Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Taxi drivers in Galway

  • 06-03-2007 3:20pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 5,199 ✭✭✭muppetkiller


    :mad: What is it with all the new taxi drivers in Galway at the moment that have no idea of the city ? Surely you need to have some basic knowledge of he city before you can get this job ?

    I say this as for the second time in a week the Taxi driver bringing me to Parkmore misses the turn off on the Tuam road and then expects me to pay the extra 3-4 euros on the fare...I mean how many hundreds of people work in Parkmore and surrounding estates ?

    He then proceeded to give me the wrong change ???

    A great start to my day...
    Time to get the car I think...


«13

Comments

  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,356 ✭✭✭Donegal Lass


    worse is the taxi drivers that think that YOU dont know where you're going and take the long way around seemingly unaware that you live in the city and know the shortcuts as well as he does!!!:mad:


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,199 ✭✭✭muppetkiller


    Yip had those too :D
    I mean if you don't know the city at least have a GPS system or something ...


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,178 ✭✭✭Fozzie Bear


    Anyone got an opinion on black taxi drivers and the alleged racist abuse they are getting??

    I have two experiences of this alleged abuse... The first i was waiting for a taxi one wet and cold saturday night in the rank on Crossstreet. There was about 40ish odd people in the queue and we had been there 15 minutes at this stage. Then a taxi pulls up and two ladies walk across from Supermacs and hop straight into the taxi without queuing. Naturally there is absolute uproar and three girls from a hen who's place they took step out in front of the taxi and refuse to let it move off because he has just watched these two jump the entire queue and get into his taxi. Out jumps the driver and naturally the first thing he does is play the big bad race card. We are all racist because he is a black man and don't want him to earn a living blah, blah, blah..... If the dumb fu*k kicked the two trollops who jumped the queue out then there would have been no problem. But no he stood there and shouted abuse at the people in the queue because we were all "racist Irish people".

    The other example i seen was of a black taxi driver jumping the actual queue of taxi's in the rank in Eyre square and attempting to pull in at the head of the queue. Again the racist card was played and his fellow taxi drivers were racist and did not want him to earn a living etc. Only in this case he had to back down and drove off with his tail between his legs.

    If that's racism then I'm a member of the KKK lads and lassies... If they can't obey the rules then they are fair game for people to vent their anger and they have no right what so ever to accuse me or Galway people of being racist.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,199 ✭✭✭muppetkiller


    I didn't want to mention it for fear of the PC brigade but yes my issues are mainly with the taxi drivers of African origin ( is that safe).
    Not all I might add as I also had the cheapest fair with one chap who was well sound :D


  • Registered Users Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    Out jumps the driver and naturally the first thing he does is play the big bad race card. We are all racist because he is a black man and don't want him to earn a living blah, blah, blah.....
    I've only had a black taxi driver once and he was sound, we had a great chat in the car. I wouldn't be surprised if he'd been getting so much grief doing that job that he just fliped, maybe he's just a tool I don't know. He was completely in the wrong though. These guys should be trained I know there not.

    I got a lift off a local who'd been out of the country he was an oldish guy just making a few yoyos. He hadn't a clue where most the new estates where (freely admited it) and said it's made even more difficult with the Irish names (even though he was fluent in Irish).

    Galway is a fast growing city Just look on Google earth there are large parts of the outskirts are just building sites 2-3 years ago.

    I don't know why we don't have proper taxi companys like the yellow cab in places like New York you'd have someone to blame then all Irish taxi drivers are just cowboys they can do what they like.
    I didn't want to mention it for fear of the PC brigade but yes my issues are mainly with the taxi drivers of African origin ( is that safe).
    No you have to be specific to the country in Africa he came from but then your being that isim that's country rather than race. You bastard. :p


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 3,594 ✭✭✭forbairt


    What I'd love to know is ... how on earth I can get charged 3 different prices for the same journey ... roughly same times ...

    actually the cheapest was late at night / morning coming home after the pub which I'd have assumed would cost a bit more ...


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,711 ✭✭✭Redhairedguy


    My only experiences with black drivers always end up with me being over-charged by about 3 quid. Usually i wouldn't complain, but when it happens enough times you don't really put up with it.

    And of course i was accused of being racist and trying to con the driver out of money.


  • Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    I've no preference black/white/Paddy/foreign just as long as they take me home when I'm drunk and don't try to con me (I've yet to experience this).
    I find the new ones bothersome since they don't know the ins and outs of the city yet.

    My fav is one Mayo woman that has the thickest bog accent in Ireland, bless her heart :D

    One fella was taking me to work one morning and got the wrong estate. I pointed this out to him and he asked how much the fare usually was. 8 euros I said and he then charged me 8. Sound guy.


  • Registered Users Posts: 868 ✭✭✭DonalN


    I've only gotten one lift off a black taxi driver - it was from Salthill - I flagged him down (didn't notice he already had a passenger - blame the beer) and he stopped. I told him where I wanted to go, he mumbled something while shaking his head and drove off, but stopped after a few meters and reversed. Said he would take me. I hopped in and listened to himself and yer man having a great ol laugh about something all the way to my house.

    When he pulled in the drive he took a left and mounted the car up on the lawn! Himself and yer man had a great laugh about it, but I did not find this at all funny and hurled plenty of abuse about the tyre marks on the lawn. Told him Ito F**k off and I wasn't paying.

    That's my story.

    G'luk.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,199 ✭✭✭muppetkiller


    Ok this has kinda gone the way of the race card but does anyone here know if a Taxi driver has to pass some test ? To verify they can navigate the city before they get the job ?


  • Advertisement
  • Closed Accounts Posts: 29,130 ✭✭✭✭Karl Hungus


    I'll take it we've all read this article, right?

    So-called "Racism" makes good headlines, and this is from the same people who came up with that story about the man bringing a donkey to a hotel room, so I'd take it with a pinch of salt. Journalistically speaking, it's painfully one-sided and seems to be making ridiculous, and factually inaccurate claims.

    Anyone here seen Galway taxi companies "Use the fact they have no black drivers as a marketing tool to attract customers"? :rolleyes:

    I would say that a lot of people who'd pass over an African taxi driver in a rank would do so because of having a bad past experience. I'd mirror Redhairedguy's story of being suspiciously overcharged by a few quid, this has happened to me once before. Thankfully I don't take taxis all that often anyway.

    There's two sides to the coin in this, I'm afraid.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 6,414 ✭✭✭kraggy


    Ok this has kinda gone the way of the race card but does anyone here know if a Taxi driver has to pass some test ? To verify they can navigate the city before they get the job ?

    Yes. You have 3 tests (in one sitting i think).

    1.Rules of the Road
    2.Geography of Galway
    3.PSV Regulations and Taxi fare regulations.

    k.


  • Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,550 Mod ✭✭✭✭Robbo


    Last time I was down in Galway I had to explain to the swarthy cabbie where and what the Corrib Great Southern was.

    Top tip: If a taxi driver tries to hose you on the fare or does something else repugnant, threaten to go to the carriage office and complain. This also works if they do something stupid regarding the rules of the road.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,215 ✭✭✭galah


    funny, the only taxi drivers who tried to rip me off were born-and-bred Irish. And they only tried after they found out I wasn't from around this neck of the woods (even though I've lived in Galway for 5 years in total, and there's a slight Galway accent present...). One particularly cheeky driver wanted 10 (ten) Euros for the ride from Roisins to Ocean Wave. TEN Euros!!! Told him I wouldn't pay that, since the fare was usually around a fiver. He agreed...

    I can only imagine how badly tourists who don't know their way around Galway must be ripped off though...


  • Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    Next time I'll play the ignorant tourist and see if they try to rip me off.
    *adjusts hidden camera*


  • Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 10,550 Mod ✭✭✭✭Robbo


    biko wrote:
    Next time I'll play the ignorant tourist and see if they try to rip me off.
    *adjusts hidden camera*
    Novelty oversized cowboy hat?




  • It's odd how nobody has pointed out the lack of female taxi drivers. I've only ever had one in my whole life. and not in that way you dirty, dirty bastards


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,215 ✭✭✭galah


    they usually only drive during the day, for (from my point of view) obvious reasons...


  • Registered Users Posts: 868 ✭✭✭DonalN


    I've had a couple (and again, not in that way!)....and they scared me.....


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,711 ✭✭✭Redhairedguy


    DonalN wrote:
    ....and they scared me.....

    I have to admit any taxi ride i've had with a female driver has been somewhat uncomfortable (atmosphere-wise) I'm not being sexist or anything, but they seemed less tolerant of the idle chat that all cabbie's must embrace.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 81,223 ✭✭✭✭biko


    I've had three or four FMTD in town, all good like


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 12 smellbreath


    the african fellas i've had have all been fine to be fair. and i get a lot of cabs.


  • Registered Users Posts: 5,199 ✭✭✭muppetkiller


    Ya the women seem to work the morning shifts..and I have the opposite problem whenever I get them they wont shut up :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 29,930 ✭✭✭✭TerrorFirmer


    I have to admit any taxi ride i've had with a female driver has been somewhat uncomfortable (atmosphere-wise) I'm not being sexist or anything, but they seemed less tolerant of the idle chat that all cabbie's must embrace.

    I despise that 'idle' (i.e. predictable uncomfortable banter) chat. Although getting cabs from Ocean in Oranmore, I've gotten a female driver a good few times - during the day, never at night, but I suppose that's for obvious reasons. I think it's only the one woman though...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 29,130 ✭✭✭✭Karl Hungus


    Yes, I too have had female drivers in the past. As noted, only in the day time. ;)

    Can't say there was anything awkward about it though.


  • Registered Users Posts: 15,815 ✭✭✭✭po0k


    Get bicycles.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,215 ✭✭✭galah


    and get killed on Galway's roads? Are you crazy? :D


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,478 ✭✭✭padi89


    galah wrote:
    and get killed on Galway's roads?

    How???????? the traffic doesnt move around here,you'll be fine on a bike.
    Having said that Galways cyclists are terrible for obeying traffic lights.


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,215 ✭✭✭galah


    true. Then again, I would not want to be on a bike going down, say Tuam Road towards town, or anywhere on Bohermore, or Dublin Road...It's suicide...

    Galway cyclists don't use lights on their bike either. Sure fire way to get killed someday.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 15,815 ✭✭✭✭po0k


    Way to make sweeping generalisations.


Advertisement