Taxis are the default mode of transportation for most foreigners in Beijing. Piloted in shifts by 130,000 generally honest, friendly and opinionated drivers, taxis are relatively convenient and agreeable, if not always swift, conveyances. There are some 67,000 cabs in Beijing, which makes the 12,000 taxis in New York City look like chump change. The flagfall rate is RMB 10 for the first three kilometers, RMB 2 for each subsequent kilometer. A long-distance surcharge applies once the ride exceeds 15km, subsequent kilometers are charged at one and a half times the normal rate. There's also a night rate: after 11pm, the fare begins at RMB 11 and increases by RMB 3 per kilometer after the first three kilometers.
Cabs are also where many visitors form their first impressions of Beijing, and as such have become the objects of several pre-Olympic image enhancement campaigns. A few years ago, Beijing's municipal government decreed that all drivers ought to study English before the Games, and while you may come across an occasional enthusiast, most drivers still draw a blank at the English words "Forbidden City." In the spring of 2007, the authorities unveiled new regulations governing the behavior and appearance of the city's cabbies. Some of these rules, notably the bans on smoking and eating in taxis and injunctions that drivers avoid consuming pungent food before work (e.g. enough garlic to slay a vampire), mean more pleasant rides for passengers. Others, such as those banning male drivers from having shaved heads or long hair, and those preventing female drivers from dyeing their hair or wearing big earrings, have met with derision.
As the Olympic Games approach, the city's taxi cab brigades will be upgraded. Most of the older cabs will be replaced with new car models - conforming to higher emission standards and equipped with GPS - so that even a first day driver from the nether regions of Fangshan District will be able to figure out how to reach your destination.
Despite their impressive numbers, cabs seem increasingly hard to find during rush hour orat the first sign of rain, snow or sand. It will be even more arduous if, as announced, the cab numbers are reduced. Luckily, you rarely need to worry about your physical safety in a taxi, since Beijing's endless traffic jams keep the most "impulsive" drivers in check. And in case you just arrived from Mars, make sure the photo on the dashboard license matches the face of your driver and that s/he engages the meter (da biao). Tips are not expected, but passengers are responsible for paying toll fees - generally the driver will pay the toll and add it to the bill when you reach your destination. If you're good at losing your stuff, get a receipt (fapiao, which lists the car's ID number and company phone number), and you'll be able to track it down.