@abcd
As I am also not exactly a friend of the airline policies and price regulations. I do actually understand them to some degree.

At peek season their costs are higher (Fuel price, staff...basically everything) and some airlines have to get more aircrafts to stay compatible with other airlines and sometimes even lease and maintain those aircrafts.

What is more upsetting about the cabs, is the fact, that for the flights you have other options and some head up time to prepare but for a cab you don't and then it's even more annoying having to spend 30 Minutes argueing about prices that are only subject to change according to the level of greed of the cabbie.
And to use your thought, when you step in the plane the pilot is not refusing you, or asking you first where to go and changing the price to his desire.

The plane deal is done and paid for before you even leave the house, (regular ticketing).
that is if you don't have to go super last minute. When you check for flight tickets I think most of us also check at least, other airlines, trains depending on distance and price. While at 5 in the morning there aren't many options available. And that is the pricing base for the cabbies they know that and want to take advantage of it.

Plus I have to say that is not very unusual for a ticket from Kunming to Dali to exceed 1000RMB. Personallly I take the bus or train whenever I can, becasue the ride to Dali is just eyecandy.

Look at other cities for example Chengdu, taking cabs there is a delight. Cheaper not off meter BS. Except they are sometimes racing like madmen I have never ever had a complaint about Chengdu Taxis as resident or as tourist. So I think there is something wrong with the Kunming or Yunnan Taxi industry.

HFCAMPO,
I'm totally with you on this.I had and sometimes still have to take cabs for work and even though agreeing that most cabbies to their job mediocre to alright levels, if it's nothing to exclusive like for example helping you with luggage or not refusug a wheelchair in their trunk..etc.

Last week I had to go to the airport a 6 am in the rain and of course all cabs wanted to go off the meter for 110 up to 200RMB. One was so greedy she already had 2 customer and still asked for a hundred (airport fare is usually around 80 incl. the gaosu fei). I had a bit time to share and most cabbies said it was because there is no ride back which is BS btw., just for fun I asked them for a ride to the train station an they still gave me the no meter BS.

So Campo I think you do the right thing and thanks a lot for doing it. I am doing it too when I can.

For everyone that doesn;t get it. There are rules and laws in China but it's a big place and not everyone can be enforced by swat teams roping down, so it is a bit up to everyone out there. Most Chinese don't care because it's all they know so. Including my wife, but getting people aware is the first and probably most important step. If you don't do anything about it, it's fine but don't accuse or complain about people that try to change some of the bad stuff that we all (Chinese and Laowai's agree on, "Sucks!")
Does it change anything, yeah it did in Beijing and Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou...etc. So why not Kunming?

A little trick I use is I just open the door get in the cab, when they give me this litany of their life struggle I just take a photo of the sticker on the dashboard and say, please switch the meter on and drive to my destination or I call the hotline. And that usually works, as it did last week. They usually whine a little but then they go along. They probably will hate me for eternity but they do their job which I pay them for and that sounds bloody fair to me.

Noble:
I would stop accusing people of commiting a crime, especially if they don't. If you commit a crime you actually have to break the law and HFCAMPO doesn't. Since the driver is breaking the (company) regulation CAMPO is basically just enforcing it. If you go to a restaurant and get rotten food and refuse to pay, would that be a crime?

A friend of mine has the owner of a Kunming cab company as customer and when he asked about the Taxi refusals and no meter stuff, the boss said "get 'em ", "it's bad for my companies reputation". "Thats why we have the hotline."- quote end.

I think it's traffic regulations not law.
I was mentioning a rather harsh and utopian version of what could work, because everything else doesn't seem to work in China either due to its population, disregard of regulation, law plus the little spritz of corruption.

The purpose is to let people see how a well regulated traffic system could work (Hongkong, Singapore, Europe, America(s)..etc).
It's so funny when people come back from abroad and talk about the great traffic and step back into their vehicles and drive like berserks again. Why?...Quote: "Because everyone else does it."

So my idea of it would be to "un-everyone else does-ing" it.
The Ideas wouldn't be sending out Chengguans clubbing everyone from one day to the next.

Previously to the new regs. would be endless TV spots, advertising these rules, experts explaining why it's would be worth giving it a shot....etc. [imagine the scale of the daily anti Japanese rants but this time about traffic]

The army of traffic guard should actually be trained which isn't too difficult and people looking for jobs are plenty.
The funding for all of it comes through government and the fines. Plus if you see how much money is being burned and wasted every day. I assume the funding for some cities starting it on an experimental stage, would be no problem!

To fight corruption, they traffic guards need to wear cameras and mics (publically streamed), and if anyone tries to even mention a few bucks to drop the ticket, the fine will be doubled and the car is impounded instantly and 2-3 month driving license revoked.

That will get the smirk off the guy, trying to impress his 30 years younger chick driving his Hummer around.
Plus knowing that the camera and mic is running usually makes people think twice before offering a little grease.

Every major road leading into city limits could have checkpoints (as they do anyway) announcing that the law is harsh and they have a final chance to get a free flier to review the major regulations. So nobody can say :"Sorry officer I didn't know."

The idea is not to punishing people in traffic but once and for all show them, "it's enough" with this bullcrap! We warn you, we want you to be safe ! But if you disobey one of the probably most logical systems (traffic) in the world you get a painful kick in the buttocks.

The monetary benefit for the gov. is that they finally get big money for a good reason.
The money earned can be put online on a website where you can also watch the cameras live streaming. So the people can supervise if they see some illegal stuff happening they can report it. And since the fines are massive the government will be happy to get them.

Public safety matters because, the whole plan might never get into action, nor may it ever work. But for a small period of time people would see how traffic could look like if you would have a mutual effort. Plus most important for once in 5000years, people would actually think about consequences and what may happen, the next moment.

The harmony of people? Well if this is harmony what we see here everyday then the idea of harmony is very different to what harmony is according to its definition.

It would be difficult to argue against the government if they safe hundreds of thousand traffic death annually. It's more likely that people would protest if nothing will change and only "little prince's" will get away with everything. I think if the 'real' people see Bentleys and Maseratis impounded, next to XiaLi's and QQ cars, I guess they will be delighted to see that.
I believe in the Chinese people and I believe they are smart enough to figure out when something is being done to protect them and keep them safe.

If people are equally treated and see a positive effect for long enough to start liking it, then it may actually change something.
As I said what I wrote may be unrealistic but why not give it a try?

I hope I didn't hijack the thread, probably did!

About the whole traffic situation on China, I think it should enforce them extremely harsh.

Hire a ton of traffic cops (good for the job market) and let them have a camera (live streaming on TV- should be an interesting channel) on their glasses (they wear shades anyway, even when it's raining) so that there can be no corruption.

Every jaywalker, cyclist, or car owner that breaks the rule is fined to a oblivion and if the violation is a bigger one the car/bike/scooter being impounded for 2 month and driving license as well for 3 month plus a gigantic fine.

And most important enforce it for 3 years so those idiots on the road will actually see how traffic could work if there wouldn't be that much arrogance, chaos, aggression and stupidity.

If your ever have say a Grade B or C violation you are not allowed to use any vehicle for 5 years. Why not use Big Brother for something positive for once.

I just rode down RenmingLu and saw an army of cops standing there for hours so that some government big shot will be safe and without traffic for the 10 minutes he rides in his car.

.....Just ridiculous