It seems all of the taxis standing in the cue a the Lisbon airport resort to one or more of the following extortion tactics: don't switch on the meter; don't zero the meter from the previous ride; charge an "airport tax" of at least 5 euros (non-existent in Portugal); switch off the meter before the client can read it; charge an arbitrary sum for luggage handling.
Therefore, it is preferable to call a taxi by phone - use the national taxi call number 707 277 277 - and get a quality service instead to being ripped off by these thieves.
