Tourist problems....

I met up with a fellow Australian the other day and we got to talking about the many ways people (and by people I mean we) had been scammed as a result of being a fresh unwitting tourists in a big city. So I thought I'd write the following partially for your entertainment and mostly so that maybe the next tourist will be a little more savvy and well prepared! 

Tourist 101....

1. When someone offers to take you somewhere in a black car say no! (even if it is the person who works at the hotel you're staying at and they casually say 'I'lll call a taxi for you' and you think 'oh how sweet' and give him a generous tip and then the next thing you know this huge black car pulls up and the whole ride to Queens you're thinking 'is this a free service with the hotel or am I about to be charged a ridiculously large sum of money for a trip that should cost no more than $20?' - the answer is YES YOU ARE ABOUT TO BE RIPPED OFF - $75 later and in fear for the safety of my luggage as I ran to the ATM around the corner and left the entirety of my worldly possessions with some random driver who I hoped would not drive off with said worldly possessions - I arrived in Queens! Furious for having been ripped off and not having thought more quickly and yet relieved I still had my luggage I entered my temporary home in Queens! 
2.   My friend witnessed a lovely elderly couple getting off a rickshaw ride (you know those bikes that ride around with little awning-ed seats at the back) when the door man to their hotel inquired how much money they had paid and how far they had traveled the answer was; 200 and something dollars for a 10 block ride to which the door man replied 'never do that again' (ok so maybe some hotel staff aren't as bad as I mentioned in my previous story) - but really people that's common sense surely?! 
3. When buying ice-cream in Central Park I was handed two one dollar coins and started getting extremely worked up at the vendor for trying to take advantage of me for being a tourist - I mean one dollar coins? really? I don't think so! - to which an American friend who was with me promptly assured me that there were such things as one dollar coins (ok so maybe that one was my fault!!! - one dollar coins? really? who knew!!!!! - you learn something new every day - or maybe just when buying ice-cream in Central Park)
4. This last story is not so much a tourist-specific problem as a general one - considering most of the people scammed were actually American. I hate to say this but sometimes when something sounds too good to be true - it is!! I was applying for roles on an acting website and I received a message from someone wanting to organize a New York film festival and wanting a pool of actors to cast from 'what a great opportunity' I thought and emailed him promptly to which he replied explaining that there would be a networking event with producers etc. entailing complimentary brunch and cocktails and general networking merriment (ok maybe he didn't actually use the word merriment but you get the gist) When my friend and I turned up to the aforementioned event we quickly realized that there was no complimentary anything - what there was was a whole bunch of scammed actors slowly realizing that they had in fact been scammed by a club promoter whose only goal was to get people in the door, for him to make money (cough cough: JR at empire hotel) (and people say actors aren't smart?!) 

Ok so I realize the above stories may show me in a slightly naive light, however for those of you out there who wish to believe the best in people, as I do, I hope this story was helpful without turning you (and me) into cynics! I hope my tourist 101 helps you survive in the big bad (and beautiful) city and rids you of possible future 'tourist problems'!!!