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Taxi drivers in Galway

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 939 ✭✭✭Aurora Borealis


    It may not be wrong per se but it encourages a "them and us" mindset which is to be avoided in my opinion.


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,198 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    It may not be wrong per se but it encourages a "them and us" mindset which is to be avoided in my opinion.

    It's your opinion which you're entitled to, but they're doing nothing wrong and those signs clearly aint coming off the cars. Infact, it's been great advertising for them with all the media attention lately


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 13,252 ✭✭✭✭Madame Razz


    JohnCleary wrote: »
    What's wrong with it?

    What do you mean 'how do they get away with that?' - Sure all they're doing is stating a fact. Just like if I put a sign on the side of my car "I'm male and im white" - I'm stating a fact.... OMG HOW COULD I GET AWAY WITH IT???!?!!??!!?!?!?eleventyone

    Get over it

    Theres nothing wrong with it per se, but its the implication of the statement rather than what it actually states; its a sort of veiled racism.

    I know a lot of the Irish drivers are bitter. Maybe they have a right to be; i dont know enough to comment on that; but i think signs like that cross a line.

    Get over it? Nothing to get over m'dear, i don't actually care enough to be that bothered, just noticed it the last day and thought it was a bit curious.

    A taxi-driver can be purple for all i care, as long as i get home tbh:D


  • Registered Users Posts: 10,198 ✭✭✭✭JohnCleary


    Fair enough, I couldn't give a sh1te myself either tbh

    I drive. And if i'm drunk, I walk... I like walking when i'm drunk :p


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,494 ✭✭✭kayos


    On the Hackey Vs Taxi debate I got the shock of my life when ringing my normal Taxi company in Dublin to get from Park West to the train station. Every time bar one they sent out a taxi and the cost was about 12 yoyos. Even doing the reverse trip on a Monday morning would never break 15. The one time they sent a hackey I got fleeced for 20 and it was the lightest traffic I had seen on that trip! Told him the normal cost and I got quickly told where to go. So ya taxi’s seem to be cheaper in some situations.

    As for taxi drivers, only thing annoys me about them is the parking/ranks. Ever see the train station when a train gets in? They block everything up there. The rank at Cross St seems to also extend back to mill street and that bridge is narrow enough without them making it worse. The cops god love them come out every now and then to move them but they are back as quickly as they can loop back around I have even seen taxi’s drive away while the cop’s was knocking on his window and wanting to talk to him, really wish the cops would do the uniformed move along and have undercover waiting to catch them once they come back 2minutes later. Lets not even get started on the rank near fibbers in the square. Now I know there is way more taxi’s than spaces on the ranks but that does not give them the right to block traffic and cause obstructions.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,460 ✭✭✭workaccount


    Have you seen those taxis around with the sign writing 'This Taxi driver is a local' or something like that? How do they get away with a sign like that?!


    If I saw a taxi with a sign that said "I don't block up the whole road and park on the pedestrian crossing near fibbers" they would get all my business and I would recommend them to all my friends.

    They have some nerve to park there. :mad:


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


    God who brought this thread back from the dead ?
    I think I posted it a year ago ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 2,378 ✭✭✭Krieg


    Anyone know what percentage of a fare that a taxi drivers keeps? or What percentage is given to the taxi company?

    I avoid the African drivers based on personal experience (Oh Noes, Dats wacist!)
    But I have found non-national drivers to be cheaper.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,048 ✭✭✭SimpleSam06


    Krieg wrote: »
    Anyone know what percentage of a fare that a taxi drivers keeps? or What percentage is given to the taxi company?
    Generally taxi companies have an initial payment to join them, and then radio rental of €100 a week thereafter. All the company does is advertise and take the phone calls really.

    As regards the black taxi driver issue, you don't need to take the first cab in the rank if you don't want to. If its not an issue for you, just hop into the first one. No need for a big fuss over it, nobody is being forced to get in a cab with a driver they might not trust. This goes for any disreputable looking driver though.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,385 ✭✭✭inisboffin


    I've really mixed opinions on a lot of this..mainly due to 'theory' of what it should be like vs some sh*te personal experiences of being ripped off.
    I have had a fair few 'round the world' to home fares, and this made me grumpy.

    The 'local' thing on the side, I would interpret as 'I know my way around these parts'. Now I KNOW some heads are interpreting this as "I am not a furrriner" and likewise, this may be the intent, but I do like to give the benefit of the doubt and assume this is an assurance of competence rather than race.

    Had good service from a Co that offered 'buy 6 get 7th taxi free' or something like that on a stamp card..really nice lad. Not sure, but think it may be the same company that makes a policy of hiring international drivers.

    I have no race issue at all with any drivers, but I think the issue of drivers not knowing their way (bigger influx of new drivers from certain nations) has become intertwined with race for obvious 'visual' reasons (and we are not all as au fait with the accents from other continents to discern who's from where)..hence the 'black drivers' all being lumped together.

    Just get me home in a non smelly car the fastest way, chat or not, most music is grand if ya don't blast me out of it, don't rip me off, and I don't give a rat's arse where you are from :)


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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,772 ✭✭✭civis_liberalis


    If I saw a taxi with a sign that said "I don't block up the whole road and park on the pedestrian crossing near fibbers" they would get all my business and I would recommend them to all my friends.

    They have some nerve to park there. :mad:

    Man, a sign like that would be both hilarious and get my business at the same time aswel.


  • Registered Users Posts: 699 ✭✭✭hada


    funnily enough when I posted back in this thread originally a year or so ago I had had a very bad in counter with one black taxi driver. You'll never guess who I bumped into recently when caught in the pouring rain one sunday evening - said fellow. He didn't recognise me from the previous encounter so I said I'd best keep it cool, so I pretended to text, took down his name, license etc etc... Anyway long story short, by the time I got to where I wanted to go, magically my fare was 5euro higher than normal. Of course, I being the polite man that I am, refused outright to pay it as he was clearly overcharging me, told him I had taken his details, demanded a receipt and had no problem with using this against him. Low and behold the race card was played again (cue long sigh from me). Except this time I was ready for him - playing it very cool I informed him a) i was not a racist b) i would NOT tolerate him resorting to such unreasonable accusations c) by him using this card, he in fact was the racist etc etc.. Boy was he shocked when I actually responded to him in such a normal and blunt manner.


    anyway cutting to the chase, I paid the proper fare, told him if I ever heard of his name arising in the context of over charging/etc I would make sure he would have his taxi license revoked and I would have no problem bringing him to court (quite close to qualifying as a solicitor, so I would fully intend on doing this)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,460 ✭✭✭workaccount


    hada wrote: »
    funnily enough when I posted back in this thread originally a year or so ago I had had a very bad in counter with one black taxi driver. You'll never guess who I bumped into recently when caught in the pouring rain one sunday evening - said fellow. He didn't recognise me from the previous encounter so I said I'd best keep it cool, so I pretended to text, took down his name, license etc etc... Anyway long story short, by the time I got to where I wanted to go, magically my fare was 5euro higher than normal. Of course, I being the polite man that I am, refused outright to pay it as he was clearly overcharging me, told him I had taken his details, demanded a receipt and had no problem with using this against him. Low and behold the race card was played again (cue long sigh from me). Except this time I was ready for him - playing it very cool I informed him a) i was not a racist b) i would NOT tolerate him resorting to such unreasonable accusations c) by him using this card, he in fact was the racist etc etc.. Boy was he shocked when I actually responded to him in such a normal and blunt manner.


    anyway cutting to the chase, I paid the proper fare, told him if I ever heard of his name arising in the context of over charging/etc I would make sure he would have his taxi license revoked and I would have no problem bringing him to court (quite close to qualifying as a solicitor, so I would fully intend on doing this)

    Post his details up here and fair play with dealing with him like that. Who knows how much money this guy has frauded from people. I can't believe he started going on about racism.


  • Registered Users Posts: 699 ✭✭✭hada


    Post his details up here and fair play with dealing with him like that. Who knows how much money this guy has frauded from people. I can't believe he started going on about racism.

    I'm not going to post his details for obvious reasons, but I will make sure to follow up on this.

    (by the way I must say I have also had one problem with an Irish taxi driver overcharging from salthill - invern, he charged me as if I were going from eyre sq to invern..so I do believe there is a small minority of taxi drivers, both nationals and non-nationals, who do/attempt to take advantage of random punters, esp. those after a night out)


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 25,234 ✭✭✭✭Sponge Bob


    Good luck with the taxi regulator and the Nigerians , I complained formally about one character who :

    1. Tried to charge me €8 more than usual .
    2. Refused to provide a receipt .
    3. Eventually settled on the usual charge after a lot of shouting on his part ...but not accusing me of racism along the way .
    4. Still refused to provide a receipt .

    The taxi regulator has done nothing ( 4 months) because the geezer has very bad english ( my hole ) and they cannot find a 'translator' .

    If they cannot speak english properly they should not be licenced to drive a cab and thats that :(


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,048 ✭✭✭SimpleSam06


    Sponge Bob wrote: »
    If they cannot speak english properly they should not be licenced to drive a cab and thats that :(
    Not that I'm privy to the decisions of those in power, but I believe the thinking goes along the lines of "its better to have them out working than on the dole".


  • Registered Users Posts: 25,594 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    It may not be wrong per se but it encourages a "them and us" mindset which is to be avoided in my opinion.

    What does "local" mean anyway?

    Is the African guy who's lived here for ten years more or less "local" than some guy from Mayo who moved here a couple of years ago or the Galway-born-and-bred who's just come back from 20 years in the States?


  • Registered Users Posts: 4,385 ✭✭✭inisboffin


    JustMary wrote: »
    What does "local" mean anyway?

    Is the African guy who's lived here for ten years more or less "local" than some guy from Mayo who moved here a couple of years ago or the Galway-born-and-bred who's just come back from 20 years in the States?

    Yeah, that was my thought too when I give benefit of the doubt to the guy with 'local' on the side, and interpret it as "I know my way around the estates, even the 'renamed' ones as Gaeilge"...although I KNOW the race card is the interpretation taken by many.

    I got one of those 'recently returned' lads last week. He was up front about not knowing all the new estates tho, and was grand once I gave him an old landmark near where I was headed,


  • Registered Users Posts: 858 ✭✭✭RichMc70


    All prospective Taxi Drivers wishing to obtain a licence should be made to first sit a test of their knowledge of the city and surrounding area.

    The black taxi drivers in London have to do a course known as 'The Knowledge' before they get a licence. It usually takes around 3 years to pass the knowledge and it entails knowing every major road, most direct routes and quickest routes.

    I don't think it necessary for a 3 year course in Galway however a good general area knowledge would be sufficient, plus the ability to understand and speak english clearly.

    I recently met a german couple who had been in a taxi, which was stopped by the gardai for driving without care. It turned out the guy driving the taxi, did not own it but was borrowing the car from his brother and he didnt even have a driving licence (therefore not insured !).


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,349 ✭✭✭nobodythere


    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've heard a lot of stories about different cultural attitudes towards women that nigerians have. They could be made up stories for all I know, but I wouldn't put a girl in a taxi on her own with one at night, just because I'm not going to take the chance.


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,349 ✭✭✭nobodythere


    Fey! wrote: »
    4) Cyclists; yes, Galway cyclist rarely have lights or reflective strips or helmets, and rarely obey traffic lights or signs, and rarely signal where they're going.

    Bad to the bone baby!


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