Taxis and those little orange coloured plastic shiny things

santry_goonshow · 20-05-2008 11:27pm #1

Hmm not a rant. But a close shave on the old N1 going south out of Swords today has me posting about our fine cadre of taxi drivers.

If you are a taxi driver do you know what that little lever under your steering wheel is? Rumour has it that its a device that makes a shiny orange light come on at the outside of your vehicle. And the wonder doesn't end - the light is needed when you wish to turn, change direction and change lane. No sh1t.:p And it seems other road users(remember them?), but don't quote me, need to see these little signals in order to arrive home alive.

Chinafoot · 20-05-2008 11:56pm

Better suited to Commuting & Transport.

aidan_walsh · 20-05-2008 11:57pm

Noticed plenty of other drivers forgetting to use them as well, care to rant about those?

Cocoon · 21-05-2008 12:13am

Give the Taxi drivers a break, god knows they have it hard enough at the moment.

The driver in question probably didn't have indicators in the country he came from and possibly hasn't slept in 3 Days.

Ham'nd'egger · 21-05-2008 1:27am

It is worthwhile to note, Santry Goon, that indicators are just that; indications of intent. They are not actual legal declarations that you are going in any direction so don't trust them.

Taxi drivers are guilty in cases of not using them; so are buses, vans, trucks, panda cars,fork lifts, bikes, nuns, Micra drivers, scumbag boy racers, etc etc; in short all motorists.:)

By the way, you may note that few cars if any have indicators underneath the steering wheel. Last time I reached under mine I found a red-purple bulb; the less said about that the better

HydeRoad · 21-05-2008 2:51am

I have no doubt that many taxi drivers don't use indicators enough, no moreso than any other class of driver. I have no doubt either, that many drivers drive too close to taxis, and everyone else, and do not allow room for people to make manoeuvres. You should indicate your intent. But you should be aware of other people's need to turn or change lanes, perhaps unexpectedly. Indicators are just that, an indication. Did it occur to you that some people deliberately accelerate up to someone to cut them off the moment an indicator appears? Ask any bus driver, and ask any taxi driver.

I wonder was santry_goonshow fully aware of all the hazards on the road facing him, AND facing the taxi driver he encountered? It takes two to cause a collision. A good driver is not just aware of the road ahead of him - he is also aware of the road ahead of the OTHER driver. That doesn't excuse bad manners or deliberately dangerous driving by anyone. But being aware is being ready. When your car is written off, it's no good saying the other driver didn't indicate - you are supposed to leave room for any reasonable eventuality.

Do share with us the actual circumstances of the near miss. We might all learn something from it, and it might actually justify your original rather banal posting.

dogmatix · 21-05-2008 9:28am

As a former cycle commuter I can say without contradiction that taxi drivers are the worst offenders with regards to non-use of indicators, closely followed by (male) BMW drivers. Dublin bus buses are the least offenders.

And as far as i'm aware it is a legal requirement that you must use your indicators to indicate any change of course - certainly if you are turning right or left at a junction. You can be fined by a guard if you are caught (but not penalty pointed).

Zoney · 21-05-2008 9:38am

What hope of proper use of indicators when so many vehicles don't even have working both headlights or tail lights working properly. It should be a very rare occurance to see someone with a light out after dark, but it is in fact very common indeed.

markpb · 21-05-2008 11:59am

As a current cycle commuter I can join the taxi bashing brigade but... I think they only appear worse than other drivers because they change lanes more often than a regular driver stuck in traffic will. Leaving that aside, the general standard of taxi driving in Dublin does leave a lot to be desired, last minute lane changes because a bus has stopped or a pedestrian has waved you down are incredibly dangerous.

traco · 21-05-2008 1:48pm

As a 30k mile / 45k km a year driver I can also say that taxi drivers are the worst in terms of fellow road user consideration and common courtesy which is a shame consdering driving is their profession. Anyone drving for a living has no excuse - white van man, bus, truck or sales rep - all should lead by example.

I was in town a few weeks ago on a saturday night around 8pm on Upper baggot street. A taxi on the left after dropping someone, in fairness used his indicator to pull out so I waited and let him out, he pulled accross my lane and into the outside lane to turn right up Waterloo road.

Grand, lights go green and someone on footpath on the left raised their hand for a taxi. The genius on my right with right turn indicator on floors it and accelerates accross in front of me to collect his fare. Thats the stupidity that gets them the criticism. I was livid but as herself and friends were in the car I didn't stop to pull him on it.

For such an organised body when it comes to protest and maoning you would expect that they should be self policing on their own members driving and they might get some more support.

Anyway - an indicator as some said is a signal of intent to alert other drivers, it does not give you the right to move as seems to be another misunderstanding of their purpose.

Drving in this city could be greatly improved with some simple consderation for others. Courtesy costs nothing.

Wishbone Ash · 21-05-2008 2:41pm

santry_goonshow wrote: »

the old N1 going south out of Swords

It was rebadged as the R132 5 years ago.

....and, as others have said, indicator lights are merely an indication of intention. You should never base you manoeuvre on an indicator light or lack of one.

Colonel Sanders · 21-05-2008 4:21pm

a lot of drivers are guilty of non use of indicators but i agree taxi rivers are especially bad.

What annoys me more is people no knowing the difference between a green arrow and a green light. I've lost count of the amount of times i have crossed (with the green man on) and nearly been run over by a driver who either didn't realise or didn't care that the arrow pointing straight ahead meant you could only go straight ahead and not make a right turn either

santry_goonshow · 21-05-2008 8:26pm

Okay lets clear this up
- I don't believe the taxi driver was a foreigner looked local. But Dubliners themselves are probably just as guilty of non-indication as anyone else if not more so

- I can see the taxi lobby are on here. How is it "hard enough on them already" in relation to bad driving?

- He overtook me on a dual carriageway (i.e. separate lanes) southbound b/t malahide and pinnock hill roundabouts. He then slowed a bit and I caught up gradually then he veered suddenly across into my lane leaving me with NO reaction time and I had to slam on and veer into the hard shoulder a wee bit to avoid collision. He carried on oblivious to me and then used the left hand lane of the dual carriageway to go back into Swords via a right-hand manouvre around the roundabout which is also illegal. I am aware indicators are just that (the intention not the right to change) but they sure do help if you want to drive at high speed winnow out of your lane and screw up the roundabout manouvre.

I didn't notice if he had a fare in the back putting him under pressure but that kind of driving is unacceptable

the boss of me · 21-05-2008 9:03pm

santry_goonshow wrote: »

- He overtook me on a dual carriageway (i.e. separate lanes) southbound b/t malahide and pinnock hill roundabouts. He then slowed a bit and I caught up gradually then he veered suddenly across into my lane leaving me with NO reaction time and I had to slam on and veer into the hard shoulder a wee bit to avoid collision.

Sounds like you were undertaking ie. overtaking on the inside. So maybe the taxidriver was a ****e driver but by your own description of what happened you seem to share some of the blame.

L1011 · 21-05-2008 9:10pm

He hadn't passed the other car, clearly, or else it'd have gone in to the side of him or behind him. Hence he wasn't undertaking. Moving to undertake, possibly, but not undertaking.

the boss of me · 21-05-2008 9:22pm

MYOB wrote: »

Moving to undertake, possibly, but not undertaking.

I don't think you can distinguish between the two..Obviously the Op had crept up on the inside of the taxi and when the taxi moved to the left the op had to take evasive action.

If the OP wanted to overtake he can only do it on the right, otherwise he should stay behind and keep his distance.

L1011 · 21-05-2008 9:41pm

Thats good driving practice, but its not the law - pulling level isn't passing and its sometimes the only way you can make a lane hog aware of your presence (such as when theres another complacent lane hog behind them...)

the boss of me · 21-05-2008 10:20pm

MYOB wrote: »

Thats good driving practice, but its not the law - pulling level isn't passing and its sometimes the only way you can make a lane hog aware of your presence (such as when theres another complacent lane hog behind them...)

The incident happened on a short stretch of Rd

He overtook me on a dual carriageway (i.e. separate lanes) southbound b/t malahide and pinnock hill roundabouts

Absolutely no need to make the road hog aware of his presence. It takes about 25 seconds from one roundabout to the other, sit back and relax:) it aint a race.....

santry_goonshow · 21-05-2008 10:40pm

the boss of me wrote: »

Sounds like you were undertaking ie. overtaking on the inside. So maybe the taxidriver was a ****e driver but by your own description of what happened you seem to share some of the blame.

No, I wasn't past him, in fact I was slowing down a bit in response to him slowing down and I was going by the defensive driving textbook. If I hadn't the idiot would have caused an accident. In any case nobody has a right to change lane unless it is safe to do so. Had it been in court because of a collision he would have been done for failing to look in his mirrors or signal.

Ham'nd'egger · 22-05-2008 12:02am

santry_goonshow wrote: »

No, I wasn't past him, in fact I was slowing down a bit in response to him slowing down and I was going by the defensive driving textbook. If I hadn't the idiot would have caused an accident. In any case nobody has a right to change lane unless it is safe to do so. Had it been in court because of a collision he would have been done for failing to look in his mirrors or signal.

While looking and using mirrors while driving are common sense essentials when driving, I don't think that the crime of not using them is yet on the Statute Books

santry_goonshow · 22-05-2008 12:54am

Hamndegger wrote: »

While looking and using mirrors while driving are common sense essentials when driving, I don't think that the crime of not using them is yet on the Statute Books

Perhaps check out what the Gardai and the RSA define as "Reckless Driving"

HydeRoad · 22-05-2008 1:13am

I fail to see what difference it makes that it was a taxi driver. It could just as easily have been a bus driver, a lorry driver, an L driver, or indeed any mechanically propelled vehicle driven by a human of any race, colour or creed.

The driver of a public service vehicle should be more aware than most, and more disciplined. However, I drive a taxi mostly at night. I am very rigid about proper driving practice and watching out for others. Yet I would say, from my own nightly observation, that less than half of all private motorists are paying more than scant regard to the road or other road users.

You cannot change human behaviour. There will always be bad drivers, whatever they are driving. All you can do, is mind your own Ps and Qs, look after your own driving, and be aware of others.

santry_goonshow · 22-05-2008 1:27am

HydeRoad wrote: »

I fail to see what difference it makes that it was a taxi driver. It could just as easily have been a bus driver, a lorry driver, an L driver, or indeed any mechanically propelled vehicle driven by a human of any race, colour or creed.

The driver of a public service vehicle should be more aware than most, and more disciplined. However, I drive a taxi mostly at night. I am very rigid about proper driving practice and watching out for others. Yet I would say, from my own nightly observation, that less than half of all private motorists are paying more than scant regard to the road or other road users.

You cannot change human behaviour. There will always be bad drivers, whatever they are driving. All you can do, is mind your own Ps and Qs, look after your own driving, and be aware of others.

If I hadn't been watching them there would have been a collision. Simple as.

However, you are right of course becoz there are too many poor drivers on the roads but perhaps taxi geezers should watch their tiredness and road manners a bit better as they are out there a lot and have a bigger effect on the public than someone who drives 20 mins a day.

Taxis and those little orange coloured plastic shiny things

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