Beijing Taxi Drivers: Speechless. To. The. MAX!!!
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Thank you~ I couldn't agree more. Beijing really does have many good people, including yourself.
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As a Beijinger, I have to say, many taxi drivers are from the nearby suburbs. They start their shifts very early, and sometimes with traffic, they worry that delays will mean they earn less after paying their company fees. However, some drivers are truly obnoxious. I live in Wangjing. Once, I was taking a taxi from Capital Airport – this was before they had separate queues for Wangjing and downtown. I was already tired and irritated from a delayed business trip. The driver picked me up without a word. But once we were on the highway, he started tutting and complaining, 'I waited in line all night just for a fare like yours? What rotten luck!' He just kept whining. I snapped. I told him, 'A fare like what? Go on, say it! Am I not going to pay you? Did I threaten your family to make you drive me? Cut the crap and pull over right now. If you don't let me out, you'll have me to answer to!' He shut up immediately. Some people just ask to be put in their place.
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I used to live near the East Fourth Ring Road. Before ride-hailing apps, I'd end up arguing with taxi drivers almost every single ride.
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If a Beijing taxi driver tries to chat you up, you can report them. Generally, drivers aren't supposed to casually chat and disturb passengers. Secondly, about the phrase '我咋开进去?' (How the heck do I drive in?) – true Beijingers don't use '咋' (za) or '啥' (sha). They say '怎么' (zenme) and '什么' (shenme). So, that driver definitely wasn't a local. Please don't blame Beijing for it.
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That's also possible. People in Miyun, Pinggu, and Huairou (suburban districts of Beijing) use '咋' (za) and '啥' (sha) even more often than folks from Hebei province.
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When I was sightseeing in Beijing and asked for directions, the people I encountered were often cold and unfriendly.
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Then you probably weren't asking real old-school Beijingers. When we see someone asking for directions, our ears perk up. If the person giving directions points the wrong way, we'll jump in to help right away.
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When I use ride-hailing apps, I never choose the metered taxis. Forget tourists; these guys even dare to rip off Beijing locals. The light ahead will be green, but they'll hit the brakes, wait for it to turn yellow, then gun it just to stop at the line and milk the red light. Last time, I took a cab from my place to my mom's – a trip that should've been the 13 RMB base fare. He managed to drag it out through all four traffic lights, and the meter hit 19 RMB! Can you believe a base fare ride being stretched to 19 just by wasting time? I reported him straight to the platform. If you're going to smash your own rice bowl, I'm going to flip your whole damn pot.
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Exactly. If I didn't need a taxi receipt (for reimbursement), I'd usually avoid taxis altogether.
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This makes me so angry. That driver doesn't represent Beijing; he's just a bad apple. People like him bring shame wherever they go! Beijing has 26 million people now, but only about 7 million, perhaps even fewer, are native Beijingers. It's not just you; even we locals find many things hard to adjust to and have to put up with a lot. Drivers like him should be disciplined and reported – that's how the industry improves. True Beijingers don't think in terms of 'insiders' vs. 'outsiders.' Since my grandfather's time, we've taught our children: 'Be strict with yourselves and mindful of your conduct. To the world, you represent China; don't disgrace it. Within the country, you represent the capital; don't disgrace Beijing.' Mr. Wang Binggui from the old department store used to call all out-of-town customers 'domestic guests' – that's the true patriotic and inclusive spirit of Beijingers. We can't make everyone love this city, but I can make sure I do my part, raise my children right, and hold onto that sense of responsibility.
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Taxis are expensive and the drivers often have bad attitudes. Even we Beijing locals don't really like taking them. I've been in Northeast China recently, and taxis there are surprisingly cheap!
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We usually just use ride-hailing apps. Some taxi drivers... I just can't stand their attitude.
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I've never encountered a taxi driver with a good attitude in Beijing. They're expensive and rude.
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Absolutely disgusting. The first driver refused the fare because it was too short. The second one, the meter read 13 RMB, but he demanded 20. I ended up giving him 15. I gave those extra 2 RMB not because I couldn't argue him down, but more out of a grudging 'fine, whatever' feeling, just to get rid of him. Beijing taxi drivers are practically beggars, just short of robbers! He was grumpy the whole ride, complaining, full of negativity because the trip was short. Then, when I was getting out, he didn't want to open the trunk. I had to ask him several times while he played deaf before he finally did. I thought it was just a one-off bad day. But then, in the evening, I hailed a Didi, and the driver wanted to charge me for opening the trunk! My entire day's good mood was completely ruined, from start to finish, by these awful Beijing taxi drivers. Is this the general standard here? Like they've never seen money before? #BeijingTaxis
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Hahaha, I ran into a Beijing taxi driver today. It was just a base fare distance, and I only realized he hadn't turned on the meter when I was getting out. I asked how much I owed, and he said, 'Base fare, 15 RMB.' After I got out, I looked it up – the base fare in Beijing is 13 RMB! Why go to such trouble just to cheat someone out of 2 RMB?
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Report them. I support you.
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It's no use.