]

Right, &lt;deleted&gt;, but the good news is the cops have him in custody now.... 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This was yesterday. Being a 'moderste drug user' having launched a 'moderate' attack on a farang, I guess he received a 'moderate' telling off and is back hunting punters for a 'ride' by now.