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tarte tatin · Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 247 Location: Istanbul

A few days ago I made a short trip to Istanbul. As my time was limited I made a couple of taxi journeys.

I took a taxi in the morning from Eminonou to Taksim and at lunchtime I needed to return across the Golden Horn to the Governor's Office in Sultanahmet. I took a taxi because I was not sure of the exact location and wanted to get my business completed before the lunch break.

The morning journey had cost me just over 5 lira so before taking the return taxi I had a coffee and changed my money so I had a 10 lira note for the driver (I didn't want to give a 50 or 20). From where I was sitting I could not see the meter but was astounded when the driver pulled up outside what he said was the governor's office (it wasnt but fortunately not far away) and charged me 19 lira! I told him how much my previous taxi journeys had cost in Istanbul and said he was treating me like a tourist. He insisted that the traffic had been heavy and the journey had taken a long time.

I then handed a 50 lira note over as my 10 lira note was not enough. He said 'Lady what's this?' and showed me a 5 lira note. I told him that it was not possible I didnt have 5 lira note but he was so adamant I began to doubt myself. So I had to hand over another 50 to which he gave me change. When I got out I took his licence plate number.

When I got somewhere private I counted my money and sure enough I was 50 lira down. It had cost me 69 lira in total! I called my Turkish fiance and told him I had the number but to be honest he was not interested. I did not expect my money back but I wanted the guy reported. Anyway if anyone wants to avoid this driver you can PM me for his number!

thrifty · Joined: 25 Apr 2006 Posts: 1665 Location: chip van

Welcome to Turkey.

The saddest thing is that Turks consider it patriotic to rip off a foreigner. He probably told his family at the dinner table and they probably clapped him on the back. You would be considered the sucker.

TheLastNick · Joined: 25 Feb 2007 Posts: 9

*sigh* - something similar happened to me, a couple of years ago, at the Grand Bazar in Istanbul. I bought a silver chain at one of the stands there ... and the guy whom I gave the money pretended that I hadn't given him enough. I knew he was lying, but felt too intimidated to start a quarrel.
And this also happened to my parents once (who are Turkish and actually should know how to handle such a situation).
Ever since then I'm always articulating/speaking aloud the amount of money before I am handing it over, like: Here is a fifty lira note, you see?

You really should have him reported!

TheLastNick · Joined: 25 Feb 2007 Posts: 9

By the way: my whole family (including native Turks) literally HATE turkish taxi drivers and always try to avoid taking a taxi at all (by borrowing or renting a car or using public transportation services).
I guess there's hardly anyone in Turkey who's not been ripped off by a taxi driver at one point in time.

Sheikh Inal Ovar · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 1208 Location: Melo Drama School

Yes .. there are some real villains out there ...

Still it could be worse ... your post could have been titled -

'A taxi driver ripped me kit off'

tararu · Joined: 07 May 2006 Posts: 494

I suppose we could all report him then. Very Happy

billybuzz · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 219 Location: turkey

Generally when I take a taxi I always wave a 20 note in their face and they complain they have no change ,lying bas.tar.ds! They get away with murder on the road as well,lying,cheating,filthy,smelly ,murdering scum.

Sheikh Inal Ovar · Joined: 04 Dec 2005 Posts: 1208 Location: Melo Drama School

billybuzz · Joined: 05 Jan 2006 Posts: 219 Location: turkey

Oh god no, thats worse ! The buses are full of passengers who are part time taxi drivers ,too many in one place is just tooooooooooooo much !!!!!

tarte tatin · Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 247 Location: Istanbul

Thanks for your support Smile

I feel I should have reported him and of course that is why they have a licence plate. My fiance however, thinks the police would not be interested, and I admit I don't have much confidence in them myself.

He has just started taking an interest in this situation (thanks to this thread) albeit 10 days too late and had found a website where drivers can be traced through the numbers.

Baba Alex · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 2411

Taxi drivers are a big problem overe here, if you find a good one, get his mobile phone number.

tarte tatin · Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 247 Location: Istanbul

Latest update: driver has now been reported, in fairness to my husband-to-be it was not an easy job he called the number on the website and was given another number and so on for about 5 phone calls eventually he was told to report it by e-mail.

Will be very glad when my Turkish is good enough to do all these things by myself!

I think the tip about actually articulating the amount of money you are handing over is a very good one - will do it in future. Fortunately where I live foreigners are so rare it hasn't occurred to people to rip them off (so far).

tarte tatin · Joined: 02 Mar 2007 Posts: 247 Location: Istanbul

Sheikh Inal Ovar wrote:

Shaytess · Joined: 12 Oct 2006 Posts: 65 Location: Berlin

I had my worst taxi experience ever last week... I was going from Tarlıbası to Beşiktaş (normally 15 minutes and about 6.50 YTL). When I got in the cab, we started in the exact OPPOSITE direction we normally go. I said (in my minimal Turkish) Excuse me, Besişktas is that way. The driver said something about lots of traffic in Taksim and made me understand this was another way to go.

Well, I don't know all the roads in Beyoglu yet so I thought maybe he was telling the truth, maybe there were some special traffic projects that morning in Taksim or something. We started going roughly in the direction the Rahmi Ko� museum. Then I looked at the meter and realized that I had only 8 YTL and the meter was already on 6 and we were nowhere near Beşiktaş.

I tried to convey this to the driver. I said, Excuse me, but there's a problem. I have 8 YTL. He said No, no, no and pointed to the taxi meter. I thought, I'm not trying to haggle, man, I really only have 8 YTL. Finally he understood and started muttering under his breath. Meanwhile, we have gotten on the highway going who knows where.

THEN he asks me if I'm Russian and tells me that my boss can pay for it. (Because Natashas usually go out for work at 8 am with a briefcase and a suit on.) He kept telling me to call my boss, so I did. Luckily my boss was home (although it was her off day, oops!). As soon as I heard her voice I started bawling uncontrollably, which seems to be my normal reaction to stressful situations. I had no idea where we were (turns out Mecediyik�y) and I kept thinking we were driving somewhere where he could rob me and leave me. Luckily my boss got a Turkish friend to talk to the driver and explain to take me to work immediately. Then the driver started saying that there was no problem, no problem, we had to take a different way because of traffic. After he hung up he started laughing at me for the rest of the way there.

Everything turned out fine, he took my 8 YTL, I think I accidently told him thank you and to have a nice day. I went to the bathroom and had a good cry and then went to teach.

Really though, that is the only (knock on wood) really bad cab experience I have had here. All the other ones have been polite and honest. And of course, in my upset state I forgot to get his number or license... Sigh.

justme · Joined: 18 May 2004 Posts: 1944 Location: Istanbul

Tarte tatin, is your fiance's family in Ist? Ask them for the number of the korsan (pirate, as in a guy with a car who will drive people around) taxi they usually use-- these guys are pretty trustworthy (if they're recommended by someone you know), and you can agree on a price ahead of time. The price won't get changed and they're usually a bit cheaper than metered taxis...

My dad makes really good tarte tatin...