A British holidaymaker says a taxi fare dispute in Egypt left him feeling vulnerable and put him off returning to a resort he had previously enjoyed.
Scott, from Cheshire, had visited Hurghada twice before. But he says a journey back to his hotel from a nightclub on his most recent trip ruined the holiday after the driver demanded more money than the group had agreed to pay.
Taxi journey left tourist feeling 'vulnerable'
"The worst part is how it's stuck with me. I'd been to Hurghada twice before and enjoyed it, but that one journey ruined the whole holiday. You forget all the good bits, and that's the part that stays with you. It's put me off going back for good," Scott told the Mirror.
Holiday representatives had advised Scott and his companions to agree a total fare before getting into a taxi. He said they followed that advice after their evening out in Hurghada, on Egypt's Red Sea coast.
Driver demanded payment per person
"It was the strangest taxi journey I've ever experienced. We'd been told to always agree on a total price before getting in, so that's what we did. But partway back, the driver pulled over and went off to get himself some food," he said.
When they reached the hotel, Scott says the driver demanded payment per person rather than the agreed total fare.
"When we finally got back to the hotel, he suddenly wanted us to pay per person. It felt like, these are tourists, we're going to rinse them," he said.
Police threat and anxiety
According to Scott, the driver then threatened to call the police. Unable to speak the local language and worried about whose account officers would believe, he decided to pay the higher amount to keep the situation calm.
"Honestly, it left me feeling really uneasy and quite vulnerable. We'd done everything we were told to do and agreed a total price before getting in, so when the driver suddenly demanded we pay per person, it felt like we were being taken advantage of just because we were tourists. Once he started talking about calling the police, that unease turned into real anxiety. My friend was getting really worked up, I couldn't speak the language, and all I could think was, if the police turn up, who are they going to believe? In the end I just wanted it over, so we paid more than we'd agreed to keep things calm."
Future taxi plans and new guide
Scott said the experience had changed how he would arrange taxi journeys in future: "Now I'd use Uber or a local app wherever I can, because you know the price before you get in. Having one guide or site that shows you which apps work in each destination and what an average fare looks like would give people that confidence before they even arrive."
It's experiences like Scott's that led Confused.com to create its interactive global taxi guide. Travellers can search any destination to see which apps to use, what a typical fare looks like and the local tips worth knowing before they set off.
