The: When Travelling By Taxi - Discussion

Jean-F said:
Possibly, but somehow I doubt it.



As a retired Black Cab driver, I realise that I’m probably skating on very thin ice here, but I’ll take a swing.
As to asking the driver who has he come to pick up, I subscribed to a computerised radio circuit, that had a slew of corporate accounts in The City, investment banks, law firms, insurance companies etc.
A trip offer would appear on my monitor screen, e.g. Company UBS, customer Mr. Bloggs, ext 7308, pick up at Finsbury Ave. destination Canary Wharf.
On arrival at Finsbury Ave. I’d go to reception and say, “Taxi for Mr. Bloggs, ext 7308 please”, then return to my taxi and wait for the client to come out and say, “Are you for Bloggs?”
Very often, in inclement weather, or if someone had been waiting for what they deemed too long, they’d approach the taxi and say, “Who are you waiting for?”, I’d say “Bloggs”, they’d say “that’s me”, and get in.
I’d say, “Where do you want in Canary Wharf?”, they’d say, “Not going there now, take me to Putney.”
Then, Bloggs would emerge to find his taxi had gone, he’d make a call, and a message would come up on my screen, Can you confirm you have correct passenger on board?
Passenger would lie through his teeth and say he was Bloggs, so another taxi would have to be dispatched for the real Bloggs.
Eventually, when asked who we were picking up, we had to politely say, “Tell me your name sir, and if that’s the one on my screen, then that’s okay, I’ll take you.”
So no, it’s not always acceptable to ask the driver who he is picking up.
As for unhelpful or surly drivers, I only use Black Cabs, so as every driver is self employed, if the guy I hailed was surly, who could I report him to, himself?
Only using Black Cabs, that means that I always travel in the back seat, there is nowhere else to sit, I know that out in the boonies they use saloon cars, but in London, the only real taxis are Black Cabs, anything else is a poor imitation, usually driven by an immigrant wannabe, whether its Acme minicabs, or Uber.
AA/RAC? Can’t remember the last time I called them, but don’t recall any intransigence.
I tip the same amount that I’d like, (NEVER EXPECTED) when I was the one hopefully getting the tip, £4.60-£4.80, give him a fiver, £10, give him £11 or £12, £27.40, give him £30.
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So if a girl phoned a taxi on her landline and waited alone in the street. And the taxi rolls up and stops but won't say who he has come to pick up, is she being unreasonable to expect him to tell her?
 
Gravitas said:
So if a girl phoned a taxi on her landline and waited alone in the street. And the taxi rolls up and stops but won't say who he has come to pick up, is she being unreasonable to expect him to tell her?
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If the woman in question has used an app like Taxiapp to order a Black Cab, she will have been sent the driver’s name, his photo and the reg of the taxi.
She can phone for a Black Cab, and presumably also be told the driver’s name and his taxi reg, I couldn’t swear to that, but with all the dangers associated with getting a wrong ‘un, I’m sure that they’d give that info, to keep her happy.
If she’s used a minicab number, she won’t have to ask, “Are you here for Jane Doe?”, they’ll take the first person who approaches them, or opens the car door, just tell her to cross her fingers.
 
Gravitas said:
So if a girl phoned a taxi on her landline and waited alone in the street. And the taxi rolls up and stops but won't say who he has come to pick up, is she being unreasonable to expect him to tell her?
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As an addendum to my reply in post # 27, if the woman in question was the only person standing outside the address that the taxi had been summoned to, and it WAS a Black Cab that arrived, she could, with not too much worry, ask the driver if he had come to pick up Jane Doe.
It might not be such a good idea to ask the question of the driver of any saloon car that stopped, with the best will in the world, he could be a kerb crawler seeking a hooker.
Even a passing licenced minicab driver is not averse to ‘reading’ the situation, and “nicking” an illegal fare, he hopefully will just be interested in making an unexpected few quid, but you never know.
 
Jean-F said:
I know that out in the boonies they use saloon cars, but in London, the only real taxis are Black Cabs, anything else is a poor imitation, usually driven by an immigrant wannabe, whether its Acme minicabs, or Uber.
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Certainly can't tell you're an ex-black cab driver, sir :o
 
Gravitas said:
So if a girl phoned a taxi on her landline and waited alone in the street. And the taxi rolls up and stops but won't say who he has come to pick up, is she being unreasonable to expect him to tell her?
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They will try to avoid giving out names because as has already been said it leads to anyone just saying "yep thats me" and in they jump. All the customer has to say is "Are you here for *name* going to *destination*" job done as the driver then knows if it's the right person or a chancer.
 
What I want to know is how most of the minicab drivers by me now seem to all be driving really good cars like Merc E class, 5 series Bmw’s, Audi’s or brand new run of the mill cars :confused:
4 of us got a taxi home the other night and it cost £5 for a near 20 minute journey. I just don’t see how they can make serious money? I’ve had some cabbies tell me they could earn more 10 years ago before the influx of jokers like Uber etc
 
Dav4 said:
What I want to know is how most of the minicab drivers by me now seem to all be driving really good cars like Merc E class, 5 series Bmw’s, Audi’s or brand new run of the mill cars :confused:
4 of us got a taxi home the other night and it cost £5 for a near 20 minute journey. I just don’t see how they can make serious money? I’ve had some cabbies tell me they could earn more 10 years ago before the influx of jokers like Uber etc
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Driving BMW's and Audi's what?
 
"You look nice tonight. Do you work out? Have any pics?"

"Actually, anime is NOT just cartoons which you would know if you weren't such a stupid gaijin! Let me tell you about why tentacles are integral to all story lines ..."

"Ï lust for the nuclear helldeath which Pressie Two Scoops will end the world with. Ask me why I'm still talking about Hillary Clinton!"

Yep, those are pretty much my standard questions for all taxi drivers!
 
[FnG]magnolia said:
"You look nice tonight. Do you work out? Have any pics?"

"Actually, anime is NOT just cartoons which you would know if you weren't such a stupid gaijin! Let me tell you about why tentacles are integral to all story lines ..."

"Ï lust for the nuclear helldeath which Pressie Two Scoops will end the world with. Ask me why I'm still talking about Hillary Clinton!"

Yep, those are pretty much my standard questions for all taxi drivers!
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You've worn this so thin, you can see light through it.
 
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