Black taxi drivers

General Zod · 21-09-2009 10:03am

neuromancer wrote: »

Somewhat off topic, but Ireland looks to be a dumping ground for asylum seekers, and they get treated better than Irish folk.

They get nothing you wouldn't be entitled to as well.

RMD · 21-09-2009 10:10am

I like black taxi drivers, talk a lot less ****e than regular Irish taxi drivers who think they know the answer to every problem under the sun.

On a sidenote though, I'd say in the last 10 taxis I've gotten 2 max have been with black drivers. I get most of mine on the side of the street usually instead of ranks though which might be the reason why.

stop · 21-09-2009 10:11am

I just don't get in taxis that don't have a company name on the roof sign.

Mimikyu · 21-09-2009 10:32am

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phasers · 21-09-2009 10:33am

Never mind the blacks OP, what about them damn asians? Rice all over the cars and whatnot, it's an atrocimacy

Also on a serious note people telling taxi drivers to "Just find another job" don't seem to understand how the world works. Getting a job isn't easy ffs

Mimikyu · 21-09-2009 10:46am

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Nodin · 21-09-2009 10:47am

RMD wrote: »

I like black taxi drivers, talk a lot less ****e than regular Irish taxi drivers who think they know the answer to every problem under the sun.
.

Actually I've noticed that as Foreign drivers have become more common, they've become less talkative. Rather unfortunately, I'd say the kind of attitudes often expressed around here are at the root of it.

Epic Tissue · 21-09-2009 11:16am

Never had a problem with any of the taxis I get in, and I normally just get in the first one that comes

AnonoBoy · 21-09-2009 11:39am

Ban all taxis I say.

Let people walk home or cycle maybe we'll start shedding a few pounds then cause we all know we're turning into a nation of fat f*ckers.

I honestly can't believe people get so worked up about this. And there was me thinking that Ireland had progressed slightly but all it takes is a bit of a strain on the wallet before the racism comes floating back to the top of society's turgid stew.

Taxi drivers that whinge and moan about losing money can ask the back of me flaps for help so they can. We're all feeling the pinch you grumpy feckers - ye're not the only industry to be hit. I'm sick and tired of the lot of them and I'm even more sick and tired of you bigoted f*ckers trying to justify discriminating against people based on their skin colour with ludicrous claims about wanting drivers who don't use sat nav or who can't understand you or some sh*te. I've yet to meet one taxi driver who couldn't understand me enough to get me home.

Seriously feck off.

These threads are really starting to get on my t*ts. :mad:

Riamfada · 21-09-2009 11:49am

Ill probably be called racsist for this but whatever. I do alot of late night driving and I have noticed that foreign taxi drivers, particularly African drivers are highly agressive and dangerous on the roads. Its scary its like dodgems at times, while Irish taxis are notoriously bad for stopping wherever they like the African drivers make them look like learners.

Does that make me racist, I find it hard to tell nowadays.

blahblah06 · 21-09-2009 11:58am

your only noticing that because theres a lot more taxis on the road and they seem to be blacks more so than irish

Acacia · 21-09-2009 12:16pm

I don't really care. Same as I don't care about how alot of Chinese people work in the fast food industry, or Eastern Europeans in Spar. It shouldn't be a big deal at all really.

MIN2511 · 21-09-2009 12:38pm

I noticed this as well...

Right; i don't get into cabs driven by black men...
95% of the time i do, the men hit on me, are rude to me when i don't give them my number and tell them i am not interested. And insult me because i date white men. It has happened to many a times and i don't bother anymore...
Sometimes they take me the 'long' route; example: from my house to CFJ would cost me a tenner/less but with an African taxi driver it would cost me >€12(with no traffic) I always give the driver a tenner and tell him that he used the long route and i cannot justify paying him more.

AnonoBoy · 21-09-2009 12:41pm

Mr.S wrote: »

every time that i've gotten a black taxi, he has no idea where to go. And i'm talking no clue what so ever. Irish taxis for me.

Ok.

Black Taxis are what they have in London.

What we're talking about are black taxi drivers. Please stop referring to them as black taxis. It's stupid.

Anyways - I find it hard to believe that every single black taxi driver you've gotten has no idea where to go. How many black taxi drivers have you had drive you? Where were you going? Did you explain where the place was when they said they didn't know it as you would with an Irish driver or did you just mutter about "them damn fordiners"?

magicianz · 21-09-2009 12:45pm

Not racist but black taxi drivers are ruining the country. From being uninsured, rude, taking longer more expensive routes and then expecting you to pay a lot more than it should cost. Ive heard so many stories at this stage about them locking their doors because they expect people to pay more cause they took a longer route and aswell.....i was talking to an irish taxi driver and he told me that 4 black people would use one car for 24 hours a day and only 1 has a licence and insurance.

AnonoBoy · 21-09-2009 12:47pm

magicianz wrote: »

Not racist but black taxi drivers are ruining the country.

Honestly? Seriously?

I could have sworn it was Fianna Fail that were charged with that particular job.

Fighting Irish · 21-09-2009 12:48pm

I usually only use black taxi drivers because most times you go up to the window and say "Can you bring me home for €3?" they nearly always accept

MarkMI6 · 21-09-2009 12:50pm

MIN2511 wrote: »

I noticed this as well...

Right; i don't get into cabs driven by black men...
95% of the time i do, the men hit on me, are rude to me when i don't give them my number and tell them i am not interested. And insult me because i date white men. It has happened to many a times and i don't bother anymore...
Sometimes they take me the 'long' route; example: from my house to CFJ would cost me a tenner/less but with an African taxi driver it would cost me >€12(with no traffic) I always give the driver a tenner and tell him that he used the long route and i cannot justify paying him more.

Have to say I agree with MIN2511, so many of the blaxi drivers just take the piss and pretend not to know where they're going. Once a driver didn't know where Clanbrassil St was, so after ten mins of driving around almost in a circle around Georges St area I told him to pull over and I got out. Was a total joke.

I'd say the black drivers vote no in Lisbon as well

arybvtcw0eolkf · 21-09-2009 12:53pm

I eventually got a pain in the ring with the language barrier, loud music, always on their fvcking telephone during the entire journey, not knowing their way about Dublin etc, etc et-fvcking-c to the point that I will totally refuse to use a cab driven by a foreign national driver now.

Nothing to do with the colour of anyone's skin, I truely don't see a black man, or Asian etc and think they're any less a man than I - its more the colour of my money and the terrible, terrible service I've received in the past.

.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 21-09-2009 12:58pm

magicianz wrote: »

i was talking to an irish taxi driver and he told me that 4 black people would use one car for 24 hours a day and only 1 has a licence and insurance.

Thats only six hours per driver, they wouldn't make a penny.

I think your Irish driver was talking through his arse.

.

PapaQuebec · 21-09-2009 12:58pm

mikemac wrote: »

Sorry but that's your fault. Nobody forces anyone to endure a taxi driver. If you talk (why talk to them unless it's directions ) then to tell them to drive and you're in no mood for talking.
Same goes for the radio, I get them to turn it down/off most times. The taxi should have a card and it mentions a "quiet and peaceful journey" or words to that affect. So speak up

As for the reason they are skipped.
Irish drivers pass a garda vetting test but I'm sure there a few criminals driving taxis also, no system is perfect.
If an applicant presents themself from Africa how exactly are the gardai going to do a background check?
It's a new country and a new life and if they were a convicted criminal they certainly won't be telling the authorities here.

Check it out:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/8107039.stm

My understanding is that these figures are pretty representative of sub-saharan africa as a whole and that it's even worse in some countries!

Now ask me who I'd want my 17-year-old daughter in a taxi with!!

AnonoBoy · 21-09-2009 1:00pm

Mr.S wrote: »

I've had a couple, and bar 1 (because he had a GPS, he still had no idea where it was, i had to spell out the (very popular) street name.

I mean classic example, get into a taxi on O'Connell Street, tell the chap to bring me to Upper rathmines road (i mean ffs, its one of the main roads into the city centre from the south side, pritty much a straight road all the way) yet he had NO idea.

Always the same, I don't ask to be brought to complicated address, simple things! RDS in Ballsbridge for example, the guy had no clue where it was :rolleyes:

I've never had any taxi driver in Dublin not know where he was going. White, black or purple.

My anecdotal evidence is as good as anybody's.

AnonoBoy · 21-09-2009 1:02pm

Analia Rich Bandage wrote: »

I think your Irish driver was talking through his arse.

That's a very unusual thing for a taxi driver to do.

shampoosuicide · 21-09-2009 1:06pm

neuromancer wrote: »

as a taxi driver while not working, i notice alot of black taxi drivers crawling along hoping to get someone into there car, and turning in the street to drive past people. Sad tbh.

yeah, i've seen plenty of Irish drivers do that too.

some of the posts in this thread are pretty disgraceful

Mimikyu · 21-09-2009 1:07pm

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arybvtcw0eolkf · 21-09-2009 1:10pm

AnonoBoy wrote: »

That's a very unusual thing for a taxi driver to do.

At least the Irish driver does it in the Queen's English

.

AnonoBoy · 21-09-2009 1:11pm

Analia Rich Bandage wrote: »

At least the Irish driver does it in the Queen's English

.

I dunno could you call it that. I sometimes have a pretty hard time understanding the Irish taxi drivers myself.

21-09-2009 1:14pm

AnonoBoy wrote: »

I've never had any taxi driver in Dublin not know where he was going. White, black or purple.

My anecdotal evidence is as good as anybody's.

It's happened to me two or three times. Once with an Irish lad and once with a black lad. Both times I explained where I was going and it was grand. Although a few years ago I was in an Indian/Pakistani guys taxi and it took a while to explain because his accent was so strong!

I get taxi's quite a bit too from nights out and poker during the week.

The vast majority of driver's are bang on. The amount of 'dickhead' drivers that people go on about is a total exaggeration. It's just like any other profession (besides politician ofc

) - Most are grand, one or two are dicks.

Blowfish · 21-09-2009 1:22pm

blahblah06 wrote: »

I'm a taxi driver myself (Irish) and it's insane the amount of people that skip "black" drivers on the rank and when hailing them down.
I do feel awful when I see it happen but I suppose Irish people are like that.
Maybe it's to do with different nationality being successfull

Indeed. I was chatting to a pretty sound Irish taxi driver about this and he felt the same. The worst part he said was the fact that since legally he can't refuse a fare, when someone refuses to go with a black driver and gets into his car, he can't tell them to f off, much as he'd like to.

s14 silvia · 21-09-2009 1:26pm

AnonoBoy wrote: »

I've never had any taxi driver in Dublin not know where he was going. White, black or purple.

My anecdotal evidence is as good as anybody's.

Well been a taxi driver i find that impossable to beleave for a start lad:rolleyes:
The buisness has been flooded in the last 2 years with immagrants, from my personal experiance a very high percentage are rude constantly on the phone aggresive and dont or pretend not to know where there going.. This is truth and nothing to do with there colour!!!!
Also anyone like to tell me why they only appear at nite?

21-09-2009 1:31pm

s14 silvia wrote: »

Well been a taxi driver i find that impossable to beleave for a start lad:rolleyes:
The buisness has been flooded in the last 2 years with immagrants, from my personal experiance a very high percentage are rude constantly on the phone aggresive and dont or pretend not to know where there going.. This is truth and nothing to do with there colour!!!!
Also anyone like to tell me why they only appear at nite?

You're a taxi driver, how many taxis would you actually get? And how many of them would be from people other than mates?

You know, your fares going down in the last 2 years might have something to do with the auld recession. People don't have 20 euro to blow on a taxi every time they don't feel like waiting for a bus.

But no, it's obviously 'dem immagents'.

Zadkiel · 21-09-2009 1:31pm

s14 silvia wrote: »

Well been a taxi driver i find that impossable to beleave for a start lad:rolleyes:
The buisness has been flooded in the last 2 years with immagrants, from my personal experiance a very high percentage are rude constantly on the phone aggresive and dont or pretend not to know where there going.. This is truth and nothing to do with there colour!!!!
Also anyone like to tell me why they only appear at nite?

They don't.
That's Vampires your thinking of. Not a bad bunch of lads either.

faceman · 21-09-2009 1:31pm

magicianz wrote: »

Not racist but black taxi drivers are ruining the country. From being uninsured, rude, taking longer more expensive routes and then expecting you to pay a lot more than it should cost. Ive heard so many stories at this stage about them locking their doors because they expect people to pay more cause they took a longer route and aswell.....i was talking to an irish taxi driver and he told me that 4 black people would use one car for 24 hours a day and only 1 has a licence and insurance.

minidazzler wrote: »

I am not racist, but it makes sense to do this because Irish Taxi drivers are more likely to know the streets they have been living on for the last 20+ years.

"Im not a racist but...."

I find it sad that in a country where many generations of Irish emmigrants relied on the genourisity and welcome arms of other nations over the decades - USA, UK, Spain, Australia/New Zealand, many of us still spout this nonsense about so whimsically.

The above 2 posters as an example. So are you are saying is that you are not racist but you are going to make a massive generalised sweeping statement about people based on the colour of their skin?

Before the mass influx of of immigrants into Ireland occured, I can remember plenty of pub conversations about how awful taxi drivers were in Ireland. Overcharging, taking the pi$$ out of tourists, dodgy driving & routes and vehicles. It seems those myths exist, but only if you are black?

Neamhshuntasach · 21-09-2009 1:33pm

neuromancer wrote: »

Is it true they get a grant to get a car?

I was out looking at cars recently and in one of the yards i was talking to the owner. One of the cars was an ex taxi and lead onto talking about taxis. He said he had a Ghanian chap in looking to buy both a car and plate off him the week previous. He said the fella came back a few days later with a cheque from the Eastern Health Board for 10k. He told the owner he got it to help him get on his feet and into work. How true this is i don't know. The owner wasn't saying it in any malicious way though so can't see why he'd be making it up.

Capt'n Midnight · 21-09-2009 1:37pm

mikemac wrote: »

Irish drivers pass a garda vetting test but I'm sure there a few criminals driving taxis also, no system is perfect.
If an applicant presents themself from Africa how exactly are the gardai going to do a background check?
It's a new country and a new life and if they were a convicted criminal they certainly won't be telling the authorities here.

IIRC when they first deregulated taxi's here 30% of the applicants had criminal records. Not all criminals have records.
Didn't the Monk get a taxi license.

Zadkiel · 21-09-2009 1:38pm

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

I was out looking at cars recently and in one of the yards i was talking to the owner. One of the cars was an ex taxi and lead onto talking about taxis. He said he had a Ghanian chap in looking to buy both a car and plate off him the week previous. He said the fella came back a few days later with a cheque from the Eastern Health Board for 10k. He told the owner he got it to help him get on his feet and into work. How true this is i don't know. The owner wasn't saying it in any malicious way though so can't see why he'd be making it up.

But why would it be a Healthboard cheque to start him on a career path?
I find it hard to believe tbh.

javaboy · 21-09-2009 1:40pm

faceman wrote: »

The above 2 posters as an example. So are you are saying is that you are not racist but you are going to make a massive generalised sweeping statement about people based on the colour of their skin?

There's a million miles of difference between magicianz's post and minidazzler's. One is the usual bull. The other actually does make sense if you stop to think about it and don't just see the words "I'm not a racist but...." as a red flag.

Some facts:
Most people who have lived in Ireland for a long time are white skinned.
Most black people in Ireland have not lived here a long time.
People who have lived here a long time are more likely to know where they're going than people who haven't.

So it's reasonable and NOT RACIST to conclude that on balance, a white taxi driver is more likely to know their way around than a black taxi driver. It may be an uncomfortable fact for some people to deal with because there's colour involved but if you put those things aside you'll see it does make sense.

With all that said, I've never had to direct a taxi driver of any colour so the difference it makes is probably marginal. And with more regulation and testing and so many drivers now using sat navs, it will probably become a completely negligible difference before long.

tl;dr Not all generalisations even those based on skin colour are actually racist.

s14 silvia · 21-09-2009 1:41pm

Rojomcdojo wrote: »

You're a taxi driver, how many taxis would you actually get? And how many of them would be from people other than mates?

NONE, i like to know who is bringing me home;)

You know, your fares going down in the last 2 years might have something to do with the auld recession. People don't have 20 euro to blow on a taxi every time they don't feel like waiting for a bus.

I dont remember saying anything about money here:P i do well and work hard for what i get, i did'nt say i dont make enough money or immagrints affect my earnings:rolleyes: and fares increased in the last 2 years please learn your facts and read posts properly before posting:p

s14 silvia · 21-09-2009 1:43pm

Zadkiel wrote: »

But why would it be a Healthboard cheque to start him on a career path?
I find it hard to believe tbh.

Dont be so nieave, its comon knowledge and fact..

Blowfish · 21-09-2009 1:46pm

s14 silvia wrote: »

Dont be so nieave, its comon knowledge and fact..

If it's a fact, it must be provable. So prove it.

Neamhshuntasach · 21-09-2009 1:46pm

A majority of the taxi's i seem to end up in tend to be driven by African drivers. I'll never check to see what color a person is as i don't care because i've never had any bad experiences with them. I'd generally only use a taxi when heading home and i know which way to go. It's the way i'd drive. I'm not gonna let anybody try bring me another way and i know how much it should roughly cost. I'm no taxi driver but i can read a meter.

Lord Nikon · 21-09-2009 1:46pm

For the record I am not a racist, and work with many people from different nationalities. I have no problem at all.

Maybe my problem I see it, is with black taxi drivers, not black people in general. Actually now that I think of it I'm also annoyed with the government too with how accomodating they are with asylum seekers in general.

Ireland is hardly a huge country with great magnitude, and allowing asylum seekers from a country 10x the size of Ireland flood the gates is hardly wise. Ireland has it's own problems with looking after it's people.

Most of these asylum seekers are indeed black, yes, but they join our welfare system quite easily, and the taxi industry welcoming them with open arms only makes it harder for other taxi drivers to make a living.

Neamhshuntasach · 21-09-2009 1:51pm

Zadkiel wrote: »

But why would it be a Healthboard cheque to start him on a career path?
I find it hard to believe tbh.

Not sure but i've a mate who had a fine to pay back for damaging a pub and he went to the HSE and said he couldn't afford it etc etc and he got a cheque from them. So they do seem to issue money for none health reasons. If the fella had of been saying it in a malicious complaining type of way i'd have been suspicious of it straight away. But he was joking about it saying he might give it a go himself. He quickly dropped the topic and talked about cars again.

faceman · 21-09-2009 2:09pm

javaboy wrote: »

There's a million miles of difference between magicianz's post and minidazzler's. One is the usual bull. The other actually does make sense if you stop to think about it and don't just see the words "I'm not a racist but...." as a red flag.

Some facts:
Most people who have lived in Ireland for a long time are white skinned.
Most black people in Ireland have not lived here a long time.
People who have lived here a long time are more likely to know where they're going than people who haven't.

So it's reasonable and NOT RACIST to conclude that on balance, a white taxi driver is more likely to know their way around than a black taxi driver. It may be an uncomfortable fact for some people to deal with because there's colour involved but if you put those things aside you'll see it does make sense.

With all that said, I've never had to direct a taxi driver of any colour so the difference it makes is probably marginal. And with more regulation and testing and so many drivers now using sat navs, it will probably become a completely negligible difference before long.

tl;dr Not all generalisations even those based on skin colour are actually racist.

It can be fluffed up anyway that suits, but it is still a massive generalisation about people based on skin colour (both white and black people). It makes the assumption that all white irish taxi drivers know where they are going. If that were the case, why do so many Irish taxis use GPS devices?

If a taxi driver doesnt know the best route to a location and doesnt have a GPS, is the reason for his incompetence down to his skin colour, his lack of training or his lack of experience driving the route?

Has a study been done into quality of taxi driving based on skin colour? Id imagine not. everything else is just anecdotal and unfortunately anecdotal stories tend to give a false perception of reality.

Not having a pop at you javaboy, i understand your point and your comment about not everying being racist. Unfortunately these threads just seem to bring out the worst in people.

Just dont get me started on culchie taxi drivers....

Zadkiel · 21-09-2009 2:09pm

s14 silvia wrote: »

Dont be so nieave, its comon knowledge and fact..

Can you give some non anecdotal evidence?

AnonoBoy · 21-09-2009 2:16pm

s14 silvia wrote: »

Well been a taxi driver i find that impossable to beleave for a start.

Well it's true. Sorry to not be able to jump on your lovely xenophobic band wagon but as you have admitted you don't get taxis home with anyone other than your mates so how would you know how black taxi drivers behave? You only have it second hand.

Actually I did have a taxi driver not know where an estate was once. But I didn't know either so he looked up a map and we found it no hassle. Alas the taxi driver was a Dub so I'm sure you won't want to believe that either.

thehomeofDob · 21-09-2009 2:23pm

I got in a taxi saturday night - black driver. He knew where he was going and kept his mouth shut so the g/f and I could chat. Up comes a garda alco check - the guys pretends he doesn't know what to do. He keeps up this story so much that the guard was about to arrest him for feck sake. Then he does it properly and we get on our way. I thought he was probably new to it and let it slide till I looked at his license, he's been a taxi man since 2004. I hardly believe he's never been breathalysed ffs. He only played the "i'm foreign and don't understand" because he'd get an extra couple of quid - no tip for him.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 21-09-2009 2:27pm

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

I'm no taxi driver but i can read a meter.

I wish I could read your bloody username!.

.

21-09-2009 2:47pm

thehomeofDob wrote: »

I got in a taxi saturday night - black driver. He knew where he was going and kept his mouth shut so the g/f and I could chat. Up comes a garda alco check - the guys pretends he doesn't know what to do. He keeps up this story so much that the guard was about to arrest him for feck sake. Then he does it properly and we get on our way. I thought he was probably new to it and let it slide till I looked at his license, he's been a taxi man since 2004. I hardly believe he's never been breathalysed ffs. He only played the "i'm foreign and don't understand" because he'd get an extra couple of quid - no tip for him.

Would I be right in thinking you could have asked him to stop the meter?

Even if it's not a right or anything I'm sure 99.9% of drivers would comply

Nodin · 21-09-2009 3:09pm

Neamhshuntasach wrote: »

I was out looking at cars recently and in one of the yards i was talking to the owner. One of the cars was an ex taxi and lead onto talking about taxis. He said he had a Ghanian chap in looking to buy both a car and plate off him the week previous. He said the fella came back a few days later with a cheque from the Eastern Health Board for 10k. He told the owner he got it to help him get on his feet and into work. How true this is i don't know. The owner wasn't saying it in any malicious way though so can't see why he'd be making it up.

The last time this was posted, it was a Nigerian. And funny enough, they swore blind it was true too. Tis crap, pure and simple.

Black taxi drivers

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