Taxi Driver scammer

Sleipnir

fcuking a-holes.

A collegue of mine came in this morning after getting a taxi from Islandbridge to Baggot st (which he's being doing for a few months now). He's from Malta so has a foreign accent (so of course he got the "do you know where you're going?)

Usually it costs him no more than a tenner but this morning he noticed that the meter was flying up. By the time he got to Baggot st it was 30 euros!!!!!!

The taxi driver said
"oh, it does that sometimes"

Really, I'm sure you're going off the road immediately to get it repaired. :rolleyes:

But the bloody idiot didn't get the plate number to report him

Johnmb

Originally posted by Sleipnir
fcuking a-holes.

A collegue of mine came in this morning after getting a taxi from Islandbridge to Baggot st (which he's being doing for a few months now). He's from Malta so has a foreign accent (so of course he got the "do you know where you're going?)

Usually it costs him no more than a tenner but this morning he noticed that the meter was flying up. By the time he got to Baggot st it was 30 euros!!!!!!

The taxi driver said
"oh, it does that sometimes"

Really, I'm sure you're going off the road immediately to get it repaired. :rolleyes:

But the bloody idiot didn't get the plate number to report him

Did he at least hang around long enough to get the receipt? If so, what details are on it? (i.e. was the meter already on when he got in, were there loads of extras, etc.)

Sleipnir

He just said he noticed that it was going up extremely quickly (like, three times as quick!)
He didn't get a receipt but just said
"it's never been more than a tenner so that's what I'll give you"

Obviously the taxi driver wasn't going to start arguing about that.

Johnmb

Originally posted by Sleipnir
He just said he noticed that it was going up extremely quickly (like, three times as quick!)
He didn't get a receipt but just said
"it's never been more than a tenner so that's what I'll give you"

Obviously the taxi driver wasn't going to start arguing about that.

That sounds like it is a fake taxi driver. In order for the meter to move faster than usual, the seal has to be broken, and the meter has to be reprogramed. If that's what is happening in this case, then it is more than just the usual dishonest driver trying to take the piss with someone he feels is gullible, the meter will be like that for everyone, so hopefully someone will cop it and have him done.

ChipZilla

Umm, I'd be saying "Why don't we drive around to the nearest Garda station and discuss the matter of the 30 quid fare with a copper? Maybe they can get someone from the public carriage office to check your meter?" And then get out of the car.

fizzynicenice

Scavenger!!
I've never had too much trouble with taxi drivers untill last saturday night, the meter clocked up 4.90 (a short trip home from a friends) and he say 10 euro, i pointed to the meter and he says a: I can't do runs for less then a tenner
B: (when A failed,)he says he stuck the price of a pint on coz pf the late hour.

He would have gotten about a fiver tip anyway, but not now,
greedy greedy

The Real B-man

Gangsta

billy the squid

If you have a problem with the taxi drivers you go to the nearest garda station immediately.

gangster taxi drivers are not a phenomenon isolated to dublin. I was in Limerick and asked for a car to take me from Limerick Railway Station to the Ballinacurra area of the city. Taxi driver who was waiting for a long fare didnt want to take me and said that he was waiting for a train.

I told him to was taking me to ballinacurra, whether he wanted to go via the garda station at Henry Street or not was entirely up to him.

It was 9:30 in the morning and I was cold sober so he had no excuse for refusing my business

Kobie

He would have gotten about a fiver tip anyway, but not now,

WHA???? You'd normally tip those sheisters a fiver? Jaysus. And on a 4.90 fare too? Some people just have too much money - can I have some?

Heathen

same happened to me a few months ago...
i lived in Dublin for 22 years, but live in waterford now.
i go home to visit the lads and head into town on the piss..

i used to work in town and the odd time would get a taxi from town to my house on the northside... it was a tenner every time!!

when we were up a few months ago he tryed charging me and my girlfriend


wait for it.......

34 euro!!!!!
- he had asked us where we were up for the weekend from, the girlfriend said Waterford but i never said i was from Dublin -

i threw 15 quid at him and said if he diddnt like the 15 quid he could shove it up his hole!!

cheeky pr1k!!

later

garthv

whatever about them adding on charges,what they charge flat rate is diabolical enough,
I work in the city centre and i travel to and from work everyday on the bus which coast me a grand total of €5.65.
Since pub-work can have you staying past the bus running hours i frequently get a taxi home
Its,on average,about a 20 minute drive to where i live and by the time we get there the meter has hit €20,
€20 for a 20-minute drive!!
Hypotethically speaking thats €60 per hour they make.
Seriously,Irleand needs to start lowering prices or we'll run ourselves out of the European market .

Kobie

The problem is that taxi drivers expect to make a very good wage for what they do. There can't be too many countries in the world where taxi driving is a highly paid job - it's usually what you do when you're down and out. Can't get a job? Drive a taxi for a few months to tie you over. But here, we're expected to put their kids through college.

Seth Brundle

I'll never forget a friend who is a former taxi driver stating to a group of us that he was yet to meet a poor taxi driver [& that was a few years ago]!

BrookieD

Hi
i am English[please do not hold that against me...yet] and came over a while ago to drive a taxi that my granddad owned. I learned the roads and past my test all fine for about 3 years. I remember one time during my life as a taxi driver is this fair city I wanted a cab from Fairview into Break for the Border. I had 2 freinds with me at the time both Irish but I told the driver where we wanted to go. He spotted the English accent and decided on a city tour of Dublin, when we reached the club he asked me for the fair on the clock and I refused to pay as this was way above the norm. At this point he got very shirty and wanted to call the police so I sat in the car and agreed, as my freinds made an exit to the club.

When they came he told them I would not payup for the fair. they asked me why and when I took out my Taxi Badge and showed them I was a fellow driver yer man almost died in his seat. The look on his face when I told then the exact route that should have been taken to the route yer man went was priceless. He was up to the carridge office and lost his licence.

From then on I do not think I have been in a taxi since. some guys are straight up and fair but there are a lot of rip off merchants out there that need sorting.
:ninja::D

Kobie

Cool!!!

That'd be almost as cool as having a health inspector badge in a restaurant.

whosurpaddy

Originally posted by BrookieD
Hi
i am English[please do not hold that against me...yet] and came over a while ago to drive a taxi that my granddad owned. I learned the roads and past my test all fine for about 3 years. I remember one time during my life as a taxi driver is this fair city I wanted a cab from Fairview into Break for the Border. I had 2 freinds with me at the time both Irish but I told the driver where we wanted to go. He spotted the English accent and decided on a city tour of Dublin, when we reached the club he asked me for the fair on the clock and I refused to pay as this was way above the norm. At this point he got very shirty and wanted to call the police so I sat in the car and agreed, as my freinds made an exit to the club.

When they came he told them I would not payup for the fair. they asked me why and when I took out my Taxi Badge and showed them I was a fellow driver yer man almost died in his seat. The look on his face when I told then the exact route that should have been taken to the route yer man went was priceless. He was up to the carridge office and lost his licence.

From then on I do not think I have been in a taxi since. some guys are straight up and fair but there are a lot of rip off merchants out there that need sorting.
:ninja::D

thats pure gold. the cheek of him to actually call the cops knowing he was wrong.

eth0_

Originally posted by BrookieD

When they came he told them I would not payup for the fair. they asked me why and when I took out my Taxi Badge and showed them I was a fellow driver yer man almost died in his seat. The look on his face when I told then the exact route that should have been taken to the route yer man went was priceless. He was up to the carridge office and lost his licence.

You are one classy guy! That's so funny!
I live in Drogheda and there's been roadworks on the main road for the past few weeks, which means taxi's have to make a detour or sit in traffic for 10-15 mins if they're dropping or picking up a fare on the south side. If I was in a taxi and got stuck i'd usually add an extra euro to my (six euro) fare because I feel sorry for them losing work because the corporation were too scabby to pay the workmen extra to work at night instead of during the day, but they ALWAYS gave me back the extra!

Read in the paper last week one lady was overcharged by 2 euro because leaving her to an estate on the north side 'is so inconveniencing for me' due to the road works. She asked him for a receipt and promptly reported him to the carriage office and he may be prosecuted over it. hahah!

aidan_walsh

Originally posted by Kobie
The problem is that taxi drivers expect to make a very good wage for what they do. There can't be too many countries in the world where taxi driving is a highly paid job - it's usually what you do when you're down and out. Can't get a job? Drive a taxi for a few months to tie you over. But here, we're expected to put their kids through college.

Hello. I would be one of those kids you are "expected" to put through college.

What might I ask does your father do for a living? What do you do to put your kids through college, if indeed you have any? Whats wrong with driving a taxi for a living? Whats wrong with making enough to get by, and a little more besides... Taxi companies, and individual drivers have to pay their way, just like everyone else...

My father owns his own taxi plate, has done so for a while now. You think they're cheap? Reletively now, compared to what they used to be, I suppose, but certainly not two a penny. What about fuel? Thats not exactly cheap right now, but then neither is insurance on public service vehicle, the special NCT they have to go through, tax...

Are you your own boss? Is your father?

Sure, your going to get gansters, you find them in any business. And you'll have pricks as described here. But why tar all drivers with the same brush? The prices are set by local authorities, you have a problem with them, go to your loal council. If you feel overcharged, go to the Gardai or the Carriage Office.

Thank you.

eth0_

He's right you know. There are loads of honest taxi drivers (probably less in Dublin though, heh) who lost out when all those taxi plates flooded the market. On the upside we rarely have to Q for hours to get a taxi after a night on the tiles, on the downside for the taxi men lots of them work 16 hour shifts just to break even.

There must be a huge percentage of their day spent sitting around at taxi ranks sipping tea and making no money.

Repli

Originally posted by eth0_
There must be a huge percentage of their day spent sitting around at taxi ranks sipping tea and making no money.

Lucky backstards :P There are a lot of them ripping ppl off imo though, my mam, dad and aunty got a taxi to the airport last weekend on the friday morning and were charged €19. Coming back (sunday evening, same route, same amount of ppl) they were charged €30 I know the tariffs change at evenings, weekends and stuff but thats ridiculous

Johnmb

I think one handy way of dealing with a lot of the rip-offs would be if the local authorities made it a lot easier for the general public to get the tarrif sheets. They should be published in a much more accessible place on the authorities websites (some don't even seem to have them), and they should be placed on display in libraries and at ranks where possible. If everyone knew what the rates were, and what extras were valid, it'd be a lot harder for the dishonest drivers to rip off customers.

sharkman

Repli , the differance between tarrif 1 ( Friday) and tarrif 2 (sunday) is quite considerable .

Friday :
pickup fee €2.75 , plus €0.50 for first passenger , plus €0.50 per aditional passenger . Lenght of journey charge is €.15 for each 1/9th mile or 30 seconds standing

On your return :
Pickup fee €3.00 plus €1.50 charge for hiring at a rank , plus €0.50 per aditional passenger . Lenght of journey charge is €0.20 for each 1/9th mile or 30 seconds standing

The list of charges MUST be displayed in all PSV vehicals . If anyone feels they have been hard done by contact the Carraige office on 6669850 (And stop whinging) .



Minimum Fare 2.75
Journey Length
8am to 10pm 0.15 For each 1/9th mile or 30 seconds
10pm to 8am 0.20 For each 1/9th mile or 30 seconds
Sundays & Bank Holidays 0.20 For each 1/9th mile or 30 seconds
Extra Charges
Additional Passengers 0.50 Each passenger
Luggage 0.50 Per item, limited to 2 pieces
Animals 0.50 Per Animal (Other than guide dogs)
Telephone/Radio pick-up 1.50
Dublin Airport 1.50 Charge for hiring at rank

Johnmb

Having the tarriff list in the taxi isn't much use to people who are in a rush, and probably haven't got their reading glasses (or any number of other reasons that make it hard to study the tarriffs while in a moving car), they should be freely available to the public in general so that people can study them at their leisure, and know what's what before they get into the taxi. Plus they are different in the different metered areas, and as shown on either this, or a related, thread, not all those authorities even bother to put them on their websites. Those that do put them on their websites don't exactly make them easy to find.

sharkman

So should anyone who provides a service hand out a price list for you to study . Get real . I'll give Fergal Quinn a ring an see if he will have prices available at the door will I ?

Johnmb

Originally posted by sharkman
So should anyone who provides a service hand out a price list for you to study . Get real . I'll give Fergal Quinn a ring an see if he will have prices available at the door will I ?

I've got news for you, the prices are available for you to study before you commit to any purchase, and that is required by law. Plus I never said anything about taxi drivers having to make them generally available, that is (or should be) the responsibility of the local authorities, as it is them who set the prices.

sharkman

And my friend the prices are available in every Taxi you use . If you dont like them back on the bus . Come we are not in tha dark ages here my bloody 13 year old niece knows how much a Taxi costs . Are you all stupid that you cant do a quick bit of calculation while on the move . Has motion sickness taken hold of your brain . If you feel that you have been ripped off tell the driver , and insist that he take you to the nearest garda station ( which he is obliged to do) and let the boys in blue take over ..

Johnmb

Originally posted by sharkman
And my friend the prices are available in every Taxi you use . If you dont like them back on the bus . Come we are not in tha dark ages here my bloody 13 year old niece knows how much a Taxi costs . Are you all stupid that you cant do a quick bit of calculation while on the move . Has motion sickness taken hold of your brain . If you feel that you have been ripped off tell the driver , and insist that he take you to the nearest garda station ( which he is obliged to do) and let the boys in blue take over ..

And why are you so scared of the idea that people might be able to know exactly what they should be charged before they have to get into the taxi?

sharkman

I have listed the charges . its not bloody rocket science . If you want learn the charges . I'm not bloody bothered .

There IS a bad element in every profession , thats why the number for the carraige office islisted in all taxis .


What do you do whan you get overcharged in a resteraunt ..... Complain to the management ...

Sleepy

Minimum Fare 2.75
Journey Length
8am to 10pm 0.15 For each 1/9th mile or 30 seconds
10pm to 8am 0.20 For each 1/9th mile or 30 seconds
Sundays & Bank Holidays 0.20 For each 1/9th mile or 30 seconds
Extra Charges
Additional Passengers 0.50 Each passenger
Luggage 0.50 Per item, limited to 2 pieces
Animals 0.50 Per Animal (Other than guide dogs)
Telephone/Radio pick-up 1.50
Dublin Airport 1.50 Charge for hiring at rank

Yeah, dead simple to understand at 3am after being in the pub half the night:rolleyes:

So €18/€24 an hour forgetting about minimum Fare, additional passengers, luggage, animals, telephone/radio pick ups, airport rank charges or the fact that any time you're on a decent stretch of motorway you're earning €67.5/€90 an hour (assuming a constant speed of 50)

Hardly scraping by now is it? Sure, the deregulation was tough on a lot of drivers but let's not forget whose fault that was: your own union's for refusing to even sit down to negotiations about the issuing of new plates at the time: ye got greedy and got what ye deserved.

The Brigadier

Originally posted by sharkman


Dublin Airport 1.50 Charge for hiring at rank

Can I just clarify that this only applies at the Rank at Dublin Airport...

there is no charge to hire a Taxi at a Rank elsewhere in Dublin.

An luggage is exactly that, LUGGAGE....can't remember exact dimensions, but I think they need to be 2ft in length and carried in the boot or on a roofrack.

A small handheld bag is not luggage. I had a driver try and charge me for a carrier bag with a newspaper, a can of coke and some cigarettes.....

Johnmb

Originally posted by sharkman
I have listed the charges . its not bloody rocket science . If you want learn the charges . I'm not bloody bothered .

No you didn't. The charges you listed above are out of date, and even when they were in date, they only applied to the Dublin metered area.

ArphaRima

I have a complaint in the carriage office right now.

A taxi driver tried to overcharge me by 50 cents on the way home from town on the extras part of the meter. Cant remember the details, I wrote it all down at the time. But we were on the way home and I queried him, he told me it was a "sunday charge", the fare sheet made no mention. I said this to him and he replied "its an old fare sheet". When we arrived home, I offered him the fare minus the 50 cents.(would have tipped him plenty more had he not tried to rip me off). He refused, and locked the doors, and started driving us back into town.
He wouldnt stop for garda stations, traffic lights, and went to town at 3 times the speed we left it (despite us saying it was kidnapping).

I subsequently reported him, and the carriage office have yet to investigate, though the garda on the phone did say that in all his years in the carriage office, he had never heard of anyone doing that before.

Next taxi driver home was polite, and did not add the 50 cents.

Our man in Havana

Originally posted by fluffer
I have a complaint in the carriage office right now.

A taxi driver tried to overcharge me by 50 cents on the way home from town on the extras part of the meter. Cant remember the details, I wrote it all down at the time. But we were on the way home and I queried him, he told me it was a "sunday charge", the fare sheet made no mention. I said this to him and he replied "its an old fare sheet". When we arrived home, I offered him the fare minus the 50 cents.(would have tipped him plenty more had he not tried to rip me off). He refused, and locked the doors, and started driving us back into town.
He wouldnt stop for garda stations, traffic lights, and went to town at 3 times the speed we left it (despite us saying it was kidnapping).

I subsequently reported him, and the carriage office have yet to investigate, though the garda on the phone did say that in all his years in the carriage office, he had never heard of anyone doing that before.

Next taxi driver home was polite, and did not add the 50 cents.

I hope that asshole looses his licence. You should have reported him for kidnapping. Did you actually pay the first guy?

ArphaRima

No i didnt. though I was told by the gardai that I should have paid, then complained. But that makes no sense to me. Apparently you never have the right to refuse a fair. Which is ridiculous.

But my case will be based around what happened afterwards. I have told the carriage office that I want to take this complaint to its full extent.

DMT

Originally posted by fluffer
No i didnt. though I was told by the gardai that I should have paid, then complained. But that makes no sense to me. Apparently you never have the right to refuse a fair. Which is ridiculous.

But my case will be based around what happened afterwards. I have told the carriage office that I want to take this complaint to its full extent.

If the gardaí don't prosecute him, sue his ass.

It's guys like that that give the 3% of taxi driver's that are decent a bad name...

sharkman

3% , where do you get your statistics ????