In Reply to: About the honest Blue Taxi's.. posted by Balimagic on Friday, 1. July 2005 at 06:35 Bali Time:
With SBY's big anti-corruption talk I'm surprised Blue Bird hasn't been in the limelight more than it has, as an example of a company that has prospered through elimination corruption as much as possible.
I'm sure all other taxi drivers have heard "no thanks, I'll wait for Blue Bird" often enough to realise how much income they are losing because they are stuck with the reputation that all other companies are dodgy.
But some taxi drivers in all countries will rip people off by taking them the long way if they think they can get away with it. It's happened to me in my own city.
In Kuala Lumpar, nearly every taxi driver will quote RM10 as the fare, even if the meter would only charge RM2. In Bangkok I was charged THB600 for the THB300 trip from the airport.
The dodgy drivers will always go for the easy mark... and there's no easier mark than someone fresh off the plane and in the country for the first time. Which is why the airport has a pre-paid service.
And not all the blue taxies are Blue Bird taxis, either. I've been fooled before.