@Dudeson's In consumer law, even in a regular shop, you effectively are 'made an offer', which you then 'accept'. You are mistaking 'basic consumer law' with actions you feel compelled to take and then you set about rationalising your action. Your own words betray the dichotomy: 'you have to break the rules yourself by complying with it'.

@noble,
In a normal shop there is a set price, in a cab that would be the meter. So if the meter is off there is no price agreement, becasue if the meter is off, the driver breaks the regulation.
There is no rationlizing. The Taxi companies know the problem and the frustration and since their inner management can't reach then well enough they offer this to keep customers happy and save their reputation .

If it is such a terrible thing, then why do the CEO's and offices put that rule into action.

As customer you are on the right side of the law and ethics when you are being refused. Which you are if a driver tells you 'no-go' if the meter is on.

If you let him go by insiting on the meter, you are complying.
If you take the ride after what you call 'agreeing', out of desperation. You are complying.
Let me overdramatize a little, by using extreme examples of what would be agrements according to your theory: a confession by torture is agreed on and treated as real confession. Or to pay 5000US$ for bottle of water in the Sahara to the man who dies of thirst, is an agreed upon price.

In these cases you could argue, besides the overexaggeration, that they are unethical. Which ...well they are, but hey they are just to visualize this.
In the Taxi case there are rules specifically made for this and those drivers.

The cab company specifically states if the meter is off you can and should refuse the payment, to teach the drivers a lesson and to make sure that there is contorl over the price and practice.
They want 'you' the customer to do it.

Bad cabbies hurt the company, the customer and the image of the city, hence the forum post.
So even if you step in the cab with the hope of not paying by the meter not being used, it is still totally ok, becasue it is the responsibility of the driver to use the meter.

Mr. Campo,

I respect what you are doing, and you seem like a responsible, intelligent gent. But as the lone crusader who has taken on the Anning Taxi Mafia, you do run a personal risk.

At some point enough drivers may become pissed that they decide to band together or bring in friends to silence the outside irritant, and you may wind up at the bottom of an abandoned quarry somewhere on the outskirts.

I'm not suggesting you give up the campaign, but urging you to take appropriate security precautions.

Thanks, I know very well the gang mentality used for revenge in China and I am aware of the many risks associated with this cause I have taken on. I realize all this will one day come to an end; either I accomplish what I set out to do or I encounter so many obstacles that nothing will change or like you stated I get myself injured or killed. Thus far I have not run into any of these insurmountable obstacles and I pray that I do not. My hope is that more people will join this cause so that I am no longer the lone activists and others will be in the spotlight instead of just me. Thanks again.

This thread has been locked because it has become a conversation between a very small number of users rather than an informative forum for all users. Also, the title is "Kunming taxis" despite the conversation being largely about Anning taxis.