SAFETY, GETTING RIPPED OFF BY TAXI DRIVERS
This was my first trip to Praha � in fact, to this entire region of Europe � so I was a bit nervous. I wasn't familiar with this territory that opened up to Westerners in 1989, after the fall of the Iron Curtain. I was nervous about the horror stories I'd heard and read: for example, neo-Nazis looking for trouble, visitors robbed by scammers dressing up as police, and taxi drivers ripping people off. I thought I would find them untrue, but I wasn't 100 percent sure. Fortunately, I found most of what I worried about to be completely false. During my entire time in Praha I felt safe � day and night. Of course, no matter where I am I make sure to guard my valuables (wallet, passport, etc.), especially in crowded areas and on public transportation. The only negative truth I found was that taxi drivers do rip you off. This happened to a friend, who got taken for some extra dollars. It's not a big deal, and it happens in almost every city in the world, but my friend hadn't gotten the local tip before he left. NOTE: The best way to prevent Czech taxi drivers from ripping you off is to find out the going rate from a local citizen or the internet, then negotiate the fare in advance with the driver. Be sure to have him write it down!

POTATO CHIP SCAMS
Other than the taxi drivers, only one other thing upset me about Praha; When you sit down at a restaurant, you'll find potato chips in a basket. You'd think those stale potato chips -- and the unrequested bread they later bring to the table -- are on the house. But no! Whether you eat the chips and bread or not, they still charge you. It's just a few dollars, but you still feel like you've been taken. TIP: Ask the server to remove the potato chips before you sit down, and say "no thank you" to the bread. For more click HERE.