You would think that taxis are safe everywhere in the world, as it is a public transport and should be regulated by the laws and government. But is Hong Kong one of those safe places?
By Viktorija Getneryte
Hong Kong is a country that everyone knows as a
technologically advanced, mysterious place that is overpopulated, but still
holds deep traditions. Arnold Mauragas, young professional and Project
Assistant at ProPinewood Technologies, was also attracted to visit this country
with the intentions to gain knowledge about a faraway, mysterious country and
get some inspiration for the future. However, not being careful enough, can
lead to some unsatisfying experiences.
Arnold’s adventure started with a fun night out with his
friends. As common public transport in Hong Kong is not available after
midnight, he and his friends decided to take a taxi back to hotel, just like
you would in the United Kingdom. However, when in Europe it is becoming more
and more popular to pay for taxi with debit cards, in Hong Kong, you often have
to pay with cash.
“When we stopped by the hotel I gave a 500 Hong Kong dollar
bill to the taxi driver, but instead of giving me a change he rejected the
money, and asked to give a 300$ bill instead, as he did not have a change, so I
took my 500$ note back” said Arnold, “Just next day I understood, that driver swapped the notes! I wanted to pay for a metro with
the same note, but the cashier rejected money, as it was not a Hong Kong
currency, but a note from Peru”. It would not be a problem, if the currency had
still been valid, however in the bank Mauragas got to know, that Peru Dollars have
been out of the market since 1991.
The hilarious situation left Arnold with a note that is not
valid in any of the countries. As a 500 HKD bill is equivalent to approximately
45 British Pounds, he left Hong Kong with quite an expensive souvenir from
Peru.
In Hong Kong, taxi frauds are not uncommon. Recently the
Swedish tourist was charged an extremely high fare of 8000$ for a short ride
from Hong Kong airport to hotel in Kowloon, which according to police could be
an overcharging record. Apart from overcharging
taxi drivers in Hong Kong have other fraud that is becoming increasingly
popular – to feign engine trouble and pull over to the hard shoulder,
explaining that car needs a mechanical check. Then to tell a passenger that
mechanical problems are serious and they cannot continue the journey, but have
to wait for assistance, in a meanwhile contacting another taxi driver to pull
over and grab valuables from passengers’ luggage.
While traveling is one of the greatest pleasures in life,
being a tourist can be dangerous. If you ever decide to visit the mysterious
and wonderful Hong Kong, be careful as you might come back home with unpleasant
memories and a lighter wallet.
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