What are people's opinions of Taxi drivers?

herbie747

One word- "Vermin".

Stephen

Dublin taxi drivers seem to be a bunch of pr1cks in general, but drivers out here in the sticks (carlow/kilkenny) all seem grand.

SantaHoe

It's just like anything else, there's a mix of good and bad.
From the agreeable ones who'll chat if you want to chat and shut up when you don't... to the ones who'll pointedly ask if you've been out drinking so they can take the long way home and screw you for the fare.
I've had some pretty creepy ones, but mostly I find them ok.

louie

Some a nice and talk to you, but 95% are f*** idiots.
There is not hurt put into the job. It's just money, money and again money....

When you get a Taxi they charge full fare but when they need something done....Where is the cheapest place?

I mean the amount of money they make.

herbie747

I don't mean when you're in a taxi, I'm talking about the way they drive on the roads. Ignorant pr*cks is an understatment.

Quigs Snr

Oh dear Herbie.

My dads a cabbie down the country has been for years. The only vermin I see round these parts are the drunken assholes they have to put with abuse from and idiots who make sweeping generalisations.

Louie, the myth about the money they make is ridiculous, obviously you have been burned in the stero shop there doing business with Cabbies. They sure do want everything done as cheaply as possible, don't you ? As for making loads of wonga, certainley not down round these parts, perhaps in Dublin where I have been practically raped for cash every time I sit my ass in a cab. That said, I've never met a cabbie who lived in a mansion and had a porsche for a second car...have you ?

Unfortunately there is a lot of scum in the trade now since deregulation in particular, for the most part, it seems to be mostly but not totally a dublin problem. Every criminal up there worth his salt seems to havea cab to do runs for him. There have been several objections and complaints lodged by legit cabbies, to the regulator and indeed the police about this practice. The worst thing is that the licenses are given out with the full knowledge of who they are giving them to and it is dragging everyones name down.

Taxis in general do seem to think they own the road though when driving. Possibly because they are out there every day all day and like anything else that you do every hour of every day, it tends to become automatic after a while and you probably drive around in a daze without even thinking. In fact, bias aside, I find cabbies to be no worse that anyone else, the only difference is the sign on the roof ensures you will forget the 10 times you were cut up on the way home today, but remember the cabbie who forgot to indicate at a turn off a week ago. Visibility.

Since we are onto the subject of sweeping generalisations, I reckon that less than half the people on the roads in this country are competent drivers. And that probably includes half the people here who complain about other drivers !

Emboss

Originally posted by herbie747
I don't mean when you're in a taxi, I'm talking about the way they drive on the roads. Ignorant pr*cks is an understatment.

You have to understand they most of the time these guys are on the road 12-15 hours a day, they spend more time on the road in a week than the average driver does in 6 months,

It's called agressive driving, and if more people had the expirience on the road as half of them dublin traffic would in most cases move alot more fluently than it does.

seamus

Originally posted by Quigs Snr
Unfortunately there is a lot of scum in the trade now since deregulation in particular, for the most part, it seems to be mostly but not totally a dublin problem. Every criminal up there worth his salt seems to havea cab to do runs for him. There have been several objections and complaints lodged by legit cabbies, to the regulator and indeed the police about this practice. The worst thing is that the licenses are given out with the full knowledge of who they are giving them to and it is dragging everyones name down.

/me nods
Deregulation was necessary, but they went waay to far over to the other extreme. Imagine if the government deregulated firearms licencing and gave one to every idiot who asked? Two groups of people need to be banned from getting PSV licences - People with previous convictions for *anything*, and people with current, active penalty points on their licence. Getting points shouldn't lose you your PSV licence (unless of course you hit the 12 in 3 years).

Since we are onto the subject of sweeping generalisations, I reckon that less than half the people on the roads in this country are competent drivers. And that probably includes half the people here who complain about other drivers !

Agreed. Compulsory training for all categories of vehicle is required. There would also be a series of tests before a full licence was granted, if I had my way

You have to understand they most of the time these guys are on the road 12-15 hours a day, they spend more time on the road in a week than the average driver does in 6 months,

It's called agressive driving, and if more people had the expirience on the road as half of them dublin traffic would in most cases move alot more fluently than it does.

I've always maintained that taxi drivers are simultaneously the best and worst drivers on Dublin's roads. I have seen some of the best, most considerate and most aware manouvers performed by taxi drivers, and at the same time some of the most dangerous, arrogant and downright illegal manouvers performed 5 minutes later by the same guy. Overall, taxi drivers seem to have more cop, and obviously a better feel for the road, but at the same time have a sort of arrogance and impatience (which can be understandable at times) which makes other drivers hate them so.

Calibos

I've found the local Taxi/Cab drivers in Bray to be perfect gents, though maybe thats because they all know me at this stage from dropping me home from the pub/club every weekend!!:D I've seen the sh*t they have to deal with though. My one bad experience was coming back from a skiing holiday a year or two ago. I hailed a taxi outside the door of Dublin Airport. The driver says, "where ya going mate". "Bray", says I. "Oh for f*cks sake" says he. :mad: :mad: :rolleyes: Alarm bells should have started ringing and I should have told him were to stick his taxi but I was tired and took his taxi anyway. Just as we were coming to the first turn-off for Bray on the N11 he asked if there was a quicker way into Bray as the traffic on castle street and the mainstreet would be terrible at that hour. I said there was a quicker way but it was a little longer distance wise. I gave him directions and we came in via the back way a good 10 minutes earlier than if we had have gone the other way. Got to the house and he said. "For f*cks sake (that phrase again), I thought you said this would be quicker." "It was", I said. "No it wasn't, thats an extra fiver". "Theres your poxy fiver", I said and shoved it into his hand. Ignorant f*ck!!:mad: :mad:

We shouldn't generalise but there definatley are some a*seholes driving cabs out there.

sceptre

I'm close enough to four Limerick taxi offices and round the corner from three ranks. Mixed bunch really, though most seem reasonably careful and charitable while driving. There are the odd few cars that seem to think the road is theirs to do as they please but given that I drive past three offices twice a day I know the few idiots to see.

As a rule, Limerick taxi/hackney drivers have a bit of cop on. Slightly better than the Cork gang.

herbie747

I only have experience with mainly Dublin taxis, so I can't comment on the country drivers- whom I reckon are a lot more chilled.

I find cabbies to be no worse that anyone else, the only difference is the sign on the roof ensures you will forget the 10 times you were cut up on the way home today, but remember the cabbie who forgot to indicate at a turn off a week ago. Visibility.

Bull****. I remember everyone who is an idiot on the road. e.g. I always get stuck behind dorky Punto drivers. Taxi drivers are ALWAYS driving like assholes. And they don't "FORGET" to indicate, they just DON'T indicate!

are on the road 12-15 hours a day, they spend more time on the road in a week than the average driver does in 6 months

So what? That doesn't give them the right to be ignorant to other road users. They seem to think that pulling in to pick-up / drop-off necessitates the use of hazard lights? wtf? Just indicate, you assh*le- which is another vehicle control they have yet to bother with.
They park anywhere they want, and don't give a sh*t about anyone else. Ignorant rats- that's all they are.
90% of them, anyway.
It's not my fault the have to deal with thugs and drunks (birds of a feather.....), but why can't they just drive without being so ignorant?

jammy_dodger

May not be too relavant, but the best taxi journey i ever had was in Spanish Point in Co.Clare, We were bombing down these narrow twisty coast roads, at about 90-100 mph, While blareing that Star Trek pop song (There's Klingons on the starboard bow, starboard bow) from the early 90's,All the while he was insanely laughing in the front, whilst i shat meself in the back. Twas a great laugh, I think the taxi driver was drunk.

Now you'd never get that with Dublin cabbie.

louie

Originally posted by Emboss
You have to understand they most of the time these guys are on the road 12-15 hours a day, they spend more time on the road in a week than the average driver does in 6 months,

It's called agressive driving, and if more people had the expirience on the road as half of them dublin traffic would in most cases move alot more fluently than it does.

That's true, but by law you are not supposed to drive more than 8 hours in every 24 hours, because is dangerous, especially through the trafic in Dublin Area.

Craig M

some taxi drivers are dead sound but there are more of them that are right dickheads, one reason why i get the bus more often than a taxi.

but they do spend long hours just driving people from A to B and in dublin traffic its bound to get on their nerves so i can understand why some are dickheads

Seth Brundle

I have noticed from driving around Dublin that taxi drivers driving an empty cab will tear around and break red lights, etc. whereas when there is a passenger they drive much slower, stop if the light goes orange, etc.

mavedic

A lot of taxi drivers around dublin do seem to be really ignorant. They may know the roads a lot better than the rest of them, but they should still obey the law and follow the rules of the road. They can be so agressive as well...

funniest/scaried experience of a taxi I had was down in dingle when after a night in the hillgrove nightclub myself and my friend were trying to get a taxi to her house (about a 10 mile journey).

We had booked a people carrier with some other people (takes 8 people), but because there were so many people trying to get taxis the taximan just let them pile in. The people count we had as we left dingle was 22!!

There were people sitting on people sitting on people, and a few guys in the boot. It was absolutely crazy, tearing about the country roads completely overloaded. Taximan made a fortune though @ 3 quid a head...

tinofapples

I agree with the post that anyone with a criminal record (Whatever it's for) shouldn't be allowed obtain a taxi (PSV) license.

I can't believe they do , the cops after all are the governing body and they should know everyone who's got form .

I've done the "test" for the PSV in Galway and it is a piece of p*ss.

I got it hoping to get a bit of part-time work but my timing coincided with higher insuarance premiums meaning owners only wanted drivers prepared to work full time hours which doesn't suit cause i've got a day job .

I'm glad I got it though , cause surely they are going to make it much more difficult to get the license , aren't they ????

Calibos

Anyone read the newspapers this week. Apparently the monk was one of the taxi drivers used to ferry the actors from the Veronica Guerin movie from the Premier at the cinema to the official function. The F*cker was protrayed in the movie!!:rolleyes: :mad:

Zascar

They drive for a living, and they are the worst drivers on the roads.

They seem to have their own rules of the road. They stop wherever they want, not caring what they are blocking, or holding uo behind them... They ignore most signs like No Right Turn etc. They do dangerous U turns wherever the hell they like, and what pisses me off the most is that they always seem to drive exactly in the middle of the two lanes, so you can't pass them, or undertake in the bus lane. AAAHHHHHHH!!!! :mad:

I hate them

sceptre

Originally posted by Calibos
The F*cker was protrayed in the movie!!:rolleyes: :mad:

... and the chap playing him looked enough like him that you could recognise Gerard Hutch on the street after seeing it:D

He drove that kid with the annoying singing voice there and hung around outside for a while.

Mac daddy

Originally posted by Craig M

but they do spend long hours just driving people from A to B and in dublin traffic its bound to get on their nerves so i can understand why some are dickheads

It is the work they have choosen to do.
:rolleyes:

leonotron

People should drive assertively not aggressively, that way traffic would move faster, not just every cuunt out for himself. Ever heard of merge in turn? Works in other countries to make all traffic flow better but here most people just drive for themselves and dont let people out, thinking it speeds their journey, but they get caught when they meet another spas like themselves who wont let someone out.

Originally posted by Emboss
You have to understand they most of the time these guys are on the road 12-15 hours a day, they spend more time on the road in a week than the average driver does in 6 months,

It's called agressive driving, and if more people had the expirience on the road as half of them dublin traffic would in most cases move alot more fluently than it does.

Corega

Originally posted by SantaHoe
It's just like anything else, there's a mix of good and bad.

Too right, some of the best conversations I've had have been with cabbie's. Then there are some who are pricks.

redneck

Originally posted by Emboss
It's called agressive driving, and if more people had the expirience on the road as half of them dublin traffic would in most cases move alot more fluently than it does.

If the rest of us could use the bus lanes like them then we could get moving quicker 2. I no its ot but y exactly can they use bus lanes, after all it sez bus lane, not bus/taxi/hackney/anyone who has paying passengers. Everyone in dublin is on/near sum sort of bus route so y if they decide to pay a taxi to take them to work during rush hour should they get prefernce.

Victor

Because (a) they won't be using parking (b) they are using public transport, both of which are being promoted.

TheKrefelder

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Since we are onto the subject of sweeping generalisations, I reckon that less than half the people on the roads in this country are competent drivers. And that probably includes half the people here who complain about other drivers !

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Nicely put and hitting the spot big time. Although, -half the people- is a mild under estimate. The Irish car driver is crap, i.e. no experience, no brain, no awarness, utterly blind at nights (crawling speeds of 30m/h) and no propper education in terms of driving a car. Source? Thousands and thousands of people won their driving licence in a state run lottery some years ago.