Hi everyone,

In Madridman transportations section you can read:

"Taxis are one of the few truly good deals in Madrid -- IF YOU'RE CAREFUL. As stated above, dishonest taxi drivers exist, but are not the norm."

I guess he says so because he knows Madrid and taxi drivers realise they can't cheat him.

However, from the experience at my hostal this is what I would say:

"Taxis are one of the few truly good rip offs in Madrid -- EVEN IF YOU'RE CAREFUL. As stated above, dishonest taxi drivers exist and they are not the norm."

Most of my non-Spanish speakers customers were ripped off when they took a taxi. I have even heard of people who asked for a receipt and they got a fake "official" receipt with a fake license number on it.

Usual rip offs from the airport to the city centre are about 5000 pesetas, but I heard of people being charged even 12000 pesetas. Sadly, the record is 30000 pesetas!!!. Yes, believe me, I heard it on the news. A taxi driver charged two Japanese girls 30000 pesetas from the airport to the city centre.

I wonder that, if dishonests taxi drivers are not the norm, it may be that all my customers happen to bump into them.

Regards,

Antonio

PS: By the way, dishonets taxi drivers led me to find an alternative. That's how I started to work with Aerocity and we are very happy with their service.

[NOTE FOR MADRIDMAN: Hope you don't get angry with me for this post but I'm really fed up with taxi drivers ripping off tourists]

------------------
The best tips from your favourite hostal in Madrid.
Hostal Chelo at http://www.chelo.com

Hi Antonio. I'm truly sorry you feel this way. And, maybe I feel it's not the norm BECAUSE I KNOW this could never happen to me. Believe me, I wouldn't pay anything more than the expected price unless he had a knife to my throat.

Ohhh.. it's a sad state when these things happen and BECOME the norm. Very sad. Maybe services like Aerocity will flourish and make more money if are the only services to offer a preset price AND if they speak the languages of their clients/customers.

And by the way Antonio, I'm not angry at all with you for posting this kind of message. This is an OPEN forum Message Board and people can post whatever they want as long as they're not defamatory (use strong words) or make threats.

Saludos, MadridMan

After "being taken" once by a taxi in Madrid, I have resorted to any means of avoiding the taxi. On the same trip I walked almost two miles to a hotel dragging a suitcase behind me. I refused to be robbed a second time.

I will do almost anything to not get into a taxi in Spain.

It has been great hearing about Aerocity from this forum.

Unfortunately, Antonio is right in warning all visitors about the problems we have with taxis in Madrid.
This problem apply mainly to airport taxis, overcharging foreigners who do not know the City and do not speak spanish.
Our service do apply fixed rates with no extra "surprises". Although Aerocity drivers are not always fluent in english they should be able to make themselves understood with clients in this language.
On the other hand, there is always somebody speaking english in our reservation center.
Madrid in general is a very safe and friendly City, apart from some opportunists that try to cheat visitors here and there.
Best regards from Aerocity sales staff.

People who are ignorant enough to be cheated by unethical cab drivers may very well deserve what they get. The rules are the same in any big city in the world: unless you have negotiated a 'fixed' charge that includes everything (all surcharges), make sure that the meter is on and functioning.

The total cost should be what is shown on the meter plus surcharges (stowed luggage and airport or train station pickup or dropoff). Each surcharge shouldn't exceed 500 pesetas; but for travel from Barajas airport to Atocha Renfe station with luggage they could Total as much as 1,500 pesetas.
Not all add-ons are 'ripoffs!' There are several legal surcharges.

Eddie, you've made an excellent point. These add-ons are unusual to the American (and maybe other places in the world) where you pay ONLY what's on the meter and nothing more/less, even if you have 5 suitcases in the trunk.

Still, I think those who are uneasy about taxis or don't speak/understand Spanish might feel more comfortable with an Aerocity service or even the metro (ugh...I can only imagine how it is to pull along 2 pieces of luggage through a busy metro station/train).

At one time I was sent a list of all city-authorized taxi prices AND surcharges and it was simply mind-boggling! The charges depended on not only the number of people and pieces of luggage, but also the time of day, from/to the airport, taxi-stand pickup or not, and a number of other things. So, it seems, one can almost be sure they'll never pay what shows on the meter, but having a general idea of how much your add-ons are going to be will only help you in NOT being "taken for a ride."

Saludos, MadridMan

[This message has been edited by MadridMan (edited 06-19-2000).]

The taxi rip offs are not unique to Madrid and Spain. I've heard many stories about the same happening at JFK. If you don't know the lay out of the airport before you hop into a taxi, you are going for a ride.

Unfortunately, many people who take taxis are visitors and are dependent on the driver to get them there.

Dear Eddie,

It's not people's ignorance. Just let me tell you some stories about Madrid taxi drivers:

1) Rip offs are not due to off the meaters deals. Some of them *manipulate*
the meter so the initial fare is higher than normal.

Several weeks ago I saw a report on the local TV channel telling how two girls
were cheated. The meter showed 3000 pesetas at the begining!!. When they arrived at
the city centre, it displayed 6000 pesetas and then, the taxi driver told them it
was 6000 pesetas each person!!.

They thought they were being ripped off so they asked for a receipt. The taxi driver
gave them a fake receipt with a fake license number. However, they were *clever* enough
to note down the plaque number to complain at the city council.

So, first, there are a few taxi drivers that go that far and manipulate the meter. And, if they don't do it, they can put the meter to count as the night / public holiday fare.

3) When you don't know the city, taxi drivers usually take you around the city and through the most busy areas making sure you pass through all the traffic jams in Madrid.
As you said, the meter is on and functioning but for longer than it should be!!.

4) 5 years ago, the city council issued a leaflet in different languages about what
the usual fares should be. They delivered them at the tourist office at the airport.
And, guess what?. Taxi drivers went to the tourist office to pick them up so they run out of those "dangerous" leaflets quickly.

5) Some of my customers have told me the taxi driver tried to change their minds so that they went to a "better" hostal. It seems that, not happy with cheating them, they also try to take away our customers!!. (Note: Of course, taxi drivers get good commissions at such hotels).

Antonio

PS: By the way, you can have a look at a list of updated taxi fares at my site at http://www.chelo.com/taxi.html

Municipal Police in Madrid has reported that a group of 25 taxi drivers in the Barajas airport put tape over the meter so that it can't be clearly seen.

To avoid this and other ways of ripping off tourists, one of the taxi drivers associations has come up with the idea of installing new meter with printers. If drivers had to give a printed receipt, they wouldn't probably rip you off since you would have a written evidence of the rip off.

Fortunately, you can rely on the Aerocity service. They won't never charge you more than their preset fares.

Regards,

Antonio

------------------
The best tips from your favourite hostal in Madrid.
Hostal Chelo at http://www.chelo.com

I really like the printer idea!

In the years I lived in Madrid I heard often that there was a "Mafia" of taxi drivers at Barajas, waiting to rip off a tourist. When you see the lines of hundreds of taxis waiting their turn, you can see how after waiting hours and hours for a customer, some of them would take advantage and try to get a lot of money. I've used taxis from the airport many, many times. Some of the drivers were the nicest people you can find. Others tried hard to rip me off, even though I made it very clear that I knew where I was going, and how the system works. To give THEM a hard time I would always ask the worst ones for a receipt, and they'd always give it to me in totally illegible form!

So a printer sounds great!

(PS: I never had a problem with a taxi driver anywhere else in Madrid. In fact, I've found the city taxi drivers to be polite, extremely helpful people.)