Two flagdowns for one taxi ride?

[emersonc]

Two flagdowns for one taxi ride?



Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:49:00 04/07/2010

Filed Under: Transport


LAST MARCH 22, 2010, AT about 7 or 7:30 p.m., together with three female companions (two of them senior citizens) and I flagged down a taxi marked Rodailyn with Plate No. TWE 509, along Katipunan Avenue, right in front of the Pan de Manila store. The driver asked us where we were going. We told him we were going to UP Campus. He asked how many we were to board. We told him there were four of us.

On the way to UP, my companions and I were discussing whom to drop off first. When the driver heard this, he told us that if we were going to get off at two places, we have to add to the fare. I told him we do give a tip to cab drivers even without them asking. But this was the first time that a taxi driver was charging us for bringing us to different destinations. He even dared us to report him to Land Transportation Office (LTO), saying that the LTO would support his position as the two destinations should be good for two “flagdowns,” noting that there were many commuters on the road. He let us disembark in one corner. We paid him an amount more than what was indicated in the meter. He took the payment and told us to get off.

What I forgot to do was to bring him to the police station. I checked the telephone number of the taxi company; I found out it is not in the telephone directory.

—RUBY GAMBOA ALCANTARA, Ph.D., professor, College of Arts and Letters, Office of Student Housing, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City

[Ma^ride]

It is a stupid system! I don't get the logic of dropping a passenger will charge you double flagdown. Ones your inside the cab, means you can command him to bring you at your desired destination whether you drop somebody and continue with the trip with the same meter running.

[batang_raon14]

tsk... pumaparaan para kumita. Bibigyan mo na nga ng tip dodoblehin pa yung flag down.

[Sniper Wolf]

Sobrang hapit yung driver Makaka-tyempo din yan.

[kishAn]

tapos idagdag mo pa mga butingting nila.

[OldSchoolHack]

tapos bulok pa at mahina ang aircon. sarap tadyakan.

[pjkhyra]

kung same route din lang ang pag bababaan ng mga pasahero eh ok lang yun but if pabalik balik yung mga pupuntahan ibang usapan na yun.. it's not the tip that matters kungdi yung oras na masisira, imbes na 2 flagdowns na pag makaka pick up ng ibang pasahero yung driver eh diretso pa rin ung metro.. lugi na ng 1 flagdown yung driver pag two destinations but opposite route..

[boybi]

kung same route din lang ang pag bababaan ng mga pasahero eh ok lang yun but if pabalik balik yung mga pupuntahan ibang usapan na yun.. it's not the tip that matters kungdi yung oras na masisira, imbes na 2 flagdowns na pag makaka pick up ng ibang pasahero yung driver eh diretso pa rin ung metro.. lugi na ng 1 flagdown yung driver pag two destinations but opposite route..

Mali logic mo dito. Ang mga taxi, pagsumakay ka na, pwede mo sila padaanin or papuntahin sa kung kahit saan mo gusto within their franchise area. Kaya nga meron metro ang mga taxi.

[speed unlimited]

Siguro iyong mga pasahero kung ganyan sitwasyon nakakaintindi naman magbigay ng pakunswelo at hindi tama na ibaba niya pasahero dahil nagbabayad naman.

[_Qwerty_]

iniisip kasi nung ibang taxi driver.. ginagamit mo na syang service.. so after nang 1 destination.. dapat bumaba ka na.. magbayad.. tapos bumaba lang yung isa so parang sasakay ka ulit so baba ulit nya metro.. ganon ang gusto nila.. kada flag down naman kasi additional 30.00..

[claRkEnt]

kung same route din lang ang pag bababaan ng mga pasahero eh ok lang yun but if pabalik balik yung mga pupuntahan ibang usapan na yun.. it's not the tip that matters kungdi yung oras na masisira, imbes na 2 flagdowns na pag makaka pick up ng ibang pasahero yung driver eh diretso pa rin ung metro.. lugi na ng 1 flagdown yung driver pag two destinations but opposite route..

and it doesnt mean na pag may bumaba ay may sasakay agad na bagong pasahero (which means new flagdown). The taxi still may consume some time and fuel before getting another passenger. whereas kung same passenger, bawat patak ng gas may kasabay na patak sa metro.

[vito corleone]

kung same route din lang ang pag bababaan ng mga pasahero eh ok lang yun but if pabalik balik yung mga pupuntahan ibang usapan na yun.. it's not the tip that matters kungdi yung oras na masisira, imbes na 2 flagdowns na pag makaka pick up ng ibang pasahero yung driver eh diretso pa rin ung metro.. lugi na ng 1 flagdown yung driver pag two destinations but opposite route..

i don't agree with this. . .makakapal lang talaga ang mukha ng ibang cab drivers kaya sasabihin ang masasabi at gagawin ang magagawa para makaloko

one time nakasakay ako ng taxi na obviously mabilis ang metro. pagdating sa lugar namin, dun ko pinatigil sa tapat ng barangay hall na maraming bgy tanod, binigyan ko lang sya ng tamang fare (160 petot) at hindi nung nakarecord sa metro nya (200+) at sabi ko, "kung gusto mong umangal, dyan tayo mag-usap sa bgy". . .hindi na umimik ang ungas, nawalan tuloy sya ng tip

[boybi]

Dapat siguro GPS based ang metro para walang dayaan sa pagpatak ng metro

[Ma^ride]

Sana si Sir Suansing makapara sa mga ito, tiyak deretso mga ito uli sa LTO at automatic tanggal lisensya ng mga abusadong ito.

[scharnhorst]

kaya mas gusto ko pa mag train/bus/jeep/tricycle kesa mag taxi pag wala akong auto.

lalo na pag pauwi ako ng QC from manila... nako. pag nanghingi agad ng dagdag sa metro (kahit wala pang traffic) talagang sinasabi ko na "alis dyan". o kaya pag nakasakay na ako saka hihingi ng tip, bababa talaga ako nang hindi nagbabayad.

[renzo_d10]

^ Tsk. Naganyan din ako before. Kaya lang lapit lapit lang ng pupuntahan ko. Yung driver hingi agad ng 100php. Tapos sabi ko, ano ka sira ? :rofl: tapos sabi niya ... sige plus 20 na lang, di pa rin ako naggive in. Kaya yun, tinakot ko na lang ... sabi ko sumbong ko siya sa LTFRB nakuha ko na plate at company niya kaya nung pagbaba niya 64php lang yung metro at yun talaga binayad ko, exact.

nagbibigay naman kasi pasahero ng tip eh. dapat di na nila pangunahan.

[scharnhorst]

nagbibigay naman kasi pasahero ng tip eh. dapat di na nila pangunahan.

true. nagbibigay naman talaga mga pasahero! pag pinangunahan wala na

[Gen. Miting]

pag ganyan gawin nyo na tatlo destination, para sipagin lalo yun driver tapos yun 2nd destination sa LTO

[Quint]

LTFRB lang ang katapat niyan. Ang problema sa ating mga Pinoy eh lagi tayong nauunahan ng takot, sindak o hiya. Know your rights and you'll never be a victim. Turn the tables around, and let's see who will get scared...

Ako nga, yellow taxi galing sa airport. Sabi ko metro, sabi niya, sige sir. Tapos napansin nakatakip yung metro. Sige lang...tinanong ko, pinansin ko at lahat, ayaw pa din. Sige, kuha ko yung plate number, kuha ko yung name ng driver. Pagdating niya sa amin, 200++ ang singil niya eh di naman kalayuan yung amin. Tinanggal ko yung takip sa metro...

At sabi ko, #$94 ka ba? Sino ang linoloko mo? Gusto mo i-report kita sa LTFRB? Una nag tatapang tapangan pa...Tapos, nag maka awa na nung na bisto na? Well, sorry, I don't have any mercy for those who think they can get away with it. I reported him to LTFRB, and sent them all the details.

Goodbye!

Kung walang magpapaloko, walang maloloko. Kung walang magpapa aabuso, walang aabusuhin. Lumaban ka kung nasa tama ka.

[digitalron]

I've had it with really abusive taxi drivers that whereas before, I automatically give a tip because "kawawa naman sila" now, I have become very judicious in my tip giving, only giving a tip when the following conditions are met:

- driver is courteous
- driver does not ask for "additional" fee
- driver is a safe driver and does not violate traffic laws
- vehicle is clean, does not smell of cigarette or other stinky stench, and has no creepy crawlies
- aircon is sufficiently cool (there really ought to be a law on temperature range to qualify for the "aircon taxi" tag -- as well as buses and FXs, etc)


If none of these conditions are met, I do not give a tip. Of course, I make it a point to have sufficient change on me (at the very least a fifty, two twenties, and two fives to be able to pay to the nearest five peso), and that I drop off on a place with a lot of people so that if an argument ensues, I have witnesses.

Other stuff I do is to automatically take down the taxi name and plate number, along with vehicle make and color. If I could, I also take a photo (surreptitiously of course) with my phone cam of the taxi interior (and driver if possible). And last, I check if the meter is resetted properly. When i travel at night or if I carry significant cash with me, I also make it a point to SMS the taxi details to my wife along with the time of the ride and where I took it.

It's a bit of a work at first, but once you get used to the system, it becomes second nature and helps keep my peace of mind, or at least makes me feel secure that the situation was documented.

As for the tipping, if the driver insists, I simply say, "ang tip, natatanggap lang if natuwa ang pasahero, tingin mo natuwa ako sa iyo?"