Talking Point: Taxis

A cab ride in a far-flung location can be a life-saver - or cause the whole of your life to flash before your eyes. Frank Partridge finds out what can happen to business travellers who respond to a variation of the universal question: "Where to, guv?"

Taxi nightmares set travellers' tongues wagging

It's well after midnight, and the rain is sluicing down in an unlit suburb of a city you barely know. You don't speak the language and haven't got to grips with the local currency. You desperately need to get back to your hotel.

Magically, a taxi appears from out of the gloom with its light on. The driver speaks English, recognises the address you want, sets the meter, gets you there by the shortest possible route, and charges exactly what it says on the dial. It probably happens more often than not, but few people remember the smooth rides: it's the taxi nightmares that set travellers' tongues wagging.

"In theory, vehicles drive on the left; in practice they drive wherever they can. The only rule seems to be to try not to hit anything. The strategy is to sound the horn almost non-stop prior to, during and immediately after making any manoeuvre – as well as at all other times. " So says educationalist Brenda Hopper, who's spent much of her career overseas. She was recalling hair-raising taxi rides in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, but she could have been describing almost anywhere.

Driving technique – or the lack of it – is the main bone of contention, and Chicago is one of the most notorious cities for catastrophic cab rides. Computer engineer Neil Doward felt secure when he flagged down a smart-looking vehicle with a friendly driver in the Windy City, but not for long: "Within a couple of minutes he was doing 70mph along a major thoroughfare, Doward recalls. "I yelled at the guy to slow down because neither of us was about to give birth, and he just carried on smiling – and speeding. When we arrived at my hotel, somehow still in one piece, I was so shaken that when I stepped on to the sidewalk my legs were actually wobbling. I love Chicago, but in future I plan to give the taxis a miss."

White-knuckle rides are the stock-in trade of Athens taxi drivers, too. "Don't even think about asking the driver to slow down," says publishing agent Mick Don, "because he'll consider it an insult to his masculinity. Just keep quiet, close your eyes and hope for the best."

In Tokyo, the drivers from some of the upmarket firms wear white gloves. "This gives them a certain cachet, says sports coach Tim Ferber, "but they're a total menace. If they see a potential customer, they stop on the spot, or do a U-turn where they please. Another scary habit they have is opening the door without looking, and stepping into the road."

Tales of spectacular over-charging by taxi drivers are legion. Nicole Wehden, a management coach, took an ‘official' cab from Athens airport into the city at 2am. "It wasn't a long journey and I was staggered at the cost of nearly £60. But I was tired, I couldn't speak the language, and who was I to question the locals? I felt a bit guilty and gave the driver the money and a small tip, which he gracefully accepted. The next day I was told that the right fare was between £5 and £10."

Prague's reputation for dodgy cabs belies its beauty. Despite efforts by the authorities to clean up the (often Russian-run) taxi cartels, the metered cabs have variable settings that can drastically alter a fare. Language teacher Ros Bateman was the victim of a surreptitious flick of the switch: "The meter was moving so fast I could hardly read the numbers, and I was charged the equivalent of £25 for a journey that two days earlier had cost £3.50."

So are you always on a hiding to nothing when you hail a cab abroad? Hong Kong is living proof that you're not. Almost everywhere you go, there's the reassuring sight of a bright red, green or blue saloon, powered by LPG to minimise carbon emissions, which will take you virtually anywhere in the labyrinthine metropolis for less than £10. For Trevor Pike, an engineering designer, the only drawback is linguistic: "The drivers usually speak some English, and I speak a little Mandarin, but it's easy to misunderstand each other. Take a map with you and point to your destination, or – even better – have it written out in Chinese characters. I've never had a bad experience yet."