Loved Gregory Jensen's "Rip-Off Tip-Offs" (Jan. 27). Even experienced travelers can get taken, and Jensen's "beware" list will be so useful. Just last month in Belgrade, Yugoslavia, eight of us collapsed in chagrined laughter when we compared prices of taxi rides from Hotel Inter-Continental into town. We all traveled exactly the same distance within minutes of each other, and paid from 200 to 700 dinars for the 20-minute ride.
Not all rip-offs happen abroad. It behooves all diners to check restaurant bills item by item. How many travelers are acquainted with the New York City hotels and motels that pick you up at Kennedy or La Guardia for no charge (a tip to the driver for handling your bags, perhaps?) and deliver you back again at the end of your stay?
TAM LIPSON
Long Beach
Dollar Dealing
In regard to Peter S. Greenberg's black market in dollars article (Jan. 20): We have just returned from Egypt, and found the situation there about currency a bit different from his article. Egypt has an official rate and a tourist rate. While we were there the officialrate was 84 piasters and the tourist rate 112 per dollar at any bank or hotel. If you got the tourist rate you could not convert money upon leaving the country, but if you accepted the official rate it could be converted back to dollars--if you still had your receipt. The black market rate, available on every corner and in every store, was 130 to 150 piasters per dollar.
