abc, you are correct about the good old boy network when I submit a report on the leaders of Anning. I am prepared for this and will go further to the Mayors Hotline (12345) if needed. I have dealt with 12345 for more then 7 years and they have never let me down yet. As you know from my other posts I like to visit all the temples, but finding the measly 14 temples in Anning has proven very difficult because of the taxi obstacle I ran into.

nnoble - since you ask I will tell you what is wrong. You keep insisting I am a participant in a crime and that I am guilty of entrapment.

By agreeing to take the journey without insisting on starting the meter you yourself are a participant in the 'crime'. Either that or you are setting out to trap the driver in order to report them. Clearly, that is entrapment. I already answered this many times - you can not force them to use the meter, they simple refuse me/you/us. Then what? Walk or try another crook.

5. What is the root cause of the problem, have you ever thought? Could it be that the ability to make a profit there is difficult, and if so, the behaviour is unlikely to change. - Most drivers in Kunming abide by the rules and still make a profit. But if you read carefully before, the drivers in Anning are charging 2-3 times more. This is NOT profit, it is greed and it is wrong, not by my standards but by the standards set by the Kunming Traffic Bureau.

I firmly believe in fighting greed and injustice and it is my choice to take on this cause. Only time will tell if my efforts are in vain or if I will get blacklisted, or if there is actual positive change. All I know is that if we all do nothing, then nothing will change, but if a few activists as you call me are willing to do what is right then there is hope for positive change.

This is a system wide problem. There is no enforcement from the leadership and the drivers know this. I reported 10 taxis who refused me one after another in less than 10 minutes. I wrote the letter and went to the office. The leaders did not punish them (Only verbal warning) so the drivers know what they can get away with. I have been on this crusade since April and I still have not stopped writing letters. I have reported 23 taxis since April and 3 of those where for a second offense. Eventually when I have all the documents I need I will report the office leaders to the Kunming Bureau as well as the mayors hotline because Chapter 5 and 6 of the rule book also has punishment for leaders for dereliction of duty. It takes time, money and energy but it can be fixed with a little determination. This problem affects anyone who uses a taxi in Anning.

They only get punished when you take the time to WRITE a letter and report them because then the office is required to reply to you. If you just call in to complain they simply tell the driver you dont have to pay - No punishment, they just dont get paid 10-15 RMB. It is about beating the odds. The odds are in the drivers favor because they know people will not take the time to write a report. Also, the odds are low for someone calling in to complain and it is worth the risk to lose a fare. Since they charge 2 to 3 times the amount of the meter, they simply refuse to service you and wait for their next victim.

nnoble is clearly the type of person who refuses to see when he is wrong. Additionally, he can not read because I just finished writing - "If you try to take a taxi and you tell them to use the meter they simply refuse you because they know they will not be punished." I recommend you get a good translator and review the rule book which is only about 10 pages long. Only chapter 3-6 are pertinent to the driver and passenger.

My wife is chinese and they quote her 40 RMB for a 15 RMB ride. This behavior has gone on in Anning since 2005 when they formed a seperate taxi Bureau in Anning that is loosely supervised by Kunming. All the locals just accept this behavior because it has gone on for so long. The director of the complaint dept was the one who gave me a copy of the rule book when I visited him. To call this entrapment is ridiculous because entrapment can only be done by law enforcement. To call this personal gain is ignorant because you have no clue as to how much all this has cost me. 20 RMB for each of the 7 letters that was mailed via EMS (140 RMB). The office ignores letters received by regular mail because they claim they never received them. Bus tickets to Anning (21 RMB) for 3 seperate times I went to the complaint office. 60 RMB for a 16 RMB ride because only one driver was willing to use the meter yet I still had to pay her the price she quoted.

FYI, the penalty for not using the meter is 300 RMB yet the penalty for refusing to service a customer is 1000-2000 RMB. However, the office refuses to punish the drivers for refusal of service. If you try to take a taxi and you tell them to use the meter they simply refuse you because they know they will not be punished.

Like my website, I don't do this for personal gain, I do this to correct a problem that abuses the public. All the people who use a taxi in Anning are systematically cheated by the drivers. If anyone has time, go to the Anning bus station and ask a taxi driver to take you to Cao Xi Temple or Fa Hua Temple. Both those rides cost 16 RMB when the meter is used but they ask for 30, 40, and 50 RMB. So tell me who is really unethical, immoral, and dishonest.