I’ve been in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for two days now (pictures will be uploaded this weekend) and am still amazed by how cheap everything is. For everything you pay the same price in Malayan Ringgit as you would in Singapore Dollars, but Malayan currency is worth around half of Singapore currency. So this is truly a place for cheap food and shopping and cabs.
But after todays cabride, forced by the tropical rain that started all of a sudden, the cheapness sort of leaves a sour taste. Cabdrivers in Kuala Lumpur don’t use their meters, only maybe for locals. So obviously, as the cheap Dutch bastard that I am, I feel a bit ripped off and try to haggle money of the first price they offer. Which means that for a cabride of around 30 minutes we pay 20 ringgit, which translates to 4 euros, which translates into a euro per person. It is indeed cheaper than a metroride in Paris or even a busride in Zwolle or Eindhoven.
But today we had a cabride with an 62 years old man, who was very open and honest. He explained us the situation for Kuala Lumpurese cabdrivers, which made me rethink my opinions. He started of the talk with the usual “where are you from?”, but the conversation turned pretty serious pretty quickly after that. He first admitted that he had some really bad experiences with Dutch tourists, trying to haggle really really hard to get the lowest possible price. I do kind of agree with trying to haggle, since Dutch people are considered to be cheap, right? But then he explained why he felt this was a bad thing.
The meter in these cabs charges around 10 cents for 100 meters. A small example: the trip we took from the Petronas Towers to our hostel was 6.90 on the meters, but we had a fixed price of 20.00. So you’d feel ripped off right? But what’s your opinion if you hear that this 62 year old man works 17 hours a day, 7 days a week and hardly makes any money. He has to raise 200 ringgit a day just to break even on the costs of cab rental, gas and cab maintenance. So if this guy would run on the meter, he would make around 7 ringgit per half hour aka, undoable.
After hearing a story like that and realizing you’re doing your best to push the price down as much as possible, you don’t really have any choice but to feel at least a bit bad about yourself.
So that’s what I’m doing right now. Feeling bad, writing a blogpost and promising myself not to haggle that much for the prices of cabs anymore.
Tags: economics, Kuala Lumpur
Why should the tourist pay for a dysfunctional system? Do you think locals pay thrice the price for a ride to support the cabdriver? It’s the system which is wrong, not the behaviour of the tourists. Who’s responsibility is it? Of the individual with relatively more money? Nay! It is not. If it’s non-sustainable, it will disappear.
Met hartelijke groet,
David Graus
Dope layout man, dit blog.. Heel netjes. Ook erg die Last.FM feature. Als je terug bent uit de andere kant van de wereld moeten we die chilling orga.. Bierie, jonko en Kees impersonaties.. Ik ben down.
Maarre.. in hoeverre verschil je nou van je broer?
– Qua leeftijd?
Nee.. qua type.
– Is gewoon een laamlul.
Dezje ik zie dat je net zo’n scherp oog voor vormgeving hebt als mark ; )
Dylan heeft ook geen vriendin die hem moet vertellen dat stuffic een mooier woordbeeld is dan stuffisee?
“Why should the tourist pay for a dysfunctional system? Do you think locals pay thrice the price for a ride to support the cabdriver? It’s the system which is wrong, not the behaviour of the tourists. Who’s responsibility is it? Of the individual with relatively more money? Nay! It is not. If it’s non-sustainable, it will disappear.”
If your conclusion is something along the lines ‘non-sustainable things will disappear’, than apparently this taxi system is a pretty sustainable system. If you take notion of the fact that these rules are handled in numerous countries and by numerous types of business in these countries.
And indeed, the system isn’t that fair, but you have to place things into perspective. You start complaining about fairness, and triple prices, while this is triple price is only an increase of 2 to 3 euros. You really feel that’s worth complaining over?
I don’t mean to say that people should go with whatever price cabdrivers ask them, I’m just trying to say that they shouldn’t feel insulted when people expect them to pay more than locals.
The point is not the price to be paid, it’s the difference in ‘the tourists’ righting the wrong in the system. It’s not a responsibility to pay too much when you know without it they won’t make it : p
Hm. Principles only go that far imho ; >. If you want to be that convinced about your rights, while you’re only talking about 2 euros, that’s of course your own choice : )). I just don’t think it’s a sign of personality to expect the same treatment and prices as locals. (And smileys do not add anything in some cases)
je bent gewoon afgezet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! en die taxichauffeur maar lachen..
en david neem een cursus engels!!!! voor dummiezzzzzzzzzzz
is goed
dank ;>
deze site helpt mij een dag arbeid door
afgezet worden doe ik door je moeder. die wil tegenwoordig een ritje achterop mijn scooter voor toli in haar mond stoppen. vroeger was een sportlife genoeg
als je aan de andere kant van de wereld ben durf je wel he!!
BEUNHAAS!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSCjjj-M9oI