السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته،

الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله وعلى آله وأصحابه ومن تبعهم إلى يوم الدين وبعد

I stepped out of the baggage claim into the lounge and a man asked me “Taxi?” and I said “yes I’m looking for a taxi”. My lapse of common sense led me to actually talk to this guy when I should have gone outside and grabbed a street taxi. I told him the hotel and he said “70 Riyals” I said “What?? 70?? No 50!” he said “WHAT? 50? Outside the taxis will charge 80!” I said “Ok then 60?” (My bargaining skills have far improved since I blundered by saying this) and he said “no!” I said “ok” and turned to walk away, and he said “No no come!!”

In the LONG ride we had a talk, the guy “seemed” sincere to me talking about Allaah and how he lived a pious life and never drank and smoked. I said MashaAllaah and conversed with him. I noticed the trip was taking WAY too long. He stopped at the hotel and I asked him “How far to the Markaz at-Tijaaree?” he said “Oh that’s very far, near the airport, if you want me to wait until you check i’ll give you a discount, all together 100 Riyals”. I said “Let me check in first”. I ask the Hotel clerk and he says “It’s only 10 minutes, I say 10 riyals by taxi”. I knew this guy was a crook. I gave him the 60 Riyals (which I write off alhamdulillaah).

This ability to write off my taxi rides for work gave me an insight into the different types of taxi drivers here. I summarize them into three:

1) The Liar

2) The bargainer

3) The honest & humble one

The liar is like the guy I described above. I’ll give another example, any taxi driver in Saudi who turns the Meter on when you get in and judges by the meter is RIPPING YOU OFF. NO one goes by the meter here, the meter is a designated rip off. We took a taxi from the Sheraton by the corniche to my dingy hotel on the unnamed street (the street has no name but everyone knows the dingy hotel) and the Ma’roof (known) taxi ride is 15 Riyals… at MAX 20. The meter said 40. This guy who had the outward appearance of being religious (meaning he had his beard) had started to say “La la Akal Haraam, Ma Abghaa Akal haraam” in his defense of the 40 Riyals when we quoted 20. He was saying “No No, I dont want to eat from the Haraam” when we told him that he’s charging us too much. He points to the meter and says “Hada hukoomah” (this is the legislated price) so we say that the known price is 20 and he throws a 10 at as as if it’s charity and says “ok 30″. We argue with him on this for 10 minutes whilst we knew he was lying to our faces and trying to cheat us.

This mentality is well-known and you learn it from the honest drivers. One driver told us that he charged us 20 riyals only because the location was the Sheraton, besides that the cost would be 10.

The bargainer is the guy who will try argue with you about the price but the moment you walk away he’ll call you back and agree, he knows he charges too much. Or he’ll try bluff you and drive off, most of the time this is what happens.

The honest guy, and i’ve met a few of these, will give you the standard discount price off the bat. He doesnt play games with you. And sometimes you’ll get the “You choose”. One guy mashaAllaah he said to me “You give me whatever you want even if it’s one riyal”. Usually I dont like this, because i’m stuck in a spot… I might not know the standard price. But if I do, I just quote the standard and they never argue.

I dont mind the Bargainer or the honest fellow, but the liar… those people I cannot stand, if I detect a person is lying to me by saying something like “No this is the standard” when it’s clearly not, I wont even waste my time with him, if he doesnt accept my quote I close the door and walk away.

Allaahul Musta’aan.