Forbidden City Taxi Ride: Got Schooled by a Beijing Cabbie! (You've Been Warned!)
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Just don't bother with taxis in Beijing; ride-hailing apps are so much more convenient.
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I've experienced that myself.
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Any driver daring to park and wait for fares around the Forbidden City is definitely not legit. They're not even supposed to stop there...
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That's so true. If they're waiting for passengers near the Forbidden City, they're almost certainly unlicensed cabs.
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Can you really trust what ride-hailing drivers say? I'd recommend Siji Minfu near the Temple of Heaven.
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Never heard of 'Siji Mingfu,' only 'Siji Minfu.' For open-oven roast duck, I'd recommend Quanjude (Hepingmen branch), Beiping Shengshi, Jingweizhai, Da Yali, and others. For the closed-oven style, Bianyifang is the place to go.
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What a total rip-off! That awful restaurant hasn't even been open a year. The Doumanjiang Korean BBQ next door has been around for over twenty years; that's the spot where locals actually go.
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Same scam, same shop today. Luckily, I checked the reviews right after sitting down and got out of there.
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Definitely avoid taxis that are parked and waiting for passengers; they're practically scammers, and never take their recommendations. It's like this in every city. Last time we went to the Qingxi Mausoleums, we paid for a licensed guide. We drove, she rode with us, and her commentary was absolute rubbish. Then she just kept pushing us to go to this banquet or that feast. When we insisted on not going, she got all sulky.
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If it's a legitimate taxi, you should just file a complaint.
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Shouldn't you check a review app first?
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Let me put it this way: Beijing locals rarely take taxis because they're such a rip-off; watching that meter climb is heartbreaking. Just use a ride-hailing app. Don't go to places recommended by taxi drivers like that; they get a kickback if you spend money there. I had the same experience in Hangzhou: the taxi driver would try every trick in the book to persuade you and take you to a silk shop. It's usually not far from your actual destination, but they'll drive you straight to a nearby silk store instead.