Henry Winkler’s warning to fans after costly mistake: “It was my fault, I paid”

Henry Winkler has issued a warning to fans about a problem they could encounter during their visit to London, after making a costly faux pas in the English capital.

He Barry The 78-year-old star has spent part of the summer in the UK, where she has appeared at various venues to discuss her career and mark 50 years in showbiz.

And while his long-running career has afforded him the opportunity to travel extensively, Winkler revealed on X, formerly Twitter, that he was left with a much larger bill than anticipated when he took a ride around London in a pedicab.

Sharing a photo showing his driver pedaling the vehicle through the city streets, Winkler wrote on Tuesday: “TRAVEL TIP: DO NOT take one of these bike taxis without absolutely negotiating the price first.”

“This person in London drove us around in circles and finally arrived at our destination, seven blocks away… for 170 US dollars!” Winkler added. “It was my fault, I paid, but passengers, be careful!”

Reiterating his point, the Happy Days The caption returned to the microblogging platform hours later to add: “I CANNOT say this enough.”

The post sparked a reaction from fans, with one saying: “In fairness to the exchange rate, it’s probably only about £50.”

Winkler replied that he had paid “£134” for the relatively short trip.

Another X user commented: “London taxi drivers are known for being honest, knowledgeable and decent. It takes a full year for someone to acquire all the skills needed to become a taxi driver. I think they drive black cars. Anyway, this is an ex-taxi driver telling you to take a real taxi.”

“I did it all the time,” the actor replied. “At that moment I lost my mind.”

According to the UK’s Local Government Association, pedicabs have been able to charge disproportionate fares for passenger journeys for several years, because they are “exempt from regulations covering taxis and private hire vehicles”.

“They do not need a license to operate, they can set their own prices and are not subject to controls on the safety and capacity of their drivers, or the physical condition of their vehicles.”

However, this year the Department for Transport announced the passing of the Pedicabs (London) Bill which gives Transport for London the authority to “crack down on rogue pedicab drivers by regulating fares and improving safety standards, bringing the industry in line with other forms of transport in the capital.”

“The bill, which is due to receive royal assent in the coming weeks, aims to close a loophole that has left the sector unregulated in London, exposing some customers (including tourists) to extortionate fees, dangerous driving and antisocial behaviour on the city’s streets.”