Getting Ripped Off by an Illegal Cab

An "illegal cab" or "white taxi" is a private car operating as a taxi without the necessary business permit.

The "white" in Japanese "Shiro" refers to the color of the number plate, and "タク" is short for "taxi."

Don't Get in an Illegal Cab

This is a story about my Canadian friend, Smith, who took an illegal cab from Narita Airport and got ripped off on his way to the soapland district near Minowa Station in Yokohama.

Every time he visits Japan, he uses taxis because he hates walking.

As you might imagine, he doesn't exercise, so he's quite overweight.

However, he doesn't seem to mind.

About a week ago, I got a message from him.

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"I'm coming to Japan for five days starting next Saturday. I've made a reservation at a soapland in Yokohama for the evening of my arrival. Let's have dinner together afterward. Keep your schedule open."

"Sure, Saturday works for me."

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As promised, I kept my Saturday night free.

We were supposed to meet at a Japanese-style pub near Minowa Station at 8 p.m.

On the day of our appointment, I arrived at the pub right on time, but he wasn't there yet.

I thought he was running a little late, but I figured it was fine.

(I'll just have a beer while I wait.)

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I first met Smith three years ago on a tour of Kyoto. It was a group trip, and for some reason, we hit it off.

He's incredibly cheerful and fun to be around.

He even coordinated his vacation days with mine when we went to Las Vegas. We gambled together at Caesars Palace.

He runs an app development company, which has been doing well lately, so he's rich.

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He adores Japanese women and visits soaplands every time he comes to Japan. He's so enamored that he says he wants to marry a Japanese woman someday.

He's also started studying Japanese and has improved significantly since I met him three years ago.

Anyway, an hour after our agreed-upon meeting time, Smith finally showed up.

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"You're late! Really late!"

"Sorry, sorry, I had a bit of trouble."

"Trouble?"

"Yeah."

"What happened?"

"I got scammed out of 80,000 JPY. It usually only costs around 30,000 JPY..."

"What happened? Did something happen at the soapland?"

"No, the soapland was fine. I asked the manager to choose for me as usual, and he introduced me to an adorable girl. I even extended the session."

(Did he extend it, which is why he's late?)

"So, 80,000 JPY..."

"Yeah..."

"Well, I want to drink a beer too."

"Yeah..."

"Excuse me! One draft beer, please."

"Coming right up! Thank you!"

The Illegal Cab Driver Approached Him

"So, as usual, I arrived at Narita Airport and was heading toward the taxi stand when..."

"Uh-huh..."

"A man called out to me."

Here's what happened to Smith, in summary.

When he landed at Narita Airport and was making his way to the taxi stand, a middle-aged man approached him and asked if he needed a taxi.

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Smith's instinctive response was, "Yes, I do."

The man then asked, "Great. I'm a taxi driver. Where are you headed?" Smith felt a little embarrassed to say Yokohama, so he replied, "Minowa Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line."

The driver smiled broadly and said, "In that case, instead of waiting in line at the taxi stand, please come to my car." Smith thought he was lucky.

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However, this is where things started to go wrong.

Smith followed the driver to a white sedan parked away from the taxi stand and was instructed to get into the back seat.

That's when he noticed the absence of the "company name display lamp," which should have been on the roof of the car.

(That's odd. Is this a private taxi? But if it were, there should be a personal mark or logo, right? This doesn't seem right.)

The driver asked if it was okay to use the highway, to which Smith agreed, and he loaded his luggage into the trunk.

By the time he thought they should be nearing their destination, they still hadn't made much progress, and it ended up taking about two hours in total. Usually, it only takes an hour, so he knew something was amiss.

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When they finally arrived at Minowa Station, another surprise awaited him.

The meter showed 80,000 JPY.

This was much higher than the usual 30,000 JPY, and Smith was perplexed.

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He questioned the driver, "Why is it 80,000 JPY when it's usually around 30,000 JPY?"

The driver replied, "Perhaps it's because we detoured to avoid traffic jams along the way."

"Even so, this amount is too high."

"The meter shows this amount, so I must ask you to pay it."

Unsatisfied with the explanation, Smith suggested, "Let's go to the police."

Realizing that he was an illegal taxi driver, the driver retorted, "You must pay before we go to the police! Otherwise, it won't make any difference."

Smith resisted, saying he didn't want to pay and that the fare was too high, but the driver lost his temper and allegedly threatened him with a hammer.

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"If you don't pay, I'll get rid of you!"

Fearing for his life, Smith reluctantly handed over the 80,000 JPY.

When he asked for a receipt, the driver refused, saying, "I don't have anything like that."

After getting out of the taxi, Smith considered going to the police but decided against it because his soapland reservation time was approaching.

Conclusion

The key takeaway is to never get into an illegal cab. There are many scam taxis across Japan, and even the police don't know their exact numbers.

I used to use an app called "JapanTaxi," which unfortunately ended its service on January 31, 2023. This app offered a "pre-set fare" service where you could input your starting point and destination, and it would automatically calculate the fare, which would be the exact amount you'd pay for the ride.

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You could also rest assured that the driver would follow the pre-set route to your destination.

With the fare determined in advance, you wouldn't have to worry about being overcharged.

Additionally, payment was made online, making the disembarking process smooth and swift.

It was a very convenient service, and although it's now called "GO," I recommend it to anyone interested.

It's a great way to ensure you're calling a reliable taxi.

Source: https://go.goinc.jp/

See you next time.