Nikhil Sharma

Review of Trans World Airlines/TWA

JFK airport in New York is probably worst airport ...

JFK airport in New York is probably worst airport in terms of passenger safety.

JFK airport in New York is littered with private cars which are ARE FULLY ILLEGAL and which it seems to be a thriving business. I have been mugged by one of these private car drivers in an intricately well planned way. There are now using touts stationed INSIDE the airport who hail upon innocent passengers coming out of the arrival gates, and they claim to be airport officials and with NO ONE stopping them from doing so. There was simply not a single police officer in the entirety of the arrival lounge or even in the vicinity of the airport at the arrival gates. I at first refused to talk to this gentleman posing as airport authority, then when I was looking around for help he approached me again claiming to be an airport official, and suggested me to take an 'official airport taxi'.

I chose to trust this gentleman given that he was allowed to operate inside the airport in full light of all the passengers and staff alike, and also looking at the 'official' looking attire which was a suit with a neck tie. He led me to one of these private cars, and then when I asked about how much is it going to cost to drop me off to Times Square Central, the driver said 'it's all metered and nothing to worry about...', the famous last words! I had a nice journey to my destination until it came to the drop location, and when the payment was to be made, and then the driver dropped the bomb when he quoted me a horrendous bill of whopping $293 plus optional tips. At first I refused to pay outright expressing my shock, then the driver started to get increasingly more aggressive. Lastly he suggested 'how much do you have...', to which I gave a figure which he didn't like, and then he apparently called his 'cab company' and at the end of his elaborate conversation told me that I MUST PAY the minimum amount of $240 as I had agreed to board the taxi previously.

I must admit I felt that I was out of options at that time and submitted to his demand meekly as it was midnight, and in a completely foreign land to me. I have rewinded and reflected upon the whole incident over and over again with many scenarios and ways that I could have better tackled the situation, but I cannot think of anything else that I could have at that time any differently in the moment when it actually happened.

My grievance will probably go on deaf ears when I say it was probably the WORST airport experience I have ever had in my life, and that I regret to say it happened in New York. I do sincerely feel that NY police is in the lacking, and it definitely can do much a better job by posting at least a few fully armed and dressed police officers in the arrival lounges and the vicinity of arrival terminals to deter such serious and potentially dangerous criminals from even making near let alone inside the airport facilities, and thus preventing first time and most likely unwary passengers like myself from getting ripped off or worse by being prevented from being led to the company of some serious criminals.