Rude & Abusive Taxi Driver

The Scientist wrote: »

From the Taxi Regulator FAQ's:

Can i request which route to take?

Yes. As a consumer you are entitled to choose the route to take. If the Taxi driver suggests another way then you are entitled to take control of the wheel by any means nessessary.

biko wrote: »

http://www.taxiregulator.ie/about/contact-us/contact-us.html

Chipnick wrote: »

Hi all. I firstly want to put out the word on this man and also to ask whether any of you have been in a similar situation.

I hailed a taxi yesterday evening at 5.30pm to take me from work (Dublin 4 area) to Griffith College (Dublin 8) where I am a student for my 6pm class. As I only attend on Tuesdays and don't drive to work and have a half hour window to make it on time, it makes sense for me to get a taxi outside my work.

I got into this taxi and told the driver where I was going. In between general weather chit chat, he asked me if I worked for a particular company whose offices were across from where he picked me up. I replied no, that I work in another office in the area (wasn't going to tell him exactly WHERE though!). I then conversationally mentioned a minute later that I had a specific way I would go to avoid missing my class once we got to the top of the road we were on and I would direct him from there as I didn't 100% know the names of all of the streets (a perfectly legal route, just a shortcut to avoid traffic and an exhorbitant fee which was pointed out to me by a lovely taxi driver a few months back). The moment I said this, the atmosphere changed which I felt but kept quiet.

We got to the top of the street and I asked him to do a right then sharp left rather than follow round to the left. He shouted at me 'you do not tell me which way we are going, I do tell YOU which route we are taking, ok. It is the law'. This was said in a very menancing tone. I was shocked and then angered at the way he was treating me and asked him if he was trying to say to me that he was going to force me to go a route I didn't want to go. He said he didn't like my tone and the way I was speaking to him and told me to get out of the car (in my defence, I am a polite, chatty girl and I make a point of saying please and thank you). I replied that it was infact he who had the attitude particularly since I mentioned that I had a route I liked to take. He continued shouting at me and told me to get out again (I was gathering my jacket and bag at the time and taking off the seatbelt).
I got out and took a mental note of his number. He then proceeded to do a swift u-turn on this tiny street and almost hit me in the process.
He drove a navy coloured, really old car (the door was practically hanging off) and I have his number but not sure of the implications of naming and shaming him here.
Thanks for reading