新视野大学英语读写教程听力 第三册 te-unit10-c

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[00:03.02]1  Taxi travel can be safe anywhere
[00:06.98]in the world as long as visitors understand the rules,
[00:10.26]says travel expert Stacey Ravel Abarbanel.
[00:15.16]In some cities, it is common for people to approach you and offer you a ride.
[00:22.00]Often they are locals trying to make extra money
[00:25.74]rather than licensed taxi operators
[00:28.48]who have passed safety training or a background check.
[00:33.05]"These people can be very aggressive," warns one traveler,
[00:38.12]and you need to be too.
[00:40.28]In places like South America,
[00:43.63]where it is common to be surrounded by them, he says,
[00:48.28]"I look straight ahead like a horse,
[00:50.83]walk to the taxi that I want, and ask, 'Who owns this car?'"
[00:56.16]2  One way to avoid illegal taxis
[00:59.58]is to know the marks that indicate licensed taxis in the area you are visiting,
[01:05.56]as well as to understand what different car
[01:09.01]and/or license plate colors may mean.
[01:12.68]For instance, Mexico City has a three-level system for identifying taxis.
[01:21.11]Orange and white taxis are four-door cars that offer the most comfort,
[01:27.37]with metered rates. Green and white taxis are a step down the scale,
[01:34.43]but still have meters.
[01:36.52]The lower class yellow and white taxis have no meters,
[01:42.20]so be sure to negotiate your fare before you depart.
[01:47.89]3  Once you've found the right taxi,
[01:51.17]issues of fares,meters and other charges come into play.
[01:55.92]In some countries, all taxis are metered,
[01:59.99]and the government regulates fares so you can expect few problems.
[02:05.42]But in other places you may find drivers reluctant to use meters,
[02:10.82]even though the car should be equipped with one.
[02:14.17]The rule of thumb in such cases is to insist on their use,
[02:19.86]if you know meters are available.
[02:23.03]4  While meters don't always show the true fare
[02:27.06](dishonest drivers sometimes adjust them to advance faster),
[02:31.52]it is seldom cheaper to rely on the driver to quote a fare.
[02:35.77]So if your driver insists he/she cannot use a meter, find another taxi.
[02:44.59]5  But what about countries where there truly are no meters?
[02:49.99]There are two methods you can use.
[02:53.88]6  One is to negotiate the fare before you get into the car.
[02:59.46]In Russia, this is the only way it is done.
[03:03.78]"You call a taxi, and when the driver pulls over,
[03:08.14]you don't get in," an experienced traveler says.
[03:12.49]"The driver will lean over to the passenger-side window,
[03:16.96]you tell him where you want to go, then negotiate a price."
[03:22.61]7  But another man takes a different approach on his trips to Latin America.
[03:27.68]His "never-ask-the-fare" policy works like this.
[03:33.16]"While I'm in the airport,
[03:35.75]I ask three or four people to get an idea for how much it will cost
[03:40.61]to get to my destination." he explains.
[03:44.50]"I never ask the driver how much it is,
[03:48.06]I just pay less than what the people said.
[03:52.52]If it's more, the driver will tell you."
[03:56.59]8  When a fare does turn out to be more than you expected,
[04:00.48]think about your options. Of course,
[04:04.48]a large difference may leave you arguing with the driver.
[04:08.54]However, one traveler makes the point
[04:12.32]that this difference may amount to pennies when you consider exchange rates.
[04:18.12]"Choose your fights," she says.
[04:21.14]"Is it worth 25 or 50 cents to argue with a taxi driver?"
[04:21.82]9  Often what you think is a dishonest fare
[04:25.60]is actually the sum of legal extra charges.
[04:30.39]For example, when you call for a taxi in France,
[04:34.75]the meter starts running from wherever the taxi was stationed,
[04:39.14]so it can arrive with up to 10 dollars already on the meter.
[04:44.21]In Australia and Singapore,
[04:47.49]extra charges are imposed for phone-in requests.