Beware of Malaysian Taxi Drivers
I had praises for Malaysia the last time I went there - you can read my observations and comments in my journal entry last year. However, this time our Malaysia experience left a lot to be desired. I loved walking the Sky Bridge of the Petronas Twin Towers, and I enjoyed shopping for Vincci shoes. But I hated the taxi drivers. Gusto ko silang sabihan, "wag niyo kaming utuin, nanggaling kami sa bansa kung saan nang-gagancho din mga drayber."
The whole time we were there, they never used the taxi meter. It was like the meter was just for display. One look at the tourists and they'd name a fixed price. Non-negotiable.
From the McDonald's branch near the bus station where we alighted, to the Petronas Towers where we were the second group to queue up for the Sky Bridge walk, they charged us 20 ringgit. We had to split into three taxis because they woudn't allow five people in one taxi. We were like, ok, it's ~5:30am, it happens back home as well where taxis would possibly charge higher rates during hours where not many people go out.
In the afternoon, after shopping at Suria KLCC mall and we were heading back to the bus station, which we knew would be different from the station we alighted earlier when we arrived from SG even if we were riding the same bus line Transtar (strange how they organize it, right?), it was like another Amazing Race story, albeit an annoying one.
We took three taxis again. Team Karon with Karen, Camille and Elvin went off first. Then came Team Ben with Mich and Becca, and Team Alvin with Pat and Daisie. In Team Ben's taxi, we argued with the driver who wanted to charge us another fixed rate (RM 10). Note that the flag down rate is only RM 2, with RM 0.10 increment every 45 seconds.
Ben: "Why don't we just use the meter, then?"
Driver: "Aaa...Meter is asleep."
WTF kind of an excuse is that? Gagawa nalang ng excuse di pa matino. Yung kapani-paniwala naman sana. Kami pa ang inuuto eh pareho namang galing sa 3rd-world na bansa. Pare-parehong may mga nanloloko.
Before riding the taxi, we showed them the text with the bus station to ensure no misunderstanding. Somewhere in the middle of the road, the drivers of Team Ben's and Team Alvin's taxis went side by side and communicated with each other, mentioning the bus station "Pasarakyat" where we were headed. (Note: obviously they understood we instructed them to take us to Parasakyat.)
When the two taxis stopped at a bus station at about the same time, Alvin mentioned that this seemed to be the station where we arrived earlier on in the morning. That should not be the case, because we knew we were supposed to be in a different station. Team Ben's taxi already sped off, while Team Alvin's taxi driver kept asking for the ticket. They eventually gave him the paper with our bus reservations and details and he called someone up on his cellphone. We heard him mention something about behind Times Square, affirming that indeed, they took us to the wrong station when we very clearly instructed "Pasarakyat".
When he told us what we already suspected, Team Alvin demanded that he take them to the correct station, because he did not take them to where he was supposed to. He offered to do so for another RM 15. (Parang, ano ba, eh kasalanan naman niya na sa maling lugar dinala ang pasahero, tapos papabayarin pa para dalhin sa tamang lugar, eh dun naman talaga dapat dadalhin in the first place.)
Another argument ensued (the following re-enactment is most certainly not accurate anymore, as I don't remember the exact words or who said them):
Driver: I was only following him (gesturing to where the other taxi driver dropped off Team Ben), he said to go here
Ben: Why did you follow him? They're (gesturing to Alvin and company) your passengers.
Alvin: We said Pasarakyat.
Driver: But you said to follow him so I followed him
Alvin: How can you be following him when you were here first?
Sobrang baluktot ng mga palusot, di ba?
We ended up walking a few blocks under the heat of the sun to Times Square, where we asked for directions from four different people who gave us four different answers. Eventually we saw a coupon taxi booth and decided to avail of that service instead to be sure. We got to the correct bus station in time. Luckily, we went to find the station two hours before the scheduled departure, else we would have already missed it, given the way we were taken for fools by those Malaysian taxi drivers.
Lesson learned: Use the monorail.
Tourists - beware.
The whole time we were there, they never used the taxi meter. It was like the meter was just for display. One look at the tourists and they'd name a fixed price. Non-negotiable.
From the McDonald's branch near the bus station where we alighted, to the Petronas Towers where we were the second group to queue up for the Sky Bridge walk, they charged us 20 ringgit. We had to split into three taxis because they woudn't allow five people in one taxi. We were like, ok, it's ~5:30am, it happens back home as well where taxis would possibly charge higher rates during hours where not many people go out.
In the afternoon, after shopping at Suria KLCC mall and we were heading back to the bus station, which we knew would be different from the station we alighted earlier when we arrived from SG even if we were riding the same bus line Transtar (strange how they organize it, right?), it was like another Amazing Race story, albeit an annoying one.
We took three taxis again. Team Karon with Karen, Camille and Elvin went off first. Then came Team Ben with Mich and Becca, and Team Alvin with Pat and Daisie. In Team Ben's taxi, we argued with the driver who wanted to charge us another fixed rate (RM 10). Note that the flag down rate is only RM 2, with RM 0.10 increment every 45 seconds.
Ben: "Why don't we just use the meter, then?"
Driver: "Aaa...Meter is asleep."
WTF kind of an excuse is that? Gagawa nalang ng excuse di pa matino. Yung kapani-paniwala naman sana. Kami pa ang inuuto eh pareho namang galing sa 3rd-world na bansa. Pare-parehong may mga nanloloko.
Before riding the taxi, we showed them the text with the bus station to ensure no misunderstanding. Somewhere in the middle of the road, the drivers of Team Ben's and Team Alvin's taxis went side by side and communicated with each other, mentioning the bus station "Pasarakyat" where we were headed. (Note: obviously they understood we instructed them to take us to Parasakyat.)
When the two taxis stopped at a bus station at about the same time, Alvin mentioned that this seemed to be the station where we arrived earlier on in the morning. That should not be the case, because we knew we were supposed to be in a different station. Team Ben's taxi already sped off, while Team Alvin's taxi driver kept asking for the ticket. They eventually gave him the paper with our bus reservations and details and he called someone up on his cellphone. We heard him mention something about behind Times Square, affirming that indeed, they took us to the wrong station when we very clearly instructed "Pasarakyat".
When he told us what we already suspected, Team Alvin demanded that he take them to the correct station, because he did not take them to where he was supposed to. He offered to do so for another RM 15. (Parang, ano ba, eh kasalanan naman niya na sa maling lugar dinala ang pasahero, tapos papabayarin pa para dalhin sa tamang lugar, eh dun naman talaga dapat dadalhin in the first place.)
Another argument ensued (the following re-enactment is most certainly not accurate anymore, as I don't remember the exact words or who said them):
Driver: I was only following him (gesturing to where the other taxi driver dropped off Team Ben), he said to go here
Ben: Why did you follow him? They're (gesturing to Alvin and company) your passengers.
Alvin: We said Pasarakyat.
Driver: But you said to follow him so I followed him
Alvin: How can you be following him when you were here first?
Sobrang baluktot ng mga palusot, di ba?
We ended up walking a few blocks under the heat of the sun to Times Square, where we asked for directions from four different people who gave us four different answers. Eventually we saw a coupon taxi booth and decided to avail of that service instead to be sure. We got to the correct bus station in time. Luckily, we went to find the station two hours before the scheduled departure, else we would have already missed it, given the way we were taken for fools by those Malaysian taxi drivers.
Lesson learned: Use the monorail.
Tourists - beware.