Ok, this is the first time I have heard of this happening to such an extreme but I just thought I should post on it.

I just got an e-mail from an employee (Luis)of the Spanish Tourist and Convention Board here in Madrid complementing me on my website. He also added that I should warn of taxi overcharging.

He told me that a friend of his from the U.S.A. came to Madrid not long ago and instead of being charged 3,000 pesetas (approx. $17) to go form the Airport to town, the taxi driver hit her for a whopping 30,000 (approx. $170). Now, I have heard of maybe being overcharged by 1,000 or 2,000 pesetas but that story scared me. Not knowing how to deal with the money was his friend�s downfall.

So, being against such fraud in a big way, here is some advice:

1) Becoeme somewhat familiar with the "Peseta" (soon to be the "Euro") before you arrive. Knowing the difference between a 10,000 Peseta bill and a 1,000 bill can save you money in the long run.

2) Look at the current official prices (and which supplements apply to you) before you come over to Spain. You can see the Madrid fares by CLICKING HERE.

3) If you suspect a rip off (or even if you don't) after any taxi ride, ask for a "recibo oficial" ("official reciept") from the driver. This will cover you and you can report any driver who you think may have "taken you for a ride" economically. Ask for the reciept anyway, it is better to have it than to not.

Note: if you are indeed being ripped off and you ask for an official reciept from the cabbie, you may find that he changes the price after you ask for the reciept. He/she will do this to save face and not get into trouble and run the risk of your reporting them. They may try to convince you that you misunderstood the price they gave you. Even if you do let it slide and accept the new lower price, get the reciept anyway. If you want, you can say it is for your taxes so he won't get all flustered with you, the phrase in Spanish is "Es para mis impuestos" (phonetically = .es. - .pah.rah. - .mees. - .impwestohs.)

4) I officially offer myself as a resource and help to anyone who may find themselves in a stick situation (ie. getting overcharged). My cellphone # is 656 266 844. It can be helpful to have an ally who is fluent in Spanish at the moment that you feel you are being ripped off.

Saludos,
jer...

Wow! Does that work if we end up in the calaboose too? Will you bail us out?

It's not just in Madrid that that happens. It's a common situation everywhere. I don't think overcharging is nearly as bad in Madrid as in NYC as an example, but at least there's some controls over the issue in Madrid, where you have recourse where you can report the scalliwags.

As a second option, you can use my wife's approach, laughing in their face and asking them if they would be so kind as to call a policeman by radio, since she thought he was robbing her. When he refused, she opened the window and started yelling for a cop.

Needless to say, his cab fare dropped by about 300%, and he kept saying, "Please! Lady! Don't scream! Do you want me to be arrested?" Until she was satisfied that the price was right.

Drastic measures? Not at all! In this day and age, when so many men think women should be ripped off, the rules have changed.

I like being married to a woman who has guts. She may not be able to beat Mike Tyson in a fight, but she could probably bite off a bigger chunk of ear than he can.

That said, thanks for your support Jer. It's nice to hear.

JP