Opinion|Reader’s opinion
The system is unreasonable for the customer.
Tuesday (10.5.) At the taxi stand at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, I experienced something I had never encountered during my visits to Finland. I arrived by train at the airport and was prepared to take the first taxi in line to get to a nearby hotel. I was confronted by a line of cars whose drivers caught my attention with shouting and gestures. For a moment, I thought I was getting a handkerchief.
I was loudly asked to choose who I would pick up. I thought this was a very strange practice, but I wanted to get out of the chaos as soon as possible.
I chose the most restrained driver from the back row. This was a mistake. I got a ride in front of a wooden barracks in the middle of the forest with the name of the hotel written on the windows. When the driver convinced me and the navigator showed me the place was right, I thought it best to pay the required 35 euros in cash and stay away – I was alone in the middle of the forest.
After dragging my luggage for a while, I found the right item. From there the next morning, the driver of another taxi company took me to the airport for my morning flight for € 10.50. The distance was two kilometers.
At that time, I was still in the lane of the taxi company I used the day before to discuss the matter. I was shown a light board at the ceiling where the prices were displayed. That’s where you will be the first to see it when you step out the door! The plaque at eye level would have attracted attention, and the driver should also clearly display the price list in the window of their car.
The system is unreasonable for the customer. If this was so bad for an expatriate Finn who speaks Finnish, it may be even worse for someone coming to the country for the first time.
Maija Watton
Bexhill-on-Sea, United Kingdom
Reader opinions are speeches written by HS readers, selected and delivered by HS’s editorial staff. You can leave a comment or read the principles of writing at www.hs.fi/kirjtamielipidekirjoitus/.
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