Paris Shanghai A Two-City Tale

When you casually wander on the streets in Shanghai, you see only taxis, millions of taxis, with all the colours, and you tell yourself that it’s crazy to have so many cabs in town and what for anyway?! Well, because often, when you’ve nothing to do or just walking around, it’s obviously that it’s not the city rush hour, or maybe the weather is delightful (which is very rare). So, soon you’ll see that this large amount of taxis in Shanghai has "the" reasons to exist. They are absolutely useful as the city common transportation, and you cannot live without them in Shanghai.

So, when you’re pissed off in the middle of the street, wondering when the earth you can finally get into a cab so as to make the appointment, there’re always some tips to get you in one of those taxis in Shanghai, and more importantly, the good quality ones. Means, they don’t take you travel all around the city while your destination might be just around the corner, and then charge you so expensive that you could have already been in Beijing. Or, they don’t stink like some people just fed a cow in the countryside stepped in that car before you do, nor some animals like snakes for example occasionally amuse you in the cab (which really happened), in the meanwhile, you’re so scared off that you think you’re mentally ill, which is not true! While the snakes are true story! So, you can’t let the cabs fool you in this city, as a native Shanghainese who take taxis all the time in the city, let me give you some tips right now:

1. Yes, the cabs of the city are really colourful, but don’t be fascinated by these colours. You shall just remember to take the “blue-green” ones, the “Da Zhong” taxi company. Normally, they don’t fool you even you’re new in the town. If the shit happens, you should just dial the complain number 6258 0780.

2. Often you cannot get you a Da Zhong taxi, because they’re the most popular and reliable ones. Then, you’ve no choice but go for the green “Ba Shi” taxis, or the yellow “Qiang Sheng” ones, or the white “Jing Jiang” cabs.

3. If you’ve really no options and get into a navy blue ones, might be “Lan Se Lian Meng” taxi company, then, just wish yourself luck and be caution all the time in the cab, in case of the unhappy things happens.

4. Always note the taxi car number and driver number, and be aware of the name of the taxi company. In case that you’re about to complain the bad service. And the cab company complain phone number is on the back of the driver seat as well, together with the car number and driver number.

5. Always get your receipt while paying the cab. You have all the information about this cab on it.

6. If you’re smart enough to recognize the Shanghainese local driver, then show off some of your Shanghainese dialect, it won’t hurt anyways.

7. The base price of the taxis in the city is 11 Yuan. However, during the night from 11 pm, they charge for 13 Yuan for the base price.

8. In Shanghai, we have this kind of transportation card called ''Jiao Tong card'', which can be used in the bus, metros and taxis as well all over the city...so we can not only pay the taxi fee by cash, but also by this transportation express card...just make sure that you have enough credit in your card. You can purchase it and regularly charge the Yuan into it in every metro station.

Plus, the last but not the least, don't ever take the white taxis in Shanghai, they ignore your complains or their problems..the taxi company is called Jinjiang and it's getting its bad reputations years ago!

Be free to add more info about the subject and also feel free to ask me any questions about life in Shanghai