This weekend, my friend and I decided to spend sometime in Beijing--get my hair done, see some sights, have fun--the things you do while on a weekend trip. Little did I know, it would become an educational lesson in the ways of the world.
First, after trekking through Tiananmen, through the forbidden city and the maze that is the busy tourist section of Beijing, we decide that taking a cab back to the hostel would be a nice change for our feet. We waited for about 30 minutes before we could actually get in a cab and when one came, we jumped right in.
Now, I'd like to say the rest of the story ends with us riding that cab to the hostel, relaxing with a late lunch, and then heading to the train station. I'd like to say that this was the most convenient and effective use of my time, but I'd be lying.
This joker, got us in the cab and started heading off, I asked him to turn on the meter to avoid being charged a ridiculous amount at the end of my journey, and he said he would charge us a flat fee of 30 RMB. I was like, okay, I like that price and we went on. then he gave us 70 RMB change, wanting us to give him a 100 RMB note. I should've realized the scam at that moment, no taxis driver wants big notes! They always yell when you don't have small change. Anyway, we were like, cool here, and gave him a 100 RMB note, that was taken from the bank. He looks at the money and says it is counterfeit, we are trying to figure out how he figured it was counterfeit when clearly this is good money. We exchange the note with another and the same thing happens. We argue with this guy for a few minutes, by this time he has stopped the cab and he tells us we keep giving him fake notes so we have to get out. WTF! I immediately wished he would have an inconvenienced day for all the trouble he put us through!
Anywho, we get out of the cab and find a legit cabbie to take us where we need to go and have that relaxing lunch and go to the train station and go home. I go to work this morning, like usual, and at lunch, just a few hours ago, head to the bank to wire some money home. At the bank I take out some money from the ATM and I go to the cashier to send the WesternUnion, i give them the money I need converted, combining the existing money in my wallet with the money I'd just withdrawn, I start signing the papers they thrust in front of you and, within minutes, I notice the bank tellers whispering and looking at me, and I ask, "What's wrong." My teller timidly tells me that I gave him 1 fake note. Iw as like, I always get my money from the ATM, how is it fake and we argue. Long story short, I thought back to that cab driver in Beijing who was making a big deal out of my money and causing me all kinds of inconveniences.
I also remembered 2 weeks ago being warned by a friend that Beijing drivers were scamming people who didn't know better. At the time is was like hearing a story about a friend of a friend of a friend's baby cousin's boyfriend. Apparently, what they do is tell you that your money is fake and switch with with the counterfeit. They then get you to give them a new one and keep switching.....so, they take your real money and return to you the fake identically looking one.
It's frustrating to live in a world were people are looking for ways to cheat and manipulate. I was angry early while i sat in the bank realizing that 300 RMB in my pocket was useless, and soon after, confiscated. I felt cheated and I wanted my money back. I thought about the fact that I had to be back at work by 1:10 (actually, the bank took longer and I was a little late) and that I hadn't had lunch. I thought about how inconvenienced I was because now, not only am i 300RMB short...but I have to wait to sign more paperwork and wait for official stamps that show I was carrying fake money.
But then I thought, how desperate for money must someone be to steal almost $50 from a stranger. Is money so important that you would allow your character to be defined by petty theft. And then I thought, in the long run, $50 is probably nothing to me. Though, I learned to be more cautious and aware, I'd like to think that thieving cab driver needed the money more than I did. Maybe he is using it to take care of his family, or get needed medicine for his daughter who is sick. Hopefully.
Ayeshah
TLDR: Don't make money your god! It makes you respect human life and livelihood less. It also makes you dishonest and just a bad person accumulating negative karma.
P.S. My hair though!
First, after trekking through Tiananmen, through the forbidden city and the maze that is the busy tourist section of Beijing, we decide that taking a cab back to the hostel would be a nice change for our feet. We waited for about 30 minutes before we could actually get in a cab and when one came, we jumped right in.
Now, I'd like to say the rest of the story ends with us riding that cab to the hostel, relaxing with a late lunch, and then heading to the train station. I'd like to say that this was the most convenient and effective use of my time, but I'd be lying.
This joker, got us in the cab and started heading off, I asked him to turn on the meter to avoid being charged a ridiculous amount at the end of my journey, and he said he would charge us a flat fee of 30 RMB. I was like, okay, I like that price and we went on. then he gave us 70 RMB change, wanting us to give him a 100 RMB note. I should've realized the scam at that moment, no taxis driver wants big notes! They always yell when you don't have small change. Anyway, we were like, cool here, and gave him a 100 RMB note, that was taken from the bank. He looks at the money and says it is counterfeit, we are trying to figure out how he figured it was counterfeit when clearly this is good money. We exchange the note with another and the same thing happens. We argue with this guy for a few minutes, by this time he has stopped the cab and he tells us we keep giving him fake notes so we have to get out. WTF! I immediately wished he would have an inconvenienced day for all the trouble he put us through!
Anywho, we get out of the cab and find a legit cabbie to take us where we need to go and have that relaxing lunch and go to the train station and go home. I go to work this morning, like usual, and at lunch, just a few hours ago, head to the bank to wire some money home. At the bank I take out some money from the ATM and I go to the cashier to send the WesternUnion, i give them the money I need converted, combining the existing money in my wallet with the money I'd just withdrawn, I start signing the papers they thrust in front of you and, within minutes, I notice the bank tellers whispering and looking at me, and I ask, "What's wrong." My teller timidly tells me that I gave him 1 fake note. Iw as like, I always get my money from the ATM, how is it fake and we argue. Long story short, I thought back to that cab driver in Beijing who was making a big deal out of my money and causing me all kinds of inconveniences.
I also remembered 2 weeks ago being warned by a friend that Beijing drivers were scamming people who didn't know better. At the time is was like hearing a story about a friend of a friend of a friend's baby cousin's boyfriend. Apparently, what they do is tell you that your money is fake and switch with with the counterfeit. They then get you to give them a new one and keep switching.....so, they take your real money and return to you the fake identically looking one.
It's frustrating to live in a world were people are looking for ways to cheat and manipulate. I was angry early while i sat in the bank realizing that 300 RMB in my pocket was useless, and soon after, confiscated. I felt cheated and I wanted my money back. I thought about the fact that I had to be back at work by 1:10 (actually, the bank took longer and I was a little late) and that I hadn't had lunch. I thought about how inconvenienced I was because now, not only am i 300RMB short...but I have to wait to sign more paperwork and wait for official stamps that show I was carrying fake money.
But then I thought, how desperate for money must someone be to steal almost $50 from a stranger. Is money so important that you would allow your character to be defined by petty theft. And then I thought, in the long run, $50 is probably nothing to me. Though, I learned to be more cautious and aware, I'd like to think that thieving cab driver needed the money more than I did. Maybe he is using it to take care of his family, or get needed medicine for his daughter who is sick. Hopefully.
Ayeshah
TLDR: Don't make money your god! It makes you respect human life and livelihood less. It also makes you dishonest and just a bad person accumulating negative karma.
P.S. My hair though!
you gotta learn!
ReplyDeleteHAHAHA, I know. I was naive.
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