Altercation with a London Cabbie

skiba

skiba

skiba

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Need some advice on a situation:

My girlfriend jumped in a cab on Regent Street heading back to her house in Knightsbridge, the cabbie started to turn around and head towards Oxford Street so she (well within her rights from what I understand) said,
"Wouldn't it be quicker going down Piccadilly".
He then replied, "Let me drive or you can get out of the car, if you want to direct me you can get out" etc.
She then said, "Whats your problem, I only asked a question and i'm allowed to suggest a route".
He replied, "if you're going to direct me you can get out of the car".
This continued until he pulled over and said "get out", so she said fine, "i'm just getting a pen to write down your cab number to report you", he kept shouting so (stupidly) she called him an *** hole. He then proceeded to lock the doors and wouldn't unlock them when she demanded that he let her out. Eventually after threatening to call the police he called her some more expetives and unlocked the door, she got out and he sped off with the door wide open.

So...the question is, was she within her rights to suggest a route? Should she report him? Ok up until he locks the door, that was pretty stupid....Anything else to consider? Worth noting that i've never known my gf to be rude or come across anything like rude (despite the fact she is from New York).
 
as far as i know your well within you right to suggest a route especially if you know its quicker cabbie sounds like he was trying to take her for more than the ride would have been worth .
 
Cabbie hears American accent > Cabbie sees pound signs > Cabbie realises Punter knows her way around > Cabbie gets the hump :mad:

Reporting it will do nothing apart from maybe make your GF feel better.
 
Doubt anything would be done about it, she should have just got out when he started being an idiot and not paid anything for the distance gone so far.
 
So...the question is, was she within her rights to suggest a route?
Click to expand...
- put it this way, how would you feel if the person who sits next to you at work constantly suggests how you "could" do your job?

He was wrong to lock the doors, I can sympathise with how your gf must have felt..

Having said the above I think he only locked the doors and started the verbal abuse because it had gone to far by then, so he kinda lost it...which I think was unprofessional of him/her...

Also you know sometimes people with accents can come across a bit rude because of how they say certain words, its easy to misintrepret somebodys kind gestures..

I think its handbags at the end of the day

But I do think he shouldnt have locked the doors or verbally abused her...Its one of those things...if she had got into 10 cabs and suggested routes perhaps 7-8 cabbies wouldnt have minded and if they had would have told her in a more diplomatic manner...also dont think it would have gone as far as locking the doors...

hope that helps
 
I'd report him to the Public Carriage Office, quoting his license number. I'm training to be a black cabbie at the moment and I hate these sort of people who give the profession a bad name. What I would have done was tell (not suggest) the route to go. He's still out of order though. As for the doors, they do lock while the cab is in motion anyway.
 
RossG said:
I'd report him to the Public Carriage Office, quoting his license number. I'm training to be a black cabbie at the moment and I hate these sort of people who give the profession a bad name. What I would have done was tell (not suggest) the route to go. He's still out of order though. As for the doors, they do lock while the cab is in motion anyway.
Click to expand...

Thanks for all the replies, good to hear from a cabbie in training too. To be honest I think it's not worth her time but it was a bad reaction and he should be told not to do it again, if nothing else but so as not to tarnish the image of the thousands of other good cabbies in London.
 
skiba said:
So...the question is, was she within her rights to suggest a route? Should she report him? Ok up until he locks the door, that was pretty stupid....Anything else to consider? Worth noting that i've never known my gf to be rude or come across anything like rude (despite the fact she is from New York).
Click to expand...

Don't look at us for answers, fortunately legislation doesn't reach as far as what you are and aren't allowed to say to cabbies
 
xirokx said:
- put it this way, how would you feel if the person who sits next to you at work constantly suggests how you "could" do your job?
Click to expand...

Not how it was though, is it? She's a paying customer and entitled to say so if she thinks not everything is fair.
 
as i said sounds like he was tapping her up for more money than the trip was worth by going a longer way well within her rights to suggest a cheaper route its her money.

and if a person was sitting next to me advising how to do my job in a way that would save me time and money wouldnt bother me.
 
I would personally report him.

If it's happened as has been suggested I can certainly see why a female passenger on her own would be worried/upset about it (especially when he locked the doors).

Don't most black cabs these days have a CCTV camera in them for the protection of the driver...
 
Report it to the cabbie office, I’m gonna google it for you soon,

They will take it seriously, i know as I did apply for cabbie license once.

He can get his license taken away for something like that.

Behaviour like that is unacceptable.

Don’t just live it alone like that.

Cab drivers must use the shortest route.

Since she has his cab license number/plate number it will be easy for you to complain.


https://www.tfl.gov.uk/tfl/contact/pco/

Go to this website and submit your complain.
 
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