Istanbul Warning or Danger Tips by Viktor_lv

Taxis are easily the single greatest annoyance in this otherwise wonderful city. Apart from drivers who stink with sweat so you can’t breathe and drivers who don’t know the way even with a map held to their nose, you also run a reasonable chance of being cheated. The scam works like this: as you are holding a 50 lira bill in your hand preparing to pay, the taxi driver would snatch it rapidly from you and “return” it in less than a second saying "this is only 5 lira, you need to pay more". And there is nothing you can do to prove you are right. My suggestion is that you try to use small bills only, stay on guard even with the friendliest of drivers, and be careful and attentive when paying. As we experienced this scam twice during the three days we spent in Istanbul, this must be a pretty common thing to happen.

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