Airport pickup driver wants to hold our passports until the Negombo hotel — normal or walk away?
Pre-paid hotel van at CMB. Driver was friendly, loaded bags, then asked to "keep passports safe in the glove box until hotel reception." That set off every alarm. Is this a local norm I misunderstand, or do we take the bags back and use the official taxi counter?
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4 Answers from travellers
Not normal. A legitimate transfer needs your name, booking code, and maybe a photo of the voucher — not custody of your passports. Immigration already stamped you; the driver is not a second immigration desk. Keep passports on your person. If someone insists on holding them, unload and switch to the official airport taxi counter or PickMe. Share the plate number with the hotel WhatsApp before you roll. Polite firmness works: "Passports stay with us."
I have never needed a guest passport in my pocket for a Negombo drop. Name board yes, passports no.
Said no, kept passports, he laughed it off and drove anyway. Still reporting the request to the hotel.
Street scams start with helpful custody of your documents. You did the right refusal.
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