When In Manila, we can’t help but run into the occasional rude taxi driver. Thankfully for this contributor, some fast thinking and loud shrieking kept her safe. Read and learn….

DUKE EZEKIEL TAXI UVZ404 (046)4840006, 7PM MOA

This is a 1st hand experience. I came from Heritage Hotel, hailed a cab going to MOA:

Me: Kuya MOA po (Mall of Asia please)

Taxi: Plus 50 ho ma’am (Plus 50 pesos ma’am)

Me: Baket po? (Why?)

Taxi: Traffic ho eh (Traffic is bad)

Me: sira po ba metro nyo? (Is your meter broken?)

Taxi: Hindi ho (No)

Me I-metro na lang kuya kasi ayan o (pointing to opposite road), Hindi po traffic. Sa MOA area po ako araw-araw memorize ko na po ang traffic dito. (Can you just use the meter? As you can see, the traffic really isn’t bad. I go to the Mall of Asia area everyday and I’ve memorized the traffic situation here.)

Driver agreed and drove. We got to MOA and the meter flashed P57.50 to which I gave P100 expecting to get a change of P40. Driver said he doesn’t have change and showed me a wad of P100 bills. I said I will try to exchange for smaller bills from the store across. He said “ok pero hindi ko ititigil yung metro ha” (OK but I won’t stop the meter).

Sensing that this wasn’t going anywhere I quietly wrote down his details (painted on the door) then gave him my P100. I said, “Kuya ito na po ang P100 so basically parang nagdagdag nga ko tala sa inyo. Next time po magdala kayo ng panukli kasi taxi po kayo”. (Sir here’s P100, basically I just added the fee you wanted. Next time please bring change as you are a taxi)

I went down and took photos of his cab. When he saw me taking photos, he went to me, towered over me and said “Maam ano hong problema nyo?” (Ma’am what’s your problem?!) to which I replied “ang problema ko Kuya, wala kayong panukli kaya irereklamo ko kayo” (My problem sir is that you don’t have change for your customers so I will report this)

Driver said “kung magrereklamo kayo maam halika sasamahan ko pa kayo pero sinabi ko na sainyo wala ako panukli di ba!” (If you’re going to report this come with me and I’ll accompany you, but I already told you that I didn’t have change, right?)

Then I said “ay wag na ho kasi napicturan ko na naman kayo so irereklamo ko na lang kayo sa kinauukulan” (No need as I already took your picture and I’ll just file a complaint with the authorities)

Driver said in a loud voice “o sige eh di magreklamo ka,para malaman mo kung Sino ang me ari ng taxi na to!” (Go ahead, so that you’ll know who you’re messing with and who owns this taxi)

Furious I shouted “ah at tine-threaten mo pa ko ha! Guard, guard hinaharass ako nitong driver na to! Bumaba pa sya sa taxi nya para tanungin kung anong problema ko at ngayon tinatakot pa ako!” (Are you threatening me? SECURITY! SECURITY! This taxi driver is harassing me! He got out of his taxi to scare me!)

A guard came over, driver was explaining that he does not have change then another guard came.

This time driver said “di ko nga po alam ano problema nya kasi binabalik ko na yung pera nya oh, ito na pera mo!” (I don’t know what her problem is as I was already giving her back her money)

I said “excuse me Kuya ngayon nyo lang binalik yan, pero sayo na yan kasi wala na kong pakialam dyan dahil nga sabi mo wala kang panukli di ba. Basta ang gagawin ko irereklamo kita!” (Excuse me sir but you just now offered to return my money, but you can keep it as I don’t care much for it anymore. All I know is that I’m turning in this report!)

He kept yapping and yapping then drove off. If he wasn’t greedy in the first place, I would’ve let it go. But to say that you have no “loose change” just to clearly extort money is deception, and I will not let it pass.

Taxi driver name: DUKE EZEKIEL TAXI UVZ404 (046)4840006

written by Kate S.

posted with her permission

Rude Taxi Driver in Manila vs Quick Thinking Passenger