Why most taxis in Warsaw cheat foreigners to get more money?

IamConfused

Apr 17, 11, 07:23 #1

Hi all
I have experienced this alot! The taxi drives me around and around to get double or more money. Why? I mean forget about 10-20 zt. more but think about the time wasted. I remember my first time in Warsaw, I took a taxi to a place and it costed me 28 zt. I wanted to take another time, the taxi driver told me it's on the other side of the street! Not even 30 seconds to walk! LOL! Is there any control so people don't get ripped off all the time? This is really crazy!!!

ukpolskaThreads: 51 Posts: 2,238 Joined: Oct 23, 06 MEMBER ♂	Apr 17, 11, 08:03 #2
Never been ripped off in Warsaw and I take a taxi to the airport twice a month for the last four years, I guess it comes down to common sense and asking how much it will cost before you leave. Always choose the official licensed taxis and always agree a price before you leave, as I said common sense prevails here!!!

MEMBER ♂

Edited by: mephias Apr 17, 11, 10:11 #3

Living in Warsaw for two years and I also have never been ripped off. On the contrary my experiences are very positive, Once I needed to visit a friend and the building wasn't easy to find, Taxi driver parked the car asked some people and led me to the building where 200-300 meters walk was necessary. As some ukpolska already said,

- Always choose official licensed taxis and choose companies you already know,
- If possible call the taxi by phone
- Make sure there is a taximeter and it is started, check the increase in the taximeter after first kilometer
- If possible check the destination/distance you want to go using ZUMI,
- Be more careful if you are looking for a taxi in centrum or other central areas,

Polonius3Threads: 1,005 Posts: 4,835 Joined: Apr 11, 08 ♂	Apr 17, 11, 11:06 #4
This question should be approached more broadly -- why do so many people everywhere nowadays lie and cheat and even steal with no regret, remorse or pangs of conscience? How can they shave or apply make-up in front of a mirror and see their own image without feeling disgust? That is a more salient question than why some New York, London, Warsaw or Mexico City taxi driver took someone for a ride.

♂

Apr 17, 11, 14:55 #5

IamConfused:

Hi all
I have experienced this alot! The taxi drives me around and around to get double or more money

Do you speak Polish?
Maybe your instructions are not clear enough.
Unlike many other cities in Poland, there is a price war on taxis in Warsaw, at 1.60 PLN per Klm, running a 10 year old car and getting 6-8 Klm per Liter of petrol/Diesel ( 5.20 PLN per Liter). The drivers are literally working for peanuts

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Edited by: antheads Apr 17, 11, 14:58 #6

In Poland the taxi market is what we call the 'amerykanski rynek' meaning american laisre faire capitalism, that is anyone can put a taxi sign on their car and call themselves a taxi and there is no enforcement to stop it. 70 percent of the taxis you see in warsaw are fake and not regulated.

There are only three real taxi companies in warsaw, i suggest you use one of them and you will always get a fare ride. i recomend MPT. The taxi drivers who pay go to the trouble and are legit regularly have big fist fights with the fake taxi drivers..

its crazy

FlaglessPoleThreads: 7 Posts: 1,394 Joined: Aug 19, 10 ♂	Apr 17, 11, 15:12 #7
antheads: There are only three real taxi companies in warsaw, i suggest you use one of them and you will always get a fare ride. i recomend MPT. The taxi drivers who pay go to the trouble and are legit regularly have big fist fights with the fake taxi drivers.. its crazy LOL. Ladies and gentlemen in the blue corner the champion of the fake cabbies (aka Fakcabs): The Fist!!!!!!!

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Apr 17, 11, 15:31 #8

IamConfused:

I wanted to take another time, the taxi driver told me it's on the other side of the street! Not even 30 seconds to walk! LOL!

The fact that the taxi driver told you it’s just across the street instead of taking you for a ride proves otherwise. How would you know they drive you “around and around” when you didn’t even know that the address you were looking for was directly across the street from you? Besides after this comment do you still wonder why you are being taken advantage of? As they say there’s one born every minute, You are confused all right.

guesswhoThreads: 23 Posts: 3,326 Joined: Mar 17, 10 ♀	Apr 17, 11, 15:47 #9
ukpolska: as I said common sense prevails here!!! well yes, but the question is, should we even have to worry about it?

MagdalenaThreads: 5 Posts: 1,389 Joined: Aug 15, 07 ♀	Apr 17, 11, 23:07 #10
antheads: There are only three real taxi companies in warsaw Are you for real? http://tanietaxi.com.pl/warszawataxi.html

Zman	Apr 17, 11, 23:45 #11
I am living a boring life, I guess, based on what some of you write here. When I need I order a spic'n'span clean taxi at 2,40 for short distances which is called WAWA taxi and when I want to go to Podkowa Leśna, for that matter, I call NightDrivers at half price..... Great service either way..... Clean and courteous :-)

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Edited by: isthatu2 Apr 18, 11, 02:39 #12

Only ever had someone try to do me once in Warsaw and that was a market trader at Kola antique/flea market.
I asked him in Polish "how much" he said (I can remember the exact,lets say) 40,the mate I was with(a local) said something to me in English, I double check the price and now its 400 :)
And no,I didnt miss hear,my mate gave him a gobfull and a lecture about giving her city a bad name :)
Best thing was the other traders on there were amazing,they found out I was a Brit interested in Polish history and I walked away with free gifts galore,lovely bunch of people.

antheadsThreads: 13 Posts: 306 Joined: Jan 21, 11 ♂	Apr 18, 11, 02:59 #13
they are nto licenced as taxis by the goverment or city council,

IamConfused

Apr 18, 11, 06:16 #14

ShortHairThug:

The fact that the taxi driver told you it’s just across the street instead of taking you for a ride proves otherwise. How would you know they drive you “around and around” when you didn’t even know that the address you were looking for was directly across the street from you? Besides after this comment do you still wonder why you are being taken advantage of? As they say there’s one born every minute, You are confused all right.

OH! You mean every tourist has to check the address of the destination! I didn't say every1 is a cheater, I said some and you might be one cheater Taxi driver who takes side!

MagdalenaThreads: 5 Posts: 1,389 Joined: Aug 15, 07 ♀	Apr 18, 11, 10:55 #15
antheads: they are nto licenced as taxis by the goverment or city council, And pray, how do you happen to know that?

db1874Threads: 10 Posts: 251 Joined: Jun 28, 07 ♂	Apr 18, 11, 11:07 #16
IamConfused: Is there any control so people don't get ripped off all the time? It's the same the world over in my experience, if the taxi driver senses that you're new in town and you don't speak the language then you're more likely to be ripped off. It happened to me a few times in my early days in Warsaw but rarely now.

♂ [Suspended]

Apr 18, 11, 11:54 #17

antheads:

that is anyone can put a taxi sign on their car and call themselves a taxi and there is no enforcement to stop it.

No they can not and yes there is.

antheads:

70 percent of the taxis you see in warsaw are fake and not regulated.

There's a 100% chance that you know sweet fucck all about what you're talking about.

antheads:

There are only three real taxi companies in warsaw, i suggest you use one of them and you will always get a fare ride.

No there are not and no you will not: I've been ripped off in the past by a driver from one of the big three companies.

IamConfused:

I remember my first time in Warsaw, I took a taxi to a place and it costed me 28 zt. I wanted to take another time, the taxi driver told me it's on the other side of the street!

Frankly, if you call a taxi to go to the other side of the street, you pretty much deserve to be ripped off.

♂

Apr 18, 11, 13:25 #18

They are not nearly as bad as they used to be. And much better than in Prague or Budapest.

But there are probably 20% who will try and rip you off. So

1 Use whatever Polish you have when you get into the cab - even just show that you can use numbers in Polish.
2 Where possible use one of the main firms - there are more than 3 but less than 10 that I trust !
3 If leaving a pub or restaurant ask the waitress what would be a fair price and tell that to taxi driver before you start.

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Apr 18, 11, 14:58 #19

cms:

1 Use whatever Polish you have when you get into the cab - even just show that you can use numbers in Polish.
2 Where possible use one of the main firms - there are more than 3 but less than 10 that I trust !
3 If leaving a pub or restaurant ask the waitress what would be a fair price and tell that to taxi driver before you start.

4. Read the information on the car, the taxis display the tariffs.

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