Athens taxi rip off

[Londonbug1]

Hi there
I have just returned from a short trip to Athens and wanted to alert anyone who may be going there to what happened to me.
I took a taxi from the hotel to the acropolis at a cost of €6
Had a v nice time walking around the site then went to the taxi rank to return to the hotel.i was alone
After we had set off the taxi driver said that the fare was €7.50 per kilometre I said how could this be given my fare there. He said angrily that the afternoon was much more expensive to travel in and that there were riots in the centre of Athens, he could not take me to my hotel because of this and would leave me at a station.
The area we were now in was grim graffiti ridden. He demanded €30 for the short trip. I stupidly gave him a €50 note. He began shouting that I had given him €10 - what a dummy I was I actually took the €10 from him and gave him€50
Why was I such a dummy?
I was left in the middle of nowhere now with barely any money
Please do be careful, I really cannot explain why I was such a dummy but would like to alert others to this scam.

The majority of taxi drivers in Athens are great and stick to the rules.
Also the underground and buses are brilliant so taxis aren't particularly necessary. So sorry you got scammed.
It's best to agree destination and price before you get in- I couldn't get my head around that and used to just jump in and declare my destination. Did it to an off-duty driver once who kindly drove me anyway

Well googling since I returned home has shown that this is fairly common in Athens. I live in east london so am used to a certain level of tension but have never experienced anything like this.
Another woman I met at breakfast this morning was mugged and threatened with a knife in broad day light no one came to her aid
What a place I will definitely never return
I am only posting this as a warning to others please be careful if you are visiting athens

I lived there for 6 months and never had heard of anything like that happening. I would walk home by myself at midnight and never felt unsafe.
I wonder if the tourist areas are targeted or perhaps the recession has had an effect on crime? Pickpockets used to be the worst crime tourists were subjected to.

The countries may be different but taxi drivers are always the same.

I have been done same way in different countries where have let guard slip after days of checking price in advance. You kick yourself for ages!

Thank you makes me feel slightly better - really thought I was street wise but seems not. Perhaps a good warning.
I have decided though no more €50 notes too high a denomination to carry around.
My son is going on his first alone holiday next year and it was quite good to be able to give him an example of how things can go wrong for a middle aged sober person.......

that happened to me in Athens years ago on a work trip. I was so annoyed that I have avoided Greece since then.