I blistered the taxi drivers ears! Some Dubai taxi drivers like to rip off their passengers because they think that they are smart and that everyone who looks different is a tourist. I gained sufficient experience of their dodgy antics during my early months of living here and because the black community around my area is thin, there’s high tendency of people assuming that I’m a tourist.
My car was taken for service and I had to be somewhere in a hurry. I didn’t want to take the train and stop at all the stations and possibly get to my destination hot and late. I hate going late for appointments.
I also didn’t feel like joining the bus and having a leisure ride through town.
I knew where I was going and what it would cost me to get there give and take the traffic flow. I’ve been there, many times over.
So, I took a taxi and the driver decided to take me on an Israelites journey through the wilderness and he meandered through all the nooks and crannies and the longest route available in town so that his meter would run as high as possible.
I wasn’t in the mood for a scenic view of the town and had not made such a request – no thank you! My interest wasn’t in getting to know about the best Indian restaurant around or about the cheaper malls that are having sales.
Yes, I enjoy Bollywood movies now and again, but I didn’t want to talk about it with you. That I’m a black woman alone doesn’t mean that I’m out looking for a good time.
All I wanted was to compose my marketing thoughts together and to get to my appointment on time.
Maybe the fact that I told him to concentrate on his driving made him decide to run off with me
Now and again my charitable side overlooks a dirham here and there and I leave some change for them ‘cos I know that it’s a struggle for them as well, but what I can’t stand is the smart Alec nonsense some of them come up with and the sudden convenient pretense not to understand English well enough. That’s just annoying!
I blistered his ears and told him that next time he pulls such nonsensical stunt he just might meet the wrong passenger who would report him to RTA (Road Transport Authority).
I felt ripped off. Thankfully after a rigmarole that cost me almost double the normal fare, I got to my meeting early enough.
Jacqueline
Image credit: Wikipedia
Hahaha! Serves him right!
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He’s lucky only to get away with tongue lashing.
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I think you should have paid him what you might have had to pay if he hadn’t decided to take you the long way. 😉
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True that! I wish I had done that.
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Dubai taxis, I tell you! They think they are the masters of the road, some of them are downright rude! I have had a couple of bad experience with them whenever I used their services (which was a rare occurrence!)
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Honestly Rashmi these guy’s have the nerves. I was so annoyed with this fellow. If I had turned up late for my meeting I wouldn’t have paid him!
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He very well deserved the lashing he got! They are bound by their targets and I get that but it really annoys me too when they try to play the “I don’t understand your language” card!
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Here’s a guy who’s trying to tell me about the hotspots in town when he thought I was a tourist and suddenly he couldn’t speak English again. Very silly behaviour! On the other hand, I thing their targets are tough.
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I agree, their targets are tough!
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How is the work in Dubai? I can work in construction if need be.
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There’s loads of construction going on (but I hear that pay in construction is not so good because they are able to get cheap labour from India, Pakistan and environs), however, an international recruit might be different. There are a number of consulting agencies online that handle recruitment. Maybe you could take a peek.
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Oh, no he Didn’t….🙀🚕 perhaps he’ll think better next time, or better yet, read your post. 😂😂😂
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For his sake he better learns otherwise he will get into bigger trouble, some other time.
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News flash for this: no matter if you are a “white woman” he will think you are out for a good time. also..he he…I had a driver in Oman lock the door on me and refuse to let me out until I paid him. I was sure he had ripped me off and I paid him what I thought I should and took off with him trailing behind me. Probably not that smart as a foreigner o my part, but I made it home!
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This is what someone said too. That’s really very forward of these men. Glad you got away from the Oman fellow. I think they just feel women are fools and can be taken for a ride. Annoying!
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Yes, I was shouting at him to let me out of the cab and then afraid to report him.
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Abu Dhabi cab drivers are even worse. I did hear some good things about cab drivers in Al Ain.
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Hmm! There I was thinking Abu Dhabi might be better due to stricter rules.
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Oh, I didn’t know that. I love reading your blog because I like remembering living there.
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So you have a temper 🙂 Good for you. Hope he stops to think next time before he tries the same trick !
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I don’t lose it often because it’s just waste of energy, but I just couldn’t let this one pass without giving him a piece of my mind. He’ll think twice next time.
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**applause**
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Melancholic….but the story is beautiful.
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Well, I’ll bet he’ll think twice before he tries that again. 🙂
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He better does, otherwise he could get into trouble some day.
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Quite!
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Taxi drivers definitely take advantage of people when they can! He deserved your wrath and tongue-lashing, for sure!
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J, I say thank the man. Look how much love you’re getting from all of us . Well written I got the image loud and clear.
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I’m glad you spoke up and let him know and put the thought in his head about the next person…you may have just saved an innocent soul some money!! Well done Jackie!!
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Some of them can really be annoying. I hope he learnt his lesson.
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Someone has to do it! It is never me though,I am more the suffer in silence kind. But I always applaud those that speak out and straighten out the others for our sake.:-). Glad you made it in time.
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Thanks dear. I was ready to chew his ears out 😉
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These cab drivers can be so irritating at times! I hate it when they try to act oversmart assuming the other person is new to place! I hope you dont meet such kinds again! They turn off the mood so badly!
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I wish they knew how much people hate such nonsense. Thank you for reading.
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Oh, I so hate that. I encounter that occasionally when I’m in NYC. I’m like “Dude, I know where I’m going. Stop taking the long route.”
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Such an annoying attitude!
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The way you wrote this…was extremely funny! I laughed throughout the whole bit. Yet I felt bad that you experienced what you did. He was definitely trying to take advantage of you and the fact that you had to tell him to pay attention to the road was unnerving. I hope the next time your car is being serviced you wont have any appointments until after it’s done!
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Ha, ha! I was so mad at him, and he’s lucky I didn’t pull a ninja stunt of his crooked butt 😉
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I can only imagine your frustration. Tourist or not, that is dishonest. I am sure you handled it better than most people. Bless your heart Jacqueline, you are such a good person.
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Thank you Pamela for your kind words. It was annoying to say the least and dishonest too.
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Ah! This happens in Lagos too, once the Okada riders or Taxi driver assume that one is unfamiliar with the route or new in town, their cheating spirit comes out. It can be so annoying, especially when they think they are smarter than you.
You are lucky that you have a regulatory authority to report such poor behaviour.
Lol @ “an Israelites journey through the wilderness” XD
I’m glad you told him off.
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Nne, the thing sabi vex me. I was just short of reporting the fellow but my church mind no gree me 🙂
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