Brake at all costs!!!

I give up, I lift my hands up in despair, I thought I had come far enough away to avoid it, but no, it seems that I am destined, wherever I shall be,
to fall victim to the universal taxi driver club! Is this a secret society that has a 'blog', 'website', 'chat room' or other form of source or contact between and unknown only to themselves?! Is it a secret society that only
licensed card holders can join? If this in truth does exist, will someone please inform me as how to break this 'ring' that can drive an otherwise normal, happy, friendly and positive thinking individual to dementia!

At first it was trying to hail a cab, I have mentioned in the past that they
have surely posted my photograph around their secret Internet group, but
that in time passed and the drivers that were 'sent' to take me proved to be a little more understanding. Then it seems, that every Friday when I have to take a long taxi journey out past the sixth ring road (that is pretty
far), I have to pass through a good number of phone calls, exasperation and threats to actually reach my destination!!! The latter being a call to their office to complain that they refuse to take me to where I wish to go, but instead are happy to leave me along the way, with no other form of transport in sight, 'cos it is too far or too difficult to locate!!!

I have now become clever, along with map, red pen marking the way, limited Chinese vocab and written instructions as to which highway to go on, this too seems to be getting better, but upon arrival and request for repeat performance, am turned down with regret.

When I drove to the airport last week, the driver tried to persuade me to pay for his toll fare back in an endeavour to keep the change from the 100 rmb that I had given him. Amazingly, all my Chinese seemed to leave my memory and I was happy to play dumb, in requesting my change, with an outstretched palm!

After my brief stay in another city, that story will be for another day, a taxi was called for me by the hotel to take me to the airport. The driver set off quite happily, but even I could see that the road taken was not the correct one (I can read picture road signs)! Using gestures and annoyance in my voice, I was given to understand that we were about to change drivers, on my meter time mind and only then after the first one was taken to a suitable destination for himself, would we continue on our original journey, that of the airport!!! Upon arrival, I refused to pay any extra fare and promptly gave only what I knew the fare to be!

Does this mean that every time you travel there has to be a guide as to the exact amount or thereabouts that the fare should cost, to save not only on the 'pennies' but more importantly on your blood pressure level. As for myself, well, you can be sure that you can rely on me to count to 10, before I let 'fly'.

Lastly, please, traffic police out there, or driving authorities, make a law to limit braking!!!! What is it; is this again a way to make us seasick so that at the end of the fare we will be in such a dizzy state that we will overpay? Does no one know how to break with ease? Have you not been
informed that if the drive is smoother and more comfortable, a tip will be
forthcoming without any tricks!?