Getting a taxi from Tianjin Station is an interesting experience. There's a process:
You form a queue which winds along metal railings underneath the station (boiling hot and smelly). At the front of the queue, there is a gate that is controlled by a rather surly 'cab coordinator'.
On the other side of the gate is a six lane motorway where, a bit like a fairground ride, cabs are pulling up in batches. Once a new batch pulls up, the cab coordinator opens the gate and beckon
you to come out and get into one of the batch of cars that have pulled up.
After about 50 people are ushered though the gate, it's closed, and then you are screamed at by the cab controller and his helpers to “hurry up into your taxi” (in Mandarin, of
course) before that batch of cars drives off, probably not bothering whether you are in the cab or not...
The cabs all then pull away, being replaced by another load;
gate opens and the process is repeated.
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