We all know the frustration with Beijing taxi drivers. Some are great, both in driving and for conversation. Most enjoy the chit-chat and can be very friendly. Some others are just plain horrible in smell, attitude and ignorance.
Most of the time I just order them to follow my directions as normally I know my way around better than they do, including which traffic lights are good or bad. But if you unlucky to go to a place you’ve never been, good luck – 99.9% don’t understand one word of English and many don’t know the city.
Not knowing the whole city should not be a problem. We don’t expect them to be up to London Taxi standards. This is why maps exist and believe me, there are some pretty good and detailed Beijing maps (all in Chinese). But I have never, never seen ONE driver using a map.
Seems that is against Chinese culture.
Or, they simply seem unable to read a map – ever seen a map with directions sent by Chinese entities? Ignore it. Usually will lead you to Timbuktu. They say women cannot read maps. The average Chinese cannot make nor read nor use one.
So if you ever need to go somewhere – be prepared in advance.
Otherwise, have a nice day in Timbuktu and have your wallet ready.