My Response to the Taxi Scam Incident

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Here is my first impression and response to my taxi scam video that has gone viral in the Philippines in the last week. This is not just the taxi driver's fault, but a corrupt and systemic issue that has sustained for a number of years. The only way to halt this behavior is by creating frenetic awareness and working together to report these incidents when they happen.

Full video of Taxi Scam:

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News footage courtesy of ABSCBN:

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65 Comments on “My Response to the Taxi Scam Incident”

  1. You are a hero and will help change that behaviour in the Manila taxi industry. I did a vid on the Manila taxi drivers a week or so ago who try and take us foreign guys to prostitutes. Well done Hayley.

    1. Philippines/Oz Fun With JLB I beg to disagree…ningas kugon lang ito…as long as attitudes of Filipinos don’t change…when I was still in the Philippines 30 years ago, it’s already there…now pa?…

    1. The Hungry Syrian Wanderer haha ?? my all-time favorite natural comedian vlogger – maui boy

  2. I didn’t comment on your video before, but it looks like you’ve had an avalanche of responses… so I didn’t want to add to the pileup. You’ve got a good heart kiddo. Solutions are always more difficult to come up with.
    There has to be a way to ensure that taxi drivers have what they need to make a living and have the incentive to be the best they can be. I hope that the Airport Authority can come up with a program that gives incentives to drivers… reviews and positive comments regarding drivers should result in raises. Perhaps if a driver gets a certain amount of positive comments online through a review scheme, he can be eligible for a bump in pay. Being rewarded for being the best professional out there makes sense to me. That’s just a thought about the whole thing.
    Haley, your little ripple in the water started an immense wave. Hopefully, some good will come out of this!

    1. Steven Paul O’Brien May it be in the Airport, (yellow taxi) or not (white taxi), it is not proper to charge exorbitant amounts or not use the meter. The driver saying they waited more than two hours just to get flagged down by someone who wants to put down the meter is not the way for him, he said he should be compensated for waiting? Hahaha that’s an absurd way of thinking. The driver needs to be banned and charged

  3. Well said and straight to the point. I strongly believe more taxi drivers will think twice now when trying to scam people after the virality of this video. Miss u have fun at home!

    1. Calvin Ainsworth different for Filipinos they don’t make much money , but as a foreigner it’s not a big deal it’s only ten bucks. I bet you haven’t even been to the Philippines to even understand how much corruption and poverty there is. You have no idea.

    2. More like govt and greedy operators will think twice when trying to devoid drivers of a just labor. Tanga mo naman di mo makita na it’s a freakin systemic issue

  4. Haley, corruption is endemic in the Philippines. By putting up your video of your experience is making everyone aware that getting a benefit at the expense of another person is not right. The taxi driver deserved what he got from his employer as a consequence of his crime. Yes, he is part of a corrupt system but he has a choice not to join in the bandwagon. Just because everyone is doing it does not make it right. Your video was just an instrument to expose a corrupt system. You did not have to feel sorry for the taxi driver.

    1. Rules and laws are there to follow and to protect us. I agree name calling should not be tolerated. But if we see there is corruption or wrong in the government then we should not join the very thing that is wrong or corrupt. BTW what has the Aquino’s have to doe with this issue. I am not a fan of the Aquino’s nor did I vote for them but what has the Aquino’s have to do with this issue. they are no longer in government or in power. just saying.

    2. Another Filipino na nakapag-abroad at kung magsalita parang alam na ang lahat. Don’t tell me that in America there is no corruption or corrupt taxi drivers.

    3. +edmhie1 Fil am po di pilipino, and di po siya nakapag abroad. taga America po talaga yan ? kakabobo nmn.

  5. Thank you for using your platform to raise awareness about this! Nice to see that people like you are doing the right thing

  6. Haley, you have done the right thing by uploading your video on YOU TUBE about this taxi driver. He is trying to take advantage of you and also it is not right for him not to put the meter on. You did not have to ask him to put the meter on. Clearly, he is trying to let you pay more that is why he did not turn on his meter. This antiques of taxi driver like him has to stop. I hope other drivers will learn from this incident.

    1. Correct in Boston Logan Airport a Muslim Cab driver are asking a 15$ tip he said because he is paying toll fee by crossing the bridge but i did not see any bridge nor any toll along the way, kahit saan meron manloloko.

    2. This usually doesn’t happen in developed countries. Only in worst cases, which I never experienced. But that doesn’t mean the people in the West are morally superior!!! It just shows us how desperate people in developing countries can be.

    3. Jeff Parker Thailand, UK, Malaysia, Indonesia, Mexico, USA, Sweden, and many more. It’s worldwide. They just have different tricks up their sleeves that’s all. (Money swapping scam, not having enough change scam, don’t know the way scam, hidden surcharges scam, the list goes on and on).

  7. Thats what makes me feel worry as well everytime Im going for vacation in Philippines, those kinds of corruption on the road. It happened to me 1year ago.. Too bad that some staff from airport are also part of th e scam.. They will encourage you to take Private taxi as they saying its safer. But then they will give you a price of 1500 php “Malayo o Malapit” .. same price. It was really bad experience. As Ms. Haley said its not the amount that matters..

  8. And now its good to do vlogging while on taxi to scare them that it will be uploaded in social media. And so they will be carefull to deal with passengers. ???☺

  9. Don’t feel bad about it. You did the right thing. He even accused you of “editing” your video! Means you framed it to make it look like he really scammed you. I agree not ALL taxi drivers are bad/scam but there really are just some who are making a living out of these scams, they’re pro’s at it. Protected by bad cops or corrupts airport authorities.

  10. Haley, don’t feel bad about the Taxi Driver getting his driver’s license revoked and his taxi cab impounded. He deserved it. He even scammed another passenger the day before he was called up by the airport head director. If you can, I suggest you to file a formal complaint against the taxi driver so that he can learn from his mistake and for it to serve as a lesson or warning to other taxi drivers who scam their passengers.

    1. If you did watch the news report, they said that they’re waiting for Haley to file a formal complaint. But then again that’s all up to Haley.

    2. Haley should file a civil case against the Driver or nothing will happen. Just revocation of license. I think this does not give enough justice for all the passengers he has harrassed and scammed

    3. Exactly my point. Police officers in the Phils. encourage people to file cases or a blotter from victims of any criminal activities. That I was told by a police officer when I got mugged back in 2012.

  11. Haley, you’ve done the right thing. This problem has been going on for generations. If anything, you have shone a light – an international one at that, on this issue and even though this type of behaviour and corruption will not easily go away or entirely, however, it should definitely provoke a change for the better! Yes, this taxi driver was just trying to make “extra” money like most people in the Philippines, but, there are far better & LEGAL ways to do so. Keep up the great work!

    1. Far better and Legal ways? As a foreigner who just spent 2 weeks in the Philippines, travelling between Negros and Palawan as well as Manila, I dont know the “better” and legal ways you are talking about especially for the average taxi driver. I dont condone the taxi driver, but after seeing the homeless in Manila (who are literally dieing under the pedestrian bridges at MRT stations), the 400 persons line in the street for a single job interview, and how little the tricycle drivers earn, in the big scheme of things compared to the western world, 500piso really isnt what id call a scam. The white vans charging 2000piso, thats a scam….. but at the same time maybe you are paying the priviledge to skip the 40 minute ques for a taxi. Yeah i understand this was a white taxi that people que for the cheap fare, but i see why the taxi drivers ask for a little extra. Im all for upholding principles, and as Haley said her self, you gotta feel a little bad for the taxi driver, all this national attention, because he was the one who got caught. basically asking for a tip. Regular fare plus a tip, could have ended close to the same price. He definately wasnt the first driver, wont be the last. But he did breach rules of employment when he argued against turning on the meter. If he had done so to begin with, Haley probably would have told him to keep the change when paying the fare. I usually do.

    2. I fully understand your point and a lot of foreigners who come to the Philippines, are appalled by the abject poverty everywhere they go. However, my point is that when it comes to earning that “extra” cash or supplementing an income…there are indeed “better” and legal options, 1 example being a good, honest taxi driver which in turn can “earn” the driver (in a lot of cases – especially from foreigners) a TIP. Haley is from the US so is very much accustomed to giving tips and I wouldn’t be surprised if she gave one hadn’t the taxi driver behaved in such a manner OR as you said, would’ve told the driver to ‘keep the change’. I personally give reasonable tips when I’m in the Philippines and I don’t even haggle when buying stuff because I know how little most of my fellow Filipinos earn! There are other options but the point is, a SCAM does not have a PRICE….whether it’s P500 or P2,000, it’s the INTENT of that person to wilfully defraud another and this behaviour needs to STOP. It’s been going on for a very long time. Who knows how many other passengers this driver has scammed in the last week, month…..years that did not have the courage like Haley to retaliate???? Surely that’s beyond a “little extra income”?? Corruption has many forms & this is definitely one of them & if everybody just turns a blind eye on this issue, then unfortunately along with crime, pollution etc will only hold Philippines back in my opinion.

  12. You just did the right thing Haley. It’s not your fault that his license was revoked. This incident should serve as a wake up call to anyone trying to scam people. I’ve had my own personal experiences with some of these taxi drivers before and just like you, I fought for what’s right. We may feel sorry about him but that’s the consequence of his actions. In life we only have 2 choices, either do good or bad, he chose the latter. Take care and God bless us all.

    1. The taxi driver deserved what he got but it is too much to wish him dead or to call for him to be killed. I saw a lot of comments on social media calling for the death of the taxi driver, some of those who want to kill the taxi driver are even women, what has happened to this country? Grabe, and if you look at the profiles of those who want to kill the taxi driver you will see a pattern, most of them are obviously Duterte supporters.

  13. Your hair looks gorgeous girl. Love it! You may need to lighten your brows just a little bit… ❤️❤️❤️❤️?????

  14. You are wrong Haley!! Don’t even, ever give them excuse or try to defend that he is just trying to make a living.
    Thousands …i bet have been victimized daily from these scamming taxi drivers.
    You did the right thing in uploading the video but please..dont try to pity on them. These blood suckers never had pity on their passengers. That’s my take!

    1. Blue Marshall ..i wish. I still remember when I was with my children. We took a cab at MOA going to Taft. And it was raining. We got in BUT..the driver said..kontrata lang po..php500. Wtf!!! How can I refuse? My children are already wet. MOA to Taft is only php150. It was an unforgettable event. That was year 2009 Wala pang video Sa cp ko.

    2. @ren pinero

      2009 up to 2018 nearly 10 years they are still asking for 500pesos up front.
      I wonder how many times the taxi fare regulatory board have increased the fares for taxi drivers???
      If they are doing this that means they are not earning what they think they should be earning. So the fares regulatory board have something to answer about why some taxi drivers are doing this.
      One comment said only in Phillipines that this is happening. So it means other fares regulatory board are listening to their taxi drivers of what should be the regulated minimum fare. Otherwise if taxi drivers are happy then they would not risk to lose their livelihood with this kind of activity.

      I wonder how much she paid for her visit to the salon?
      I wonder how much she paid for her plane ticket?
      I wonder how much she tipped the waiter where she had dinner that night?
      I wonder how much she paid for all her camera equipment ? That ones must free cause she was naming the brand

      How you treat people who are less fortunate than you reflects on what kind of person you are.

  15. “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” You did what is right and no one should ever apologize for doing the right thing. It’s human nature to feel bad about his predicament, but it is the consequence of his own choosing… staying in the airport waiting for passengers was his choice… who told him to stay there for that long and charge it to his passengers? Imagine how many people, especially foreigners, he already victimized…. I say, it’s about time he pay for it. He is only apologizing now because he was caught red-handed. Thanks you Haley for uploading the video, I subbed to your channel.

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