"Man, I payed 650 crowns from Old Town Square to Nusle."My friend Ole arrived from Denmark and immediately went to the trap of czech cheats on their four wheels. And I got pissed, that this is it! This is, what the foreigners get at first in the Czech republic.
"I have been living in South America for 7 years and haven´t experienced such a robbery, shit!"
My friend Ole doesn´t give a damm about decency, if he is pissed.
It´s funny how he gets excited but my mind goes fury. I did the same route two hours ago for 200 crowns.
"Did he have a meter on?"
"Yea, but I could not see the numbers, the meter was running like crazy!"
Poor man, he really doesn´t like to be robbed.
I pull out a beer from the fridge and open the bottle of slivovice, traditional czech alco which one has to drink and belive, that will see the world again next day.
I am with him. In ANY city of South America taxidrivers don´t cheat that way - without counting disastrous airports thiefs. You get a street taxi in any center of Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bogota, Santiago or Lima and even he might notice right away, that you are "gringo", than doesn´t try stupid tricks but puts the meter on. Usually with two tariffs, one for week and other for weekend or public holidays.Even if no meter, than usually normal price for route can be agreed.
Not worth of mentioning northern europe taxidrivers. Last taxirobber in Finland or Denmark was propably shot down to death some time during beggining of the 20th century.
Finishing drinks a leaving my place. We head to Zizkov TV tower.
"Let´s go by tram..."
"No, man, I don´t want to wait..."
I see taxi approaching. We get in . Taxidriver talks on the mobile phone. After 100 meters switches meter on and choose tariff 3.I glance the price table in front of me. It has got 8 different tariffs.
"Hey, Ole, immagine, we have 8 different tariffs, how about Denmark?"
"WHAT? We have only ONE or two!"
"You see, better we are," with laugh. Than I look back to the price table.
I note, that currently we are escorted by one additional car, according to the price table and tariff."Why did you swith on 3, there is supposed to be 1! It´s crystal clear downhere - Prague, tariff ONE!"Price difference bettween tariff one and three is 13 crowns per kilometer. My blood starts boiling.Shit! We talked about it half an hour ago!
"OK, so you want me to work for 28 crowns per kilometer?" says taxidriver.
"WHAT, what 28, the price table states : tariff one - Prague, 22 crowns. The only thing I want is to go for THAT tariff, nothing damm else! "
Taxidriver switches over tariff from 3 to 2 and shakes his head.
"BUT , hell, we going for the same tariff as we woul call your company Call center! But, I haven´t done anything like that!" DAMM!
"SO YOU WANT ME TO WORK FOR 22 CROWNS??!!"
"I WANT TO GO ACCORDNING TO THIS BLOODY PRICE TABLE, WHICH IS IN FRONT OF ME!"
"But, the price is 28 crowns. Look at the car door."
I look breathless in front of me at the price table, which is contradicting that door info.
"So, why do you have here this price table, which is NOT VALID?!"
"Well..., that´s LAW!"
"OK, so please, change the tariff according to that law."
"SO, NOW YOU WANT ME TO WORK FOR 22??!!"
"NOO, I DIDN´T SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT!"
I thing, Ole is laughing on the back seat.Finally we reached tariff ONE!I wiped off sweat of my forehead and got off the cab. I could hear taxidriver swearing.
"Man, you seem to be pissed."
"Yea, I can´t believe that..."
"Don´t worry, FUCK those taxidrivers!"
Ole always puts me into spirits.
"I have been living in South America for 7 years and haven´t experienced such a robbery, shit!"
My friend Ole doesn´t give a damm about decency, if he is pissed.
It´s funny how he gets excited but my mind goes fury. I did the same route two hours ago for 200 crowns.
"Did he have a meter on?"
"Yea, but I could not see the numbers, the meter was running like crazy!"
Poor man, he really doesn´t like to be robbed.
I pull out a beer from the fridge and open the bottle of slivovice, traditional czech alco which one has to drink and belive, that will see the world again next day.
I am with him. In ANY city of South America taxidrivers don´t cheat that way - without counting disastrous airports thiefs. You get a street taxi in any center of Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bogota, Santiago or Lima and even he might notice right away, that you are "gringo", than doesn´t try stupid tricks but puts the meter on. Usually with two tariffs, one for week and other for weekend or public holidays.Even if no meter, than usually normal price for route can be agreed.
Not worth of mentioning northern europe taxidrivers. Last taxirobber in Finland or Denmark was propably shot down to death some time during beggining of the 20th century.
Finishing drinks a leaving my place. We head to Zizkov TV tower.
"Let´s go by tram..."
"No, man, I don´t want to wait..."
I see taxi approaching. We get in . Taxidriver talks on the mobile phone. After 100 meters switches meter on and choose tariff 3.I glance the price table in front of me. It has got 8 different tariffs.
"Hey, Ole, immagine, we have 8 different tariffs, how about Denmark?"
"WHAT? We have only ONE or two!"
"You see, better we are," with laugh. Than I look back to the price table.
I note, that currently we are escorted by one additional car, according to the price table and tariff."Why did you swith on 3, there is supposed to be 1! It´s crystal clear downhere - Prague, tariff ONE!"Price difference bettween tariff one and three is 13 crowns per kilometer. My blood starts boiling.Shit! We talked about it half an hour ago!
"OK, so you want me to work for 28 crowns per kilometer?" says taxidriver.
"WHAT, what 28, the price table states : tariff one - Prague, 22 crowns. The only thing I want is to go for THAT tariff, nothing damm else! "
Taxidriver switches over tariff from 3 to 2 and shakes his head.
"BUT , hell, we going for the same tariff as we woul call your company Call center! But, I haven´t done anything like that!" DAMM!
"SO YOU WANT ME TO WORK FOR 22 CROWNS??!!"
"I WANT TO GO ACCORDNING TO THIS BLOODY PRICE TABLE, WHICH IS IN FRONT OF ME!"
"But, the price is 28 crowns. Look at the car door."
I look breathless in front of me at the price table, which is contradicting that door info.
"So, why do you have here this price table, which is NOT VALID?!"
"Well..., that´s LAW!"
"OK, so please, change the tariff according to that law."
"SO, NOW YOU WANT ME TO WORK FOR 22??!!"
"NOO, I DIDN´T SAY ANYTHING LIKE THAT!"
I thing, Ole is laughing on the back seat.Finally we reached tariff ONE!I wiped off sweat of my forehead and got off the cab. I could hear taxidriver swearing.
"Man, you seem to be pissed."
"Yea, I can´t believe that..."
"Don´t worry, FUCK those taxidrivers!"
Ole always puts me into spirits.
