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My Wonderful Chengdu Tour with Fresh Taxi Experience
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I would like to share an experience for the benefits of future tourists who came to Chengdu by air.
My wife, daughter and I arrived Shaungliu Airport at about 1.30 am. At about 2 am, we joined a long queue at the taxi stand. Before boarding the taxi, and at about 2.20 am, I asked the driver the fare to Jinjiang Inn Dongfeng Bridge by showing him the direction, and was told the charges is meter based. The taxi driver, surname Mr Liu, told me while on our way to the Inn that Dongfeng Bridge Lu is very far away. When I puzzled at the long distance, he said that he didn’t cheat me on the long distance. But I knew from various websites that the distance to city centre is less than 20 km and normal fare is about CNY50 and more at night. I was ready to pay about CNY75. After a long ride past some dark or poorly lighted road construction sites we finally came to the well lighted city centre. I spotted Dongfeng road sign and then the Inn as I can read and speak Chinese. That’s nearly 3 am. Arriving at the Inn, the meter recorded some 41 km and the fare CNY152. As a stranger to Chengdu, I paid and asked for a receipt. He refused to give me saying the meter ran out of printing paper. Over the next few days, I learnt that’s not true as all the taxis in Chengdu provide receipt on request.
On our return to the airport after checking out of the hotel, my wife asked the reception to arrange a taxi as I’m aware that taxi driver dare not over charge on fear of being tracked down. On arrival at the airport, the meter showed CNY42 and 21 km. We did not past any major road construction site at all. He asked and I paid CNY53 only including CNY10 road toll I think, and CNY1 for fuel. That’s on 25 August at around 7.30 pm.
The lessons here for future tourists is to ask the hotel reception to arrange for taxi to the airport. The driver dare not take you for an expensive ride like Mr Liu did to us on 19 August at about 2.20 to 3.00 am.
On a more conservative note, it may also be possible that Mr Liu is new to the city. I am more willing to forgive him, if he is.
I think it is ashamed for only one Chengdu taxi driver to treat visitors by cheating them, and if he did that deliberately, and spoiled the good name of Chengdu city. I believe the city folks will be furious to learn this. Tourists are peaceful and friendly people. We spent our hard earned money in Chengdu and contribute to its economy. Tourists don’t deserve to be treated like this by a taxi driver.
Except for this single incident, we are very please with Chengdu and will recommend my friends to visit Chengdu. The people are friendly and the huge city is clean and well organized. Most important of all, we feel safe in a city where we are strangers. The traffic police and security personnel any where in the city are very pleased and helpful in giving directions. We met one who salute first when we approached him for advice. We also noticed the girls in the city are very well dressed, fair, slim and pretty too while the boys are hardly to be seen. where are all the boys?
1.
Jun 28, 2012 19:49 Reply
Mr.GAWIE WOLMARANS from South Africa said:
I had exactly the same experience last night! It doesn't matter whether you ask beforehand for a receipt ("Foo Pi'aau") or not. The taxi officers at the airport also willingly let tourists being touted by private taxi owners and other scammers. You WILL pay Y100 plus. Our young friendly taxi driver even got lost with a GPS and took us through the heavily constructed roads! Shame on Chinese taxi drivers! I believed this honest looking guy last night that the address on my proof of reservation was wrong. Otherwise I would have insisted with a "May-ow ... 50 Yuan" (NO! only 50 Yuan!). It worked a few times before.
2.
Jun 24, 2012 05:33 Reply
Mr.CHRIS PO from MalaysiaI said:
We will take an early flight in the morning from Guangzhou to Chengdu on saturday 28th July 2012 . Will stay 3 nights. Would like to visit Chengdu and the surroundings. What do you recommend
3.
May 11, 2011 09:22 Reply
Mr.KELVIN from Singapore said:
will be visiting chengdu for the first time end of this month. any reasonable hotels (around S$50) to recommed ?
May 11, 2011 20:28
Mr.STEVEN from China replied:
I think you can just choose one from Garden City Hotel, Chengdu, Elite Hotel, Chengdu or Shanshui Trends Hotel, Chengdu.
4.
Mar 28, 2011 08:01 Reply
CHIW from Malaysia said:
how much of taxi fare tat take from airport to ???????
Mar 29, 2011 02:17
Mr.FRANK from China replied:
It costs about CNY50 by taxi. In fact, you can take the airport bus from the airport to Sichuan College of Education directly, which only costs CNY10.