Another dispatch from a public Internet terminal. In this case, the Samsung e-lounge at the Hong Kong airport. We’re headed to Bangkok in an hour or so. Nice free service, but their custom browser blocks pop-ups, so I can’t check my email as I normally do via mail2web.com. I can see the messages, I just can’t open ‘em.
Anyway, we had one of those experiences that is so typical of what you hear when people travel overseas – a miscommunication, a rip-off, etc. We checked out early this AM, and planned to head to the train station (the Kowloon station) and take the Airport Express train back to the airport. We had prepaid (with an Octopus card) for return trainfare. It’s quite handy; you can actually check in for your flight at the train station in town and drop your bags and all that. The train is fast and comfortable.
We told the hotel dude that we were going to the train station for the Airport Express, he came out with us. The taxi driver asks us something, I say “Kowloon Station, Airport Express.” He says “airport?” I say, no, Kowloon station. The hotel dude has caught up at this point and says something in Chinese. We figured he clarified it and we were off. The driver is talking in Chinese to his mounted cell phone (set on speaker phone) and then he apparently is speaking to us. He waves some money around, says a phrase twice, and then shows me a number on a piece of paper. How much to get to the station? We can’t really tell what he’s written, and not sure why this is happening (I know we sound like total suckers here, but hey, it’s what happened. Does it help that it was 6:15 am?). I guess taxi drivers are the only segment of the service business in Hong Kong with no English.
Anyway, we pass the train station. He is taking us all the way to the airport. Instead of $35 or so (HK), it’s now going to be $XX00? We have no idea. What do we do? How do we clarify, or confront, as moments pass and the situation veers from what we had anticipated? How do we deal with our own social norms? Are we being ripped-off, or just a bad communication?
Other types of people would no doubt have pursued some sort of resolution. We didn’t. We felt helpless and frustrated and did nothing. It was vaguely expensive and we were lucky to have cash on hand to pay for the final fare. But really, we got to the airport, we lost a little money, we lost a little control. I kept thinking that as our trip proceeds through Thailand and then India this sort of willful? miscommunication and loss of control due to language and white skin and general foreigness will continue. This was trivial, but it felt traumatic. Perhaps a good lesson about dealing with the mishaps, or simply the haps, of the rest of our trip.
Tags: asia, communication, culture, culture shock, hong kong, language, rip off, ripoff, scam, tour, tourism, tourist, travel
it’s happened to me in HK, so for sure not due to white skin, maybe just ‘furriner, rip ‘im off, boys’? I bought a pair of slippers and when I got home to my friend’s house in Stanley and opened the wrapper, they were both for the left foot. the old bait and switch. Seems it’s just HK, from what I’ve heard. No harm done being careful elsewhere though.
Comment by Niti Bhan 01.18.06 @ 6:23 pmIf I’ve learned anything from traveling around it is that everyone is trying their best to rip you off. It’s up to you how much you’re willing to take it and how much you’re willing to make a fuss and stand up for yourself. Sometimes it is just easier to let it happen, but if you can act firm without it being stressful to you, then do so!
I always liked Japan because tipping is unheard of, rip-offs seem to be less common, petty crime is not really a fear, and people are polite. Not so in every other place I’ve been!
Comment by Josh 01.18.06 @ 9:48 pmI feel for you. This rip-off/miscommunication has happened to many times in our travels. Once we just lost money, but the other time we were driven as close as possible to an in-coming hurricane. Suddenly our “No hablo” taxi driver could speak perfect English once we arrived at our destination, many dollars poorer.
On the other hand, we’ve experienced many acts of kindness. A very kind man in Italy, who spoke no English went out of his way to assist us.
Comment by Mir 01.23.06 @ 10:01 pm[...] Separate from the intentions of these friends, the hosting played out differently in Hong Kong and in India. We felt very comfortable on our in Hong Kong, the transit system is amazingly well-designed, there is a lot of English available, and we only had one difficult travel experience. I actually was the most relaxed I had been in months. So the good times and the help we received was a bonus. But India was different – the friend who hosted us and helped us feel relaxed and comfortable played a major rescue-type role for us. [...]
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