[Leica] Re: Amsterdam taxis (WAS: One off No. 12)

[lug at steveunsworth.co.uk (Steve Unsworth)]

 Nathan, I guess I was lucky in that I knew the area that my hotel was in
and I realised I was being ripped off. I thought of catching a tram, but
didn't know which stop I would need to get off at. Now that I know where the
hotel is I'll spend 1.60 Euro on a tram ticket if I stay there again.
Thinking about it, anyone believing the taxi drivers would probably wonder
what city their Amsterdam break was in ;-) - a bit like Ryan Air whose
destinations sometimes have only a tenuous link to the city people imagine
they're flying to.

There are/were similar people to those you mention at Schipol operating
inside CdG airport in Paris, as you say to be avoided at all costs.

Steve


-----Original Message-----
From: lug-bounces+lug=steveunsworth.co.uk@leica-users.org
[mailto:lug-bounces+lug=steveunsworth.co.uk@leica-users.org] On Behalf Of
Nathan Wajsman
Sent: 18 December 2005 07:06
To: Leica Users Group
Subject: [Leica] Re: Amsterdam taxis (WAS: One off No. 12)

Steve (and others planning to visit),

Amsterdam taxi drivers are often quite crooked, especially the ones you get
at Central Station or at Schiphol. They dislike short trips from those two
places because they then lose their place in the queue, and so try to con
tourists in the way you describe. My previous office was in an office park
near the airport, a 15 Euro taxi ride; however, it would often happen that
when someone came to visit us from abroad, they would be taken for a ride
(literally) to the tune of 40-50 Euro, or in one case the cabbie told the
visitor that our office was within walking distance from the terminal and he
refused to take her--even though it was 5-6 km along roads on which
pedestrians are not allowed.

So a general health warning: enjoy Amsterdam but be careful with the taxis!
Oh, and NEVER accept rides from the guys who approach you inside the
terminal at Schiphol offering taxies.

Nathan

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