旅行中や滞在中にバンコクのタクシーで苦労した人も多いと思う。私も乗車拒否、高額料金の要求、渋滞等、色々と経験してきたが、その中でも先日は特別苦労した。少し長いですが、お時間があれば、人の苦労話を笑って読んでみてください。
お昼にどうしても自宅に帰らなければならない用事が出来て、１０ｋｍあまりの道のりをタクシーで帰ることにした。夕方のラッシュ時などだと渋滞で乗車拒否も多く、時間が確実なチャオプラヤ川のボートとBTS（高架鉄道）を乗り継ぐことが多いのだが（所要時間1時間余り、７０バーツから１００バーツ）、この日は時間も早かったので、空いていれば所要40分１００バーツほどで行けると思い、事務所前でタクシーを止めた。
I guess many people have some bad stories when they used taxis in Bangkok. I also had some bad experiences such as refusal of service, demanding higher price without taxi-meter and trapped in traffic jam etc. However I would like to explain worst luck that I had recently.
I needed to come back to my home from my office during lunch time recently and took a taxi for around 10km trip. I usually take a boat on Chao Phraya river and BTS sky train at evening commune rush time since I was sometimes refused to go by taxi driver. But that day I tried to take a taxi since I thought it was not high traffic time, and I expected 40 minutes drive with THB 100 in case of not heavy traffic.
自宅の住所を告げると、人の良さそうな運転手で高額料金を要求することもなく直ぐにメーターを倒したのでひとまず安心。しかし数百ｍ進み、もう数台のところで信号が赤に。赤信号の左が手動切り替えを意味するバー表示（自動切換えの時は青になるまでの秒数を表示）に変わり、交差点内に数人の警官がいるのに気づき、少しいやな予感。
それから待つこと１０数分、警察車両に先導されたクリーム色とエンジ色の高級車10数台の車列が通過していった。その後数分で信号が青に変わり、ゆっくりと車が流れ始めた。暫くはやや混んでいたが、なんとか流れていたので、これなら1時間くらいで自宅に着けるかと思っていたら、そのうちピッタリ止まり、１０分以上もピクリとも動かないような状況となり、メーターの料金が少しずつ上がっていく。先日のデモの影響でまだいくつかの道が封鎖になったり、車線が縮小されているところもあって予想のつかない大渋滞。
When I told address of may apartment, a taxi driver nodded and put on a taxi meter without requesting higher price, and he looked kind man so I was a little bit relieved. But just after we drove several hundred meters, traffic signal turned to red with several cars in front of us and next of red ramp indicated bars which showed signal controlled by manual (number of remaining seconds be indicated when it was automatic controlled). When I found some policemen in a intersection, I felt a little bit uneasiness. After I had waited around 15 minutes, led by police cars more than ten luxury cars with cream or dark red color passed by the intersection. And then we could go through the intersection after another several minutes. Even after this incident, I still believed I could reach my house around one hour later since the cars run steady although a little bit slowly.
However just ten to twenty minutes later, traffic became worse and cars could not move any inches more than ten minutes. Number of taxi meter increased slowly but steady. So I realized many roads were still closed or narrowed as result of demonstration rallies just a couple days before.
財布を見ると小額紙幣が１６０バーツと、あとは１０００バーツ札。１０００バーツ札で払っても多分お釣りを持っていないだろうから、困ったなあと思っていたら、家人からちょうど電話。そこで自宅に着く直前に再度こちらから電話して、小額紙幣を玄関のところに持ってきてもらうことにした。
I found that I had only THB 160 by small bills and some THB 1,000 bills, I supposed the taxi driver would not have change in case I would pay by THB 1,000 bill. When I considered situation, my family called me, so I asked my family to bring small money to in front of the gate when I would arrive at my apartment.
乗ってから1時間半余り、ようやく少し流れ始めて来た時に、運転手が高速に乗っていいかと聞いてきた。高速は少し遠回りになるし、どちらが早いかは解らないが、運転手の機嫌を損ねてもと思い、料金５０バーツを支払い高速へ。この時点で、メーターは既に１００数十バーツだったので、料金は手持ちの小額紙幣をオーバー、家人の助けが必要なことが確実に。
When one hour half passed after I rode and cars could run gradually, the taxi driver recommended me to use toll way. Although I could not predict toll way would be faster or not since the tall way would be longer way by en route, I agreed to get on toll way because I did not want to let him angry. When I paid THB 50 for toll way, the taxi meter showed around THB 140-150, so I realized I could not pay the fare with my small bills and I needed family's support.
高速は比較的順調で、ようやく自宅から３ｋｍくらい離れた高速出口を出て、下道に。比較的流れていたので、あと15分くらいで家に着けるかなあと思っていたら、急にエンスト！！運転手がエンジンをかけようとしてもかからない、どうやらガス欠、仕方がなく、タクシーを降りることに。メーターは２３０バーツぐらいを表示していたので、１０００バーツでお釣りがあるか聞いてみたら、案の定「ない」との返事。
I got out from the toll way from an exit which is around 3km away from my home and I found the road around there was not so crowded. I expected I could reach in 15 minutes but the taxi was suddenly stop. Although the driver tried to restart but he could not, it seemed lack of gasoline.
I decided to get off and showed a THB 1,000 bill for paying THB 230, then asked him a change, but he said he had not enough change as I expected.
そこで、コンビニでお金をくずすからと言い残し車外へ。コンビニを探すがなかなか見つからない、ようやく見つけてタクシーのところに戻ると、止まったタクシーの後に出て、しょんぼりと交通整理をする運転手。くずしたお金で２５０バーツ払うと、ちょっとほっとした様子。多分私にも逃げられたと思っていたのだろう。
I needed to find a convenience store for getting small money but I could not find so easily. Finally I found one and came back to the taxi, may be ten minutes later. I found he was at the back of the taxi and waving his hands showing way and looked very disappointed. When I paid him THB 250, he thanked me with a little bit relieved, I wonder he was thinking I had gone away.
もう一度、別のタクシーを拾って、さらに60バーツを払ってやっと自宅に。結局トータルで2時間半、360バーツかかってしまった。ひどい目にあったけど、高速道路上でガス欠で立ち往生しなかっただけマシと思おう。
写真のタクシーは話とは別のタクシーです、念のため。なお、この話に少しでも同情して頂ければ、下のバナーをポチッとしていただければ、私も救われます・・・
にほんブログ村
And then I got another taxi and finally reached my house by paying another THB 60. As a result I spent almost 2 hour and half and THB360 for getting back my home. I lamented such my hard luck, but I understood I was lucky since it was not on the toll way the taxi stop by lack of gas.
The taxi of pictures are not same taxi of the story.
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