France It costs more than 50 euros to get from Charles de Gaulle airport to the city center, but female tourist Melissa Hie was charged 360 euros by a taxi driver.
Melissa Hie, a travel blogger who has traveled to more than 30 countries, shared her experience of encountering a taxi scam when flying from Singapore alone to Paris, France. When she took a taxi from Charles de Gaulle Airport to her hotel, the driver charged Hie 360 euros for a 25 km trip, six times the usual price.
"While I was standing at the terminal, a man who claimed to be an airport employee spoke to me and asked where I was going," Hie said. He then explained that where she was standing, she could only catch a taxi for trips to the suburbs. Hie was directed to catch a taxi at Gate 16 to get into central Paris.
Hie took a souvenir photo in Paris. Photo: Girl eat world
At the gate, she was greeted by another driver who helped her put her luggage in the trunk. Leaving the airport, the driver showed her his taxi badge and the odometer app on his phone, but Hie quickly realized "something was wrong." There was no fixed odometer on the car, which led the female tourist to believe that what she had just seen was fake. "But there was nothing I could do at that time," Hie said.
When they arrived at the hotel, the driver showed her the odometer on the phone app and quoted the price of the trip. Hie refused to pay. Immediately, the scammer "changed his tone, became aggressive and rude". He then reduced the price for Hie from 360 to 200 euros but still tried to intimidate her, following her into the hotel. "I told him that I was calling the police to report the scam. This person followed me, shouting and cursing that I was a thief, that I owed him money", the female tourist recounted. Finally, Hie paid him 80 euros and the scammer left.
The female tourist shared the story on her personal page in the hope that others can avoid the incident or have experience in dealing with it. According to Hie, tourists should stay calm when being scammed and should only react when they are in a safe situation such as in a public place with many people passing by. "I think this is the key to being able to control the situation," Hie said. If she were in an unsafe situation such as a deserted place, she would not have reacted so violently, which could be dangerous.
"Fine" taxis in Paris have signs posted above. Photo: Paris je taime
Charles de Gaulle Airport said police have stepped in several times to crack down on fraudulent taxis that charge passengers high prices. Airport staff are also trained to spot scammers. Passengers should choose taxis with a signal light on the roof, the airport said. A taxi ride from the airport to the Seine River, in the city center, starts at around 50 euros.
Additionally, taxi fares to Paris are displayed in the baggage claim area and overhead, eye-level, and ground signs indicate where taxis are located. Each terminal has a point where taxis pass through to pick up passengers in order. Passengers should not accept fares from cars outside the designated taxi lanes.
“Ultimately, don’t blame yourself if you encounter a scammer and don’t let it ruin your trip. Paris is still a beautiful city with tons of interesting things to see and great food,” Hie says.
Anh Minh (According to DM )
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