"Eye would laaaak to tock-seeeeee tooooooo....."
Posted on 01/15/2005 8:56:51 PM PST by Dan from Michigan
Notorious Taxis Take Mayor for a Ride
Fri Jan 14, 8:36 AM ET Oddly Enough - Reuters
PRAGUE (Reuters) - Prague Mayor Pavel Bem got a close-up look at how the city's notorious taxi drivers operate this week when he went undercover for a ride and was overcharged by some 500 percent.
Bem, at the request of the daily Mlada Fronta Dnes, wore a disguise and pretended to be a foreigner when he hailed a taxi from Old Town Square to take him to Prague Castle, a route commonly traveled by the city's tourist masses.
Upon arrival Bem could not believe his eyes when the three kilometer (1.8 miles) trip cost a whopping 785 crowns ($34.17) about 500 percent over the official rate.
"I expected to be overcharged by maybe 50 or 100 percent. But not by 500 percent!" Bem said, adding controls on taxis will be increased.
During another ride the mayor asked to pay in euros and the fare rose instantly by 200 percent.
With more than 4 million tourists flocking to Prague's ancient center last year, tourism is a major industry for the new EU member.
Prague taxis have regulated meters but drivers are said to install devices that speed them up at the push of a button.
Last year a German parliamentarian complained she was overcharged during a visit and some officials fear the reputation will tarnish the city's image.
Bem's advice to tourists? "Agree on a price in advance."
;-)
"Eye would laaaak to tock-seeeeee tooooooo....."
Closeau: "Do you have a Reuhme?"
"A ZIMMER!"
"You have the wrong room, this is Abuse"
"My nipples explode with delight!"
The mayor was further dismayed to discover that his hovercraft was full of eels.
"Drop your panties, Sir William. I cannot wait till lunchtime."
***Make an example of one or two with defenestration, a local custom.
;-)***
You got me. I had to go look up "defenestration." Whod'a thunk it? LOL
The price of a fare from Prague airport to Prague 1 is always different. I have never paid the same amount twice. You can get a metered taxis from the city to the airport, but they generally pull a number out of thin air when you take a ride from the airport. Having said that, Czechs are one of the nicest folks on earth. The women in Prague...oh God, I am reminiscing again.
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