Prague taxi drivers rip off mayor in disguise
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Prague has an issue with its taxi drivers. They're notorious ripoff artists, as any number of Prague-related travel sites will tell you. It's gotten to the point where the problem is viewed as being detrimental to overall tourism in the city. In response, a local newspaper has been campaigning against the rampant overcharging, and persuaded the mayor of Prague, Pavel Bem, to don a tourist disguise and see for himself just how bad the situation has become. Bem decided to pose as an Italian, slicking back his hair, putting on a pair of shades, donning fake facial hair, and generally embracing appearance-based stereotypes that would get an American politician in a heap 'o trouble.
With his [Source: BBC via Gadling]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
ultraP 2:23PM (8/01/2007)
The mayor's name is Pavel Bem. The rest of the article is accurate (unfortunately).
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Alex Nunez 1:21PM (8/01/2007)
Name fixed. Time to go get some glasses...
Kowell 1:02PM (8/01/2007)
Didn't this happen like 2 years ago?
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Admiral Ackbar 2:12PM (8/01/2007)
Yeah, I vaguely remembered hearing about this a while ago. Then I looked at the date of the BBC article:
Last Updated: Friday, 14 January 2005, 14:54 GMT
ssgtakeo 1:20PM (8/01/2007)
Wow, way to take the bull by the horns. I wish politicians here were the type to "get on the ground" to see what is happening.
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Acre 1:40PM (8/01/2007)
This seems as good of a place as any to try and get an answer I've been looking for -
I don't take cabs much but just about every time I do, I feel like I'm over charged using the same method. When I get in, the meter is set at $3/$5/? which seems fine. At the end of the trip, the meter reads $XX and then the cabbie adds back on the $3/$5/? that was on to begin with on top of what the meter was reading. Is this normal or am I being double charged the base amount (and if normal, what is this extra charge for)?
Thanks-
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Eric 1:43PM (8/01/2007)
Those extra charges are for each time the driver touches the brakes. You've never heard about that? You're lucky they don't stop at red lights.
Richard 2:05PM (8/01/2007)
Wow! The guy decides to go Italian, pulls it off well. So in America you would say he is stereo-typing?
What if he had said: "I'ma gonna go Italian" and hit the street looking like an Eskimo would you say he is stupid?
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Andyduncan 2:21PM (8/01/2007)
I wish Villaraigosa would do this in LA. Cabbies in LA are horrible. Some fleets are fine, but many are notorious for having "fast meters", often as much as 25-30% fast. GPS is sorely needed.
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Sporty 3:24PM (8/01/2007)
Crime and corruption are always huge problems in Eastern Europe. This problem with taxis in the Czech Republic is not new - I remember reading, probably ten years ago, that some taxi owners would even put electrical grids under the back seats and if the passenger refused to pay the exorbitant fare, the cabby would push a button to give him an electrical shock.
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Sporty 3:33PM (8/01/2007)
I forgot to mention that U.S. immigration law used to keep out most Eastern Europeans until Ted Kennedy led the drive that liberalized the laws in 1965.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5391395
Ivan 9:28AM (8/02/2007)
You shouldn't believe every urban legend you hear.
Bruno 7:32PM (8/01/2007)
I had no idea that Paul Weller from 1980 was the mayor of Prague!
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zzzz 10:50PM (8/01/2007)
taxi drivers r scum-
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