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Galileo
Joined: 10 Oct 2006
Posts: 63
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 Posted: Wed May 05, 2010 4:55 am Post subject: Australian Man Being Investigated For Taxi Driver's Death |
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"Rolfe Darrell Alexander, 68, took a Saigon Tourist taxi driven by Le Van H., 41, to go to Phuong Dong Hotel in Tan Binh District from the Tan Son Nhat International Airport, district police said.
"They made a deal that Alexander would pay H. VND200,000 (US$10.54) for the trip, police said..
"On their way, Alexander wanted to get out because the driver kept driving around, said the tourist, who had arrived in HCMC from the central highlands resort town of Dalat.
"But the driver didn�t do as he asked.
"When H. stopped on Hoang Van Thu Street to ask local people for directions to the hotel, Alexander got off before paying him VND100,000.
"The Vietnamese then ran after Alexander, and grabbed his luggage, police said.
"Alexander hit H. in face, at which point, the driver fell and lost consciousness.
"The driver died from brain injuries before he was admitted to hospital, according to police."
http://www.thanhniennews.com/2010/Pages/20100430094502.aspx
So this driver wanted to charge the tourist 200,000 VND for a ride from the airport to a hotel in the same district. I can take a taxi from district 1 to the airport for less than half that. Taxi drivers at the airport have been scamming fresh off the plane tourists for years so it's probably surprising we don't hear about more arguments escalating to violence. |
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jb0072009
Joined: 26 Feb 2009
Posts: 127
Location: Saigon
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| Posted: Wed May 05, 2010 5:47 am Post subject: |
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| A real shame that the tourist is in jail. A 68 year old man beat a young man to death? Seems unlikely to me but guess it is possible. Too bad the Viet government does nothing to stop these taxi rippoffs at the airport and elsewhere. As usual it is all about money: payoffs to get at taxi stand at airport and other places such as apartment blocks. There are even payoffs at which rest stop minibusses stop at. I like many of you ONLY use Mai Linh or Vinasun but tourists at airport do not know better, they think because the taxi is allowed at airport it is legitamate. |
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half moon
Joined: 17 Jul 2007
Posts: 49
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| Posted: Wed May 05, 2010 6:30 am Post subject: |
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Cannot say exactly what happened of course, but the taxi driver fell and hit his head.
As for Saigon airport taxis, they are the worst I've seen anywhere in the world.
Aggressive, over-charging, and even hostile.
A terrible way to greet new arrivals that enter Vietnam. |
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Galileo
Joined: 10 Oct 2006
Posts: 63
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| Posted: Mon May 10, 2010 5:41 am Post subject: |
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A recent newspaper article claims:
"The problem of tourists being cheated by taxi-drivers, especially on rides from the airport has been widely reported in the media for some time now, but the response, including stricter and more frequent monitoring by inspectors, have not been very effective."
http://www.thanhniennews.com/2010/Pages/20100508162603.aspx
Obviously, a token effort to correct the problem because no one wants to give up their cut of the profits from scamming tourists is not going to be very effective. How hard would it be to only allow taxis from legitimate companies to pick up customers at the airport? |
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Mr. Kalgukshi
Mod Team
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
Posts: 6613
Location: Need to know basis only.
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 12:18 am Post subject: |
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| An inflammatory posting has been deleted. No more or sanctions will follow. |
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lyonnaisdecoeur
Joined: 01 Apr 2010
Posts: 8
Location: Boston
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| Posted: Sun May 23, 2010 10:37 am Post subject: |
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well the aussie agreed on the 200,000 fare. obviously he's an aussie and wasn't intelligent enough to do his research about the saigon tourist taxis. i find it a little annoying how tourists in saigon won't pay 20,000 and try to haggle down to 15,000. it's so damn cheap and the extra 5,000 is nothing to the expat and could do a lot towards supporting that vietnamese persons family. spending 1 usd vs. spending 75 cents isn't exactly a big deal usually, i don't think that anyone should do it here.
in conclusion, it's the aussies fault. let him pay for it. just because he is white doesn't mean he should be awarded any special benefits |
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LettersAthruZ
Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Posts: 466
Location: North Viet Nam
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 12:51 pm Post subject: |
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| Right - and just because he's White also doesn't mean that he should automatically be ripped off, either...... |
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Andy123
Joined: 24 Sep 2009
Posts: 206
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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Boy. I could tell you stories. I have friends that are so kind and well traveled and they tell me they have had machetes pulled on them by taxis drivers here.
This is a sad story for everyone involved. Dead is dead. All people suffer. Good for tourism? Give me a break by blaming the tourist for being ripped off. It is bigger than that.
I speak Viet and I get ripped off. Blame the tourist? |
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flyingmonkey
Joined: 13 Sep 2009
Posts: 24
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| Posted: Wed May 26, 2010 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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| What does being white have to do with? Gary Glitter was white and he was still convicted. This man will probably have to do prison time too and pay compensation to the victim's family which will be much more than the 200,000 dong he didn't want to pay. |
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roym
Joined: 17 Nov 2008
Posts: 42
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| Posted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 4:03 am Post subject: |
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We have to understand it's a cultural thing. They can't help themselves when seeing a foreigner.....everything goes up in price.
I experienced it in HCMC on various occassions whether it be in taxis, shops, restaraunts, bars. And it's the same in the Philippines. Ok, the trifling amount may mean nothing but eventually it becomes annoying. It got the stage one day in Cebu that I confronted the taxi driver...he hadn't put on meter, I asked why, he said it was a standard fare...which was 3 times the norm. I told him it wasn't allowed, took out a pen and notebook, asked for his name, took the cab number and local taxi registry number as I would report him. He then said it was ok and up to me how much I wanted to pay......
Principles come into it eventually, once the novelty has worn off. I've always been a fair tipper so object to being conned. |
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Jbhughes
Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Posts: 254
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| Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 10:11 am Post subject: |
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| Does anyone know what ever happened to this case/guy? |
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1st Sgt Welsh
Joined: 13 Dec 2010
Posts: 946
Location: Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
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| Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 12:41 pm Post subject: |
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| roym wrote: |
We have to understand it's a cultural thing. They can't help themselves when seeing a foreigner.....everything goes up in price.
I experienced it in HCMC on various occassions whether it be in taxis, shops, restaraunts, bars. And it's the same in the Philippines. Ok, the trifling amount may mean nothing but eventually it becomes annoying. It got the stage one day in Cebu that I confronted the taxi driver...he hadn't put on meter, I asked why, he said it was a standard fare...which was 3 times the norm. I told him it wasn't allowed, took out a pen and notebook, asked for his name, took the cab number and local taxi registry number as I would report him. He then said it was ok and up to me how much I wanted to pay......
Principles come into it eventually, once the novelty has worn off. I've always been a fair tipper so object to being conned. |
Yep. Like the OP said, if anything, I am surprised that I haven't heard more stories of physical violence being committed against Vietnamese taxi drivers. The taxi industry in Vietnam is a disgrace! Furthermore, taxi drivers [aside from the people who work in the airports] are usually the first and last Vietnamese that tourists deal with and their scams are probably all the more memorable because of it. Not so good from a promotional perspective when the tourist returns home and tells their friends of their experiences in VN.
Funny Roym that you should mention Cebu taxi drivers as I was just there a few days ago. I had done some shopping at a very large mall in Cebu city and waited at the taxi rank to get a lift back to the hotel. The security guard was jotting down the license plates of every taxi that was driving in and when I got into a cab the guard gave me a 'complaint form' (with the vehicle's details already written down) which invited me, should I have any problems with the taxi, to contact the management at the mall. I assume, if there was a problem, that the driver would be 'blacklisted' and not welcomed back in the mall's taxi rank. So simple.
| lyonnaisdecoeur wrote: |
| well the aussie agreed on the 200,000 fare. obviously he's an aussie and wasn't intelligent enough to do his research about the saigon tourist taxis. |
In principle (and only "in principle" - I am only using an extreme example for the sake of argument) this is the kind of mentality that says it is OK to blame the rape victim for the assault because she was wearing revealing clothing. You know, taking into consideration how she wasn't intelligent enough to do her research about men and all that. What a complete load of nonsense!
I don't know any more about the facts of the case than what was outlined by the OP, but I can all too easily imagine something like what was described happening. I'll even go one further - the taxi driver probably did deserve a smack. The driver tried to cheat money out of an old man. When the man belatedly realised he was being cheated he ended his business dealings with the driver. In way of compensation, the man paid far more money than what the driver deserved for providing a dishonest and inferior service. The driver did not let the matter rest. After the man left the vehicle, the driver pursued the man on foot [and although it doesn't say it he was probably shouting and hurling abuse at the same time]. The driver initiated physical contact with the man and attempted to take the man's property. The man punched the driver. The fact that the driver died as a result was a tragic accident. If it was my decision, given the level of provocation [assuming these are the facts of the case], I would not find the Australian guilty of even so much as assault. |
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LettersAthruZ
Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Posts: 466
Location: North Viet Nam
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| Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2011 6:35 pm Post subject: |
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| 1st Sgt Welsh wrote: |
| roym wrote: |
We have to understand it's a cultural thing. They can't help themselves when seeing a foreigner.....everything goes up in price.
I experienced it in HCMC on various occassions whether it be in taxis, shops, restaraunts, bars. And it's the same in the Philippines. Ok, the trifling amount may mean nothing but eventually it becomes annoying. It got the stage one day in Cebu that I confronted the taxi driver...he hadn't put on meter, I asked why, he said it was a standard fare...which was 3 times the norm. I told him it wasn't allowed, took out a pen and notebook, asked for his name, took the cab number and local taxi registry number as I would report him. He then said it was ok and up to me how much I wanted to pay......
Principles come into it eventually, once the novelty has worn off. I've always been a fair tipper so object to being conned. |
Yep. Like the OP said, if anything, I am surprised that I haven't heard more stories of physical violence being committed against Vietnamese taxi drivers. The taxi industry in Vietnam is a disgrace! Furthermore, taxi drivers [aside from the people who work in the airports] are usually the first and last Vietnamese that tourists deal with and their scams are probably all the more memorable because of it. Not so good from a promotional perspective when the tourist returns home and tells their friends of their experiences in VN.
Funny Roym that you should mention Cebu taxi drivers as I was just there a few days ago. I had done some shopping at a very large mall in Cebu city and waited at the taxi rank to get a lift back to the hotel. The security guard was jotting down the license plates of every taxi that was driving in and when I got into a cab the guard gave me a 'complaint form' (with the vehicle's details already written down) which invited me, should I have any problems with the taxi, to contact the management at the mall. I assume, if there was a problem, that the driver would be 'blacklisted' and not welcomed back in the mall's taxi rank. So simple.
| lyonnaisdecoeur wrote: |
| well the aussie agreed on the 200,000 fare. obviously he's an aussie and wasn't intelligent enough to do his research about the saigon tourist taxis. |
In principle (and only "in principle" - I am only using an extreme example for the sake of argument) this is the kind of mentality that says it is OK to blame the rape victim for the assault because she was wearing revealing clothing. You know, taking into consideration how she wasn't intelligent enough to do her research about men and all that. What a complete load of nonsense!
I don't know any more about the facts of the case than what was outlined by the OP, but I can all too easily imagine something like what was described happening. I'll even go one further - the taxi driver probably did deserve a smack. The driver tried to cheat money out of an old man. When the man belatedly realised he was being cheated he ended his business dealings with the driver. In way of compensation, the man paid far more money than what the driver deserved for providing a dishonest and inferior service. The driver did not let the matter rest. After the man left the vehicle, the driver pursued the man on foot [and although it doesn't say it he was probably shouting and hurling abuse at the same time]. The driver initiated physical contact with the man and attempted to take the man's property. The man punched the driver. The fact that the driver died as a result was a tragic accident. If it was my decision, given the level of provocation [assuming these are the facts of the case], I would not find the Australian guilty of even so much as assault. |
Oh - I agree!! THEE moment the taxi driver took control of the passenger's bags......
....sorry, but it then becomes open season!
Naw - if a Tay screws you out of a CORRECT fare, mot mot ba!! 113!! Taxi driver should have contacted the Canh Sat (Police) BEFORE trying to take possession of a tourist's baggage.....
And WHY HAS NOTHING been openly published in ANY news source (Tay or Viet) about the current status on this case??
I have been looking for MONTHS and can't locate ANYTHING online after May of 2010!!
What the heck???? |
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Jbhughes
Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Posts: 254
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| Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2011 4:44 pm Post subject: |
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| Still nothing? |
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LettersAthruZ
Joined: 25 Apr 2010
Posts: 466
Location: North Viet Nam
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| Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2011 1:37 am Post subject: |
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Nope. The Vietnamese wanna brush it under the rug.....and I still can't find anything about it, even in the Aussie online news!
I suspect that some sort of deal was made where a fair amount of ca$h changed hands, and the gent was quietly whisked back to Oz! |
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