In article , lid (Richard) wrote:

15 pounds later we were back at the hostel. I
think
we got taken for a ride - both figuratively and literally. Any opinions?

Yes, but it's pretty much par for the course with late-night cabs if you
don't have a very good idea of an appropriate fare to start with -- and
the confidence to argue the point.

At least you didn't make the most common London newbie's transport
mistake: taking a Tube from Leicester Square to Covent Garden!

Note to Americans and Canadians: Don't bother trying to tip when you
walk up
to a bar and buy a drink here. It takes too long to explain to the
barman
why it is that you're giving him more money than he's charging you for
the
drinks.

The protocol if you want to "tip" is to offer to buy the bar person a
drink. They may politely decline (in some places they're not allowed to
accept, in other cases they just don't feel like a drink), they may accept
and have a drink (typically a cheaper one than yours), or they may say
they'll "put it in for later", in which case they may actually drink it
later or keep the money.

However, it's not by any stretch of the imagination compulsory or
even expected, and in a busy club where the bar person may not ever see
you again there's not much advantage to be gained by doing it, so few
people do. By contrast, in an unfamiliar pub it may give you the edge in
getting more attentive service (while in a pub where you're already a
regular customer, one or more of the bar staff may well be edging
across the border from service to personal friendship anyway).

Good to hear you had what sounds like a great trip BTW.