Taken For A Ride By A Taxi Driver

[Dave Hounddriver]

Your title implies that the driver somehow cheated you. He did exactly as you directed. Why would you expect the taxi driver to know the Bureau of Immigration's hours of operation?

My thoughts exactly. When I read the post I thought the driver was being courteous by not asking stupid questions. Perhaps you were going in the 'back door' to see someone. Perhaps you were meeting a friend there. My opinion is that I hate it when the taxi drivers get nosy I tell them where I want to go and how I prefer they gt there and leave the rest to them.

[Jollygoodfellow]

I found many taxi drivers friendly and helpful... and many just the opposite. Tip the good ones well and they are happy to give you their cell numbers come running when you call. You will soon have a long list of friendly, helpful and honest taxi drivers programmed into your phone.

I agree with Tom

Hey I thought I seen Tom in Texas, I did, I did. :)

:tiphat:

[Jollygoodfellow]

I have been lucky with taxis taking me for a ride, sure saved walking. :mocking:

[tiger31]

Your title implies that the driver somehow cheated you. He did exactly as you directed. Why would you expect the taxi driver to know the Bureau of Immigration's hours of operation?

My thoughts exactly. When I read the post I thought the driver was being courteous by not asking stupid questions. Perhaps you were going in the 'back door' to see someone. Perhaps you were meeting a friend there. My opinion is that I hate it when the taxi drivers get nosy I tell them where I want to go and how I prefer they gt there and leave the rest to them.

davy as an ex taxi driver its aso courteous to imform your passenger if you know a pace is shut to save your passenger money and the trouble going there ,to just go there and not say anything is just dam right out of order .also as for the driver not knowing if the place is open well immigration is a busy old destination for taxi,s only new drivers will proberly not know that fact my driver was about 60 years old and looked liked he,d been driving for years .Like ive said before you get bad and good drivers but are far more likely to get ripped off if your a kano .

[tiger31]

well i guess when I turned up on a public holiday doesn't seem so bad now :)

don't worry tiger, you will be fine getting there on Monday. I went there on a Monday after my visa expired on the Saturday and I had no problem. I would suggest to get there really early though especially on a Monday ;)

I think its gonna be a nightmare as they were closed thursday and friday so i better get up at the crack of dawn lol

[Dave Hounddriver]

davy as an ex taxi driver

We do seem to have a lot in common. I did a year and a half as a taxi driver in my younger days, then graduated to busses. The scariest thing is when you get a fare to a secluded spot and the drunk in the back seat says he is going to rob you. I relied on my fascinating humor, wit and charm to get him laughing so hard he forgot what he had said. Well he was drunk when he said it. I should have reported it to the cops but after convincing him he had made a funny joke, how is that going to sound to the judge: Your honor, even the driver knew it was a joke because he said so.

Anyway, truth be told I have been cheated by taxi drivers all over the world (only in a very small number of instances though) so I know it happens. Sorry to hear you felt cheated.

[tiger31]

well I drove taxi,s for must be gone 20 years now and I could write a book on my adventures lol . It is not an easy job as you know ,I worked mostly nightshift and I can honestly say nobody tried to rob me maybe due to my size and the fact that i,m a jock .try getting money out of a jock hahaha .I have had couples having sex in the back of the cab even caught one guy snorting coke on the back seat .I have had girls doing moonies out the windows man its been a fun time lol.I would like to think I was an honest hard working driver and loved my job .so maybe when I go back to u.k i,ll do some more part time driving .

[tiger31]

wel finally made it to immigration at 2 pm today and as expected it was absolutely mobbed not a seat to be had .we got out about 5 pm .now this is also a warning on the website it says opening hours 7.30 am to 5.30 pm well this is,nt true either because the guy at the desk who gives you your form to fill out and stamps it shut up shop at 4 pm so people arriving after that did not get served .ony in the philippines eh so what they are saying ( the staff ) we wanna go home at 5.30 pm so in fact it shuts and stops serving at 4 pm but they close the doors at 5.30 .

[Curley]

davy as an ex taxi driver its aso courteous to imform your passenger if you know a pace is shut to save your passenger money and the trouble going there

You are using western logic...... you should know that is a no go in the Phils,,,, It's more fun in the Phils!

[Dr. Cockroach]

wel finally made it to immigration at 2 pm today and as expected it was absolutely mobbed not a seat to be had .we got out about 5 pm .now this is also a warning on the website it says opening hours 7.30 am to 5.30 pm well this is,nt true either because the guy at the desk who gives you your form to fill out and stamps it shut up shop at 4 pm so people arriving after that did not get served .ony in the philippines eh so what they are saying ( the staff ) we wanna go home at 5.30 pm so in fact it shuts and stops serving at 4 pm but they close the doors at 5.30 .

Mind you, it's not just in the Philis. I have experienced it in South America too.

One time, in Panama, I went to a cellphone shop. There was no one there but me and the receptionist girl who was talking on her cellphone.

I said, OK, let me just browse the shop until she finishes. I finished my browsing but she didn't finished her talking. So I stood right in-front of her with her desk separating us looking at her. I was like saying, "Here is a client who might buy something and you are getting paid to sell it!".

She wouldn't hang up, stop talking or even give me any acknowledgement ! :unsure:

I ended up leaving the place shaking my head at her letting some dollars go out the door!

So, as Curley said, It's more fun in the Philis! :nudie: