Chapter 199: Maybe Someone Has Experienced This
"Hmm!" Lin Tian nodded in response to the taxi driver’s words.
"Buckle up your seatbelt!" After hearing this, the taxi driver reminded them and started the car heading toward Xinhai Pier.
Along the way, Lin Tian admired the architecture of Waihai City. As a metropolis, Waihai City’s economic development was indeed strong, with high-rise buildings everywhere.
Flowing traffic, bustling crowds, with large commercial districts one after another.
It truly deserved to be called a big city.
According to something I vaguely remember reading online, once you’ve been to Waihai City, every other place feels like the countryside.
Although the statement is somewhat exaggerated, it also indirectly praises Waihai City’s comprehensive urban development.
The city is big, the streets are numerous, and very soon, Lin Tian was completely lost.
He had no idea where he was going.
But Bai Shishi more or less recognized the roads, as this wasn’t her first time in Waihai City.
"Sir, you should have gone straight just now, right? Why did you turn? Isn’t this further?" Bai Shishi asked in confusion.
"Further? How’s it further? It was particularly congested the other way just now, and this road isn’t much further yet isn’t as busy, so of course, I’ll take this route," the taxi driver explained.
Bai Shishi has only visited Waihai City a few times, so her memory of the roads was vague and unclear.
Seeing as the taxi driver said so, she stopped speaking.
But as they were about to reach Xinhai Pier, the taxi driver was still driving in circles.
At this point, Bai Shishi spoke again: "Sir, don’t tell me there’s traffic at Xinhai Pier too. You just needed to go left and straight, why did you turn right?"
"I was in the wrong lane just now, couldn’t help it, had to turn right and then I’ll turn left later!" the taxi driver said while driving.
Sitting in the front passenger seat, Lin Tian glanced at the taxi driver and suddenly felt this driver wasn’t a good person.
Almost certainly exploiting out-of-towners.
What is exploiting out-of-towners?
When visiting a city for the first time, you’re probably not familiar with the routes, and some taxi drivers will take you around and around, although you’ll eventually reach your destination.
But what could have been a hundred-yuan taxi fare, you end up taking much longer routes, so you end up paying three or four hundred yuan.
This is exploiting out-of-towners, taking advantage of you being a newcomer!!!
No wonder the taxi driver asked if it was their first time in Waihai City as soon as they got in the car.
It sounded like a caring question, but actually he wanted to take them in circles.
"Come on, sir, you’re pushing it. Last time I took a taxi from the airport to Xinhai Pier, it was only one hundred yuan, but now it’s two hundred forty-nine yuan and we’re not even there yet?" Bai Shishi said unhappily.
"Alright, alright, we’re almost there!" the taxi driver responded repeatedly, noticeably speeding up.
Initially thinking a warning would make the taxi driver behave.
However, the taxi still went in an even bigger circle next.
Now even Lin Tian could feel that something was wrong.
Clearly the massive port structure was on the left, but the car kept veering to the right.
This is obviously taking you in big circles, damn it!
"Hey, how are you driving!" Bai Shishi finally couldn’t hold back, her voice raised significantly.
"I’m driving normally, taking you to Xinhai Pier!" the taxi driver said with an innocent face.
"Stop the car, I want to get off!" Bai Shishi was fed up: "Even if you’re trying to rip us off, be reasonable!"
The taxi driver slammed on the brakes, pulling over to the side: "I’m driving normally, how am I ripping you off!"
"Lin Tian, get off the car!" Bai Shishi’s temper flared, and she directly opened the car door to get out.
"Wait, you can get out, but pay the fare!" the taxi driver pointed at the meter, clearly showing three hundred twenty-three yuan!
"You took us around, and now you want money, dream on!" Bai Shishi reached for the car door to get out.
"Clack!"
The car door was suddenly locked, and the taxi driver’s face contorted with a sinister expression: "Don’t think you can get off without paying today!"
"From the airport to here isn’t far, yet you expect three hundred bucks for going around in circles, dream on!" Bai Shishi snorted coldly.
The taxi driver crossed his arms, chuckling: "I’ve been in this business for years, and whatever fare I say it is, that’s what it is. Looking at how you’re dressed, you don’t seem poor, so why haggle over peanuts, isn’t it embarrassing?"
Bai Shishi’s face turned red with anger: "It’s not about having money, it’s about you taking the long way and expecting us to pay for it!"
"Money or no money, I don’t care about your words, the fare is three hundred twenty-three yuan, not a penny less!"
"If you refuse to pay, I’ll take you home and have some fun, worth far more than three hundred bucks," the driver threatened with a wicked grin.
As for Lin Tian, he was totally ignored, clearly just a young rookie, not a threat even if it came to a fight.
The driver dared to take them in circles because he thought they were easy to bully.
"Do you believe I’ll call the police!" Bai Shishi was boiling with rage and reached for her phone to dial the police.
"Call the police? You’re the one refusing to pay the fare first; do you think the police station is run by your family? They won’t bother with this petty matter," the driver scoffed, flexing an arm thicker than Lin Tian’s thigh: "If you don’t pay up, I’m dead serious!"
"Hey, you’re not being fair!" Suddenly, Lin Tian, who had been silent, spoke up.
"I’ve been appreciating this city the whole trip, thinking Waihai City is beautiful and great. Don’t you feel ashamed of disgracing the city with your behavior?"
Lin Tian clicked his tongue: "As a taxi driver, you’re the face of the city, yet you pull this stunt, doesn’t your conscience feel guilty?"
"Cut the crap, pay the fare, or I’ll beat you so bad you’ll be picking your teeth from the ground!" The taxi driver completely ignored Lin Tian’s reasoning.
This wasn’t the first or second time he had pulled such stunts.
As for the so-called conscience that Lin Tian mentioned, it was probably long gone!!!
"You’re really disgusting!" Lin Tian’s temper flared.
If you’re not drinking the toast, then you’ll drink the penalty wine, let’s do this!
A punch landed unannounced on the taxi driver’s face.
With a miserable cry from the taxi driver, his head jerked back from the force, smacking heavily against the rear windshield.
"Damn it, you’re asking for it!" The taxi driver, hit by a punch, was furious and reached out to grab Lin Tian.
Because there was an aluminum railing between the driver’s and passenger’s seats, the taxi driver’s arm, being too thick, got stuck trying to reach through the gap in the railing.
Seeing this, Lin Tian punched the taxi driver’s right hand.
"Ouch ouch ouch!" The right hand was hit, and along with the wrist bumping onto the railing below, the driver winced in pain, teeth gritting.
"Damn it, I refuse to believe I can’t handle you, kid!" The taxi driver, realizing he had no advantage fighting in the car, got out to open the front passenger door.