Why do taxi drivers in Rio de Janeiro never know where their going?

Question

I just visited Rio and had a great time and found all the great things I heard about it to be true. But I also found the rumor that taxi drivers know nothing about the area entirely true. They seldom knew where major streets or locations were and often got lost. I almost missed my flight because my taxi driver couldn't find the airport and then couldn't find the terminal and ended up driving back on the highway.

Is there something about the taxi system in Rio that makes drivers less knowledgable than other areas?

Answer 1

Knowing their profile, my guess is that it's more likely that they actually know excatlly where they are going, but they just want to make more money out of the ride!