How one person can have 2 faces in one forum (same writer)
We were talking about rip-offs a while back. It's endemic to the culture but can be worked. Negotiate everything. I took a cab from the airport to District 1. Got approached by a guy with a Vitasun cap and assumed it was ok. Wrong. The cab pulls up and it says Vitasun on it but it's not one of their regular minivans. But it's 1 in the morning and I want to get horizontal. I'm watching the meter and google maps and see the thing is spinning too fast. WTF! I go along with it. We get to the hotel and it's 200,000 when it really should be 100,000. I get out, make sure he gets my bag out of the trunk before I reach for my wallet. He pulls the bag out and puts it on the walk. I reach in my pocket and instead of pulling out my wallet I get my iPhone and start snapping pics of the cab, the number, and the plate. He's got a baffled look on his face. I tell him he's an ass and that the fare should only be 100,000 and I will call the police from the hotel. He changes his tune right off."Ok OK. 100,000 please no problem." What an ass. It's not the 100,000, it's the damn principle. You have to beat them at their own game.
That's probably right. My first trip from the airport with no traffic was a little over 100,000. This time I took Vinasun in rush hour and it was 156,000 to the airport. Certainly at 1 am with no traffic it should not have been 200,000. I could care less about the $8. I spend that every morning at Starbucks. The thing that irks me is they think we are fools. The trip to the airport was 156,000 and I gave hime 200,000 and told him to keep the change.
Just a little change on declan murphys awsome field report
Nice, informative, field report declan murphy, I wish more of the people on this site would do as well.
But just a little clerical change is in order; its the "Thanh Binh 2 hotel " for googleing purposes.
Here's a linc to the website.
[url]http://www.hotels.com/ho397960/thanh-binh-2-hotel-ho-chi-minh-city-vietnam/[/url]
Thanks for the great field report, LAT
Dude, you need to give it up.
[QUOTE=Willyboy; 1549232]We were talking about rip-offs a while back. It's endemic to the culture but can be worked. Negotiate everything. I took a cab from the airport to District 1. Got approached by a guy with a Vitasun cap and assumed it was ok. Wrong. The cab pulls up and it says Vitasun on it but it's not one of their regular minivans. But it's 1 in the morning and I want to get horizontal. I'm watching the meter and google maps and see the thing is spinning too fast. WTF! I go along with it. We get to the hotel and it's 200, 000 when it really should be 100, 000. I get out, make sure he gets my bag out of the trunk before I reach for my wallet. He pulls the bag out and puts it on the walk. I reach in my pocket and instead of pulling out my wallet I get my iPhone and start snapping pics of the cab, the number, and the plate. He's got a baffled look on his face. I tell him he's an ass and that the fare should only be 100, 000 and I will call the police from the hotel. He changes his tune right off."Ok OK. 100, 000 please no problem." What an ass. It's not the 100, 000, it's the damn principle. You have to beat them at their own game.
That's probably right. My first trip from the airport with no traffic was a little over 100, 000. This time I took Vinasun in rush hour and it was 156, 000 to the airport. Certainly at 1 am with no traffic it should not have been 200, 000. I could care less about the $8. I spend that every morning at Starbucks. The thing that irks me is they think we are fools. The trip to the airport was 156, 000 and I gave hime 200, 000 and told him to keep the change.[/QUOTE]
Are you a taxi driver or something. I will stand by my original post. A taxi ride from the airport at 1 am should not cost 200, 000. There was zero traffic. I've done it before, others have done it before. This is why the driver let it go when I confronted him. For some reason you cannot do the same. The driver has gone on with his life. Please do the same.
Another thing that you are unable to comprehend is that it's not about the money. I believe this to be true of most westerners. I am more than able to pay 200,000 for a cab ride. I gave the second driver 200,000 because he was honest and a good driver. The first driver was an asshole. Not only did he try to rip me off he wanted to drop me on Biu Vien and let me find the hotel dragging my luggage around at 3 am. Clearly to get back to look for another sucker. This vacation will end up costing me in excess of 10,000 usd. I care about $8??? This type of petty thievery is insulting to most people. I will not be insulted by some guy whose education starts and ends with learning how to drive a car.
Remember what I told you in PM? That still stands.
Thank you and please go about your life. I will.
I'm cut from the same cloth
[QUOTE=Willyboy; 1549232]We were talking about rip-offs a while back. It's endemic to the culture but can be worked. Negotiate everything. I took a cab from the airport to District 1. Got approached by a guy with a Vitasun cap and assumed it was ok. Wrong. The cab pulls up and it says Vitasun on it but it's not one of their regular minivans. But it's 1 in the morning and I want to get horizontal. I'm watching the meter and google maps and see the thing is spinning too fast. WTF! I go along with it. We get to the hotel and it's 200, 000 when it really should be 100, 000. I get out, make sure he gets my bag out of the trunk before I reach for my wallet. He pulls the bag out and puts it on the walk. I reach in my pocket and instead of pulling out my wallet I get my iPhone and start snapping pics of the cab, the number, and the plate. He's got a baffled look on his face. I tell him he's an ass and that the fare should only be 100, 000 and I will call the police from the hotel. He changes his tune right off."Ok OK. 100, 000 please no problem." What an ass. It's not the 100, 000, it's the damn principle. You have to beat them at their own game.
That's probably right. My first trip from the airport with no traffic was a little over 100, 000. This time I took Vinasun in rush hour and it was 156, 000 to the airport. Certainly at 1 am with no traffic it should not have been 200, 000. I could care less about the $8. I spend that every morning at Starbucks. The thing that irks me is they think we are fools. The trip to the airport was 156, 000 and I gave hime 200, 000 and told him to keep the change.[/QUOTE]I'm like FruitNinja in this instance. I will fight the rip off (figuratively speaking) and reinforce the honest behavior with a nice tip. It's not about the money it's about "saving face". If we just accept the rip off price then we might as well walk around slightly bent at the waist with a tube of ky in our hands, ready for insertion, because you can bet your "bottom" dollar that's how they see us if we do.
Just my 50, 000 dong on the subject, LAT