Cyclo/Saigon-warning
March 5, 2009
This post by norev, you can read the full entry here
Just a word of warning for anyone using a cyclo in Saigon.I suppose we were naive..our 1st day there .This is specific to a cyclo at PHOO 2000 just outside Ben Thran Market.Anyway we just needed a lift to Cathedral at 9.30 a.m.There was a young fellow there ,I pointed to my husband and I and asked how much?he said 15 which I took to be 150000 dong.
Next thing an older guy appeared and insisted on hubby go with him.so off we went to Cathedral,when we arrived we wnted to pay,but no ..they would wait and take us to War Museum…What we didnt realise they charge by the hour.
He actually escorted us!!(older guy)On our way to War Museum another older guy arrived and sent away the young fellow ,which I wasnt happy at as we had done the price with him.He had better english and said no problem he was his father.When we arrived at War Museum I insisted on paying as we wanted to explore ourselves…..HE mentioned an Exorbitant sum of money..we got such a fright we couldnt think straight and explained we didnt have that much on us and they directed us to an ATM to get some..They were really aggressive and directed us away from War Museum to ATMs,.
Fortunately I couldnt get out some as I was using wrong password.We had some $$ so they took it and the dongs we had…and left us quite traumitised..hence the WARNING.Only after did we cop it wasnt the 1st time they did this,directing us away from War Museum where we would have got help…Other mistake we made was telling them we had just arrived in Saigon ,so we were sitting ducks!!We walked back into the backpackers area,thirsty and hungry,and as we crossed the road where we had picked up the cyclo in the morning,THERE he was sitting on his bike!!When he saw us he jumped off and ran with the cyclo…..a sure admission of guilt I thought….He wears a flamboyant shirt!!!
Spread the Word
In Saigon recently I was approached by “Allen” a malaysian man who had a daughter about to study in Australia. Allen was visiting vietnam staying with friends .Hotels too expensive! Allen asked me to visit him at his Saigon house. His aged and frail mother was their with wife, sister etc.
After him phoning me for several days. I eventually went with him. and his sister. His Vietnam host introduced himself and taught me how to play and cheat at cards. Soon a wealthy Borneo tycoon came to the house wanting to play cards. Eventually he and I played. I was winning $40,000 US !!!
I smelt a rat. Things weren’t right. I walked out. Mnay things they had said weren’t ringing true. I was about to be suckered.
The wealthy Borneo man had a $4 Ben Tanh market shirt on and maybe all that Gold that dripped off him wasn’r real.
Maybe the Bundle of $100 us bills were fake. Anyway I walked out. They weren’t happy. The taxi I caught showed my thumbs down and a shake of his head let me know I was leaving abd company
A lesson for all vistors to Vietnam. There are scams heaped upon scams.
I can’t figure out waht they had in stall for me. Next day I saw the Malaysians out near the hotel spots chatting up more suckers.
I met one of those curious “Malaysians” i suspect are Filipinos in every block for three blocks from the Opera House to the Cathedral. Kept on going. Scammed twice by cyclo drivers offering ride for $15000 then taking me to a place near my destination but isolated and trying to shake me down. First time a three block ride from Ban Than went from $15000 to $50,000. The next time a pitiful thin cyclo man named “Lap” who had accosted me my first day flagged me down effusively and showed me a book of endorsements from tourists he had “served”. He then offered to take me to the war remnants for 15,000. OK. We got there, i offered to pay, he said he would wait for me. Took me to Saigon Museum and waited again, Then to Post Office and via the the River to lunch. At one point I asked to take his picture and he refused and covered his face which i found odd. He always dropped me at a distance from the destination and then went across the street to park discretely as if he were hiding. He also slipped me a card for a massage parlor I turned down. He took me back to the roundabout in front of the Ban Than Market against the traffic and perked me in a place where i was isolated from other people and somewhat hemmed in. He then told showed me a paper he charges $500,000 per hour and I owe him 2 million for four hours. It was actually more like three. I countered with 150.000 and he went berserk and got physical. I mentioned the police and started to move away. He wanted me to reach into my pocket to see my cash. i got out where there were other people and made a ruckus as i paid him $200,000 and walked away. I should have gone to the cops. I was sympathetic for the guy and I was prepared to be generous had he been reasonable. He is well rehearsed and has a set of papers purporting to be endorsements possibly all in the same hand. He only shows the part about the 500,000 per hour after the fact. He also clams to be working for someone else.