Edit / TLDR: Lexus ES cars and the people who walk around asking if they need a taxi are NOT TAXIS. Don’t get in them unless you want to get ripped off.
This post has clearly offended a lot of Lexus ES fake taxi drivers.
Boo hoo. How about become a proper official taxi if you really want to be called one?
Hi AllAs vigilant honest people, is there a way we can report the frankly scummy Lexus drivers who prey on people inexperienced with Dubai / the UAE?
Is anything being done about it?
You know what I mean: you’ll be minding your own business or awaiting an actual RTA taxi, usually in somewhere busy – indoors or outdoors – then someone will approach you (sorry but they’ve always been a dhesi – South Asian – in my experience) and ask:
“Taxi?”
“You need a taxi, sir/madame?” Etc.
Last Friday night I saw it happening in JBR and it was rampant.
There was a constant a bunch of them all loitering and dressed the same in their sweaty white shirts, waiting for people to come out of bars and pouncing on them.
One started shouting at me, asking who I was etc, when I intervened and warned a couple that he wasn’t a taxi and that the real taxis were there in front of us (RTA, beige, yellow sign on top etc).
It nearly happened to a lady as well who just wanted a taxi to JVC and I got abused by the Lexus driver who was guiding her to his fake Lexus taxi.
A couple of guys (not local but obviously UAE residents) got into an argument with one and told him he was a scammer.
Across the road was a row of Lexus ES cars belonging to these scammers.
If you’re not familiar with the UAE or a tourist, a taxi is exactly as a taxi should be in the UAE: a distinctly coloured and marked, numbered vehicle which says “taxi” on it in numerous places and even has a sign on top. It will have a meter inside and all the driver licence details and photograph and contact details, fare details etc.
It’s not hard so please don’t be naive.No taxi driver actively walks around the place asking people if they need a taxi and takes them to an unmarked car.
Those are private hire cars that work for places like hotels or wherever and they’ll charge an extortionate price of their choosing and likely for cash whereas a taxi takes card as well and can give you a receipt.
Safety and traceability is not guaranteed either.
Please be vigilant and take heed of this.Maybe, just maybe, you could encounter an actual taxi driver in or standing by his taxi who asks if you need one.
If you see anyone about to get into these fake taxis, tell them it’s a scam and call the driver out for his behaviour. If he has an issue then trek him to get the police involved.
And if they ask you if you need a taxi, react to the scam and call them out!I’m hoping this gets stamped out as it’s sad to see people enjoying the UAE being seen as vulnerable and being exploited by liars and cheats who come to this country and ruin it for everyone. It’s ongoing right now as we speak.
Also an observation of mine is that many car accidents on the roads involve a Lexus ES. Imagine being an unsuspecting passenger in such a scenario.
