Malaysia: Why I Hate KL Taxis

I got out of the house a bit late this afternoon and was a bit worried that I wouldn't make it in time to catch my flight. Outside of Hiro's apartment, there were three taxi drivers gathered and chatting with each other. As I approached, one of them looked over at me and asked where I was going.

"KL Postal Center and then KL Sentral," I replied.
The driver looked at me in disgust and waved his hand in front of his face to indicate that he wasn't interested in taking me.
"I have an appointment. Maybe he can take you," he said, referring to the driver standing next to him.
"20RM," said the other driver.
"20RM?!," I said, knowing that on meter the drive was only about 8 or 9RM, "It's only 8."
"Then no, I have an appointment."

Sigh. At least this time around, I wasn't surprised by any of this. Driver's in Malaysia are legally required to charge according to the meter, but most driver's in KL will do their best to try to avoid using the meter in favor of trying to extract as much as possible from people (capitalizing on the ignorance or desperation of the customer). When the bus I rode from Taman Negara to KL disgorged us backpackers onto the street in Chinatown, a taxi pulled up behind us which I ended up hopping into. The driver spoke nice English and was quite friendly...at first.
"Where to?"
"Mont Kiara."
"Okay. 50 RM." (the actual fare, on meter, is about 8RM)
"50RM?!! No way! It's only 6 RM from here."
"Then I'm not going. Get out."
I tried to be stubborn at first, but eventually just gave up and got out.

Another time (a couple of days ago), I tried to catch a cab to drive me over to meet up with a friend a little ways away. A taxi picked me up and I hopped in the backseat and said where I was going. The driver said okay and we started on our way. After a while, I noticed that the meter wasn't going and pointed out that fact to the driver. The driver suddenly became quite upset and started shouting in broken English something to the effect of,"No meter! I take you. After, I say, you pay!Okay!"

No, not okay. Not the right answer. The taxi driver pulled over and said, "Okay. Then you leave here. Sorry." Fine. I got out...onto the expressway. I had to walk down the next exit and make my way to a normal street to try hailing a taxi anew. But before hailing a taxi, I noticed something important. Customers in other passing taxis sitting in the front seat. Ah ha. When I finally managed to hop in a taxi, I hopped into the front seat and this time, there was no monkey business.

Talking with my friend Julie later that evening, I learned that taxi drivers in KL are like that not only to backpackers and people who are obviously tourists. They pull the same thing with pretty much everybody.

Yeah. I am not fond of KL taxi drivers. Anyway, these drivers today all agreed that they did not want to take me to where I was going (not a big enough fare), but they were kind enough to flag down another taxi passing by. I hopped into the front seat and the driver, for some reason I don't quite understand, was willing to take me, no questions asked. He even put on the meter without me having to ask him to do so. Must've been the hopping in the front seat move.

Ahhhh, you are learning young paduwan. You are learning.