Taxis

Suaimhneach

Just two experiances I've had, and I know its around Xmas time, so maybe they're out of context but none the less.

Generally speaking, if I am in town I'll get a nightlink home, but if I decide to get a taxi from Dame street, instead of joining a queue for an hour, I walk 20mins the opposite direction and get a taxi. However, last night, the 27th, I had a younger cousin with me, and I decided to get a taxi instead of dragging her around town in the cold.

We joined the taxi rank, and we were easily 50 people way from the top, and I thought 30mins tops. There was about... 1 taxi every ten minutes... We were stood there for three hours. No point in leaving as taxis were scarce enough.

My mate, freezing, in a huff and being a stubborn cow decides we'll get a taxi on O Connell street. I let her wander off, and told her if we got a taxi we'll collect her, and she could do vice versa if she got one. So bout 5mins later she calls me, and drives to where we were and we get in. Taxi driver says:

Taxi Man: Right girls, 60 to Rathfarnam
Me: Eh, we're going to tallaght, and we're not paying 60, thats 20 each
Taxi Man: Listen, she said Rathfarnam cuz it suited me, I'm going to Maynooth afterwards
Me: Well, we're going to Tallaght [thinkin' we'd renegoiate]
Taxi Man:Get out
Me: wuh? What? you're refusing us fare. *slightly MORE annoyed* Like, do I even say this to the gaurds
Taxi Man: Call the gaurds, I dont care, get out.
Me: relax, its grand. Jeez, *pointing to a pic of a girl on the dash board* Hope she never ends up out in the cold in the middle of town
Taxi Man: HA SHES NOT MY DAUGHTER
me: *wtf* I didnt say she was, eh... *thinks* he missed the point

And out we got out and away he drove.

Few points.

Why was service so bad? It was busy in town, and it was mid week and no celebrations etc.

Apparently according to a taxi driver who drove by, the nitelinks let people down. I have no idea how/why. Anyone hear anyhting on this.

Can you report yer mans bad attitude/ethic? Or is it too hard considering taxis are all decentralised and whatnot?

Three hours, it started snowing on us like. I'm still not warm 24 hours later.

Laguna

Hey, what's new?, taxi's always have and always will be a rip off!. It's Christmas, the taxi driver has people over a barrel as he know people will pay over the odds as it's Christmas/cold/treasure Ireland. He knows he'll get $$$ if he does the big trips to Maynooth and the like, so why would he bother with lesser fares?. I don't support his attitude, but hey, he's out to make as much money as he can..

Suaimhneach

Yeah, I know this. I'm just wondering is there anywhere you can make a formal complaint to, other than the gaurds or Adrian Kennedy or some shít.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Laguna

Well unless you got his name/license plate/taxi driver license number, I'd say the chance of him getting burned for his actions are non existent. He's just a regular taxi driving asshole, over the years I've met some cool taxi drivers but they're outweighed by the assholes I'm afraid. What complaint would you make to the Gardai?, the taxi driver refused to drive me home?, that's breaking no law, it's his choice as to who he serves and doesn't serve unfortunately, I'm afraid the Gardai would just laugh at you.

Suaimhneach

Hey, not a bad idear!

Laguna

Jesjes wrote:

Hey, not a bad idear!

Well, good luck with that one, if he owns his cab and is paying the taxi firm money for passing him jobs, they'll side with him 9/10. If he doesn't and he's trading under their name with their cab; there's a chance they'll give him a vinegar kick in the ringpiece.

Dub13

If you want to take this further get onto The Carriage Office

parsi

Here has a list of the rights of the consumer and the rights of the driver and details of how to complain ->

http://www.taxiregulator.ie/taxi/publisher/index.jsp?&1nID=93&pID=100&nID=103

The main feature here is that the driver must drive you to where you want to go (it has to be reasonable eg a normal style journey).

tk123

why would you call the cops abt this!?

Sarsfield

tk123 wrote:

why would you call the cops abt this!?

Because the Gardai run the Carriage Office.

http://www.garda.ie/angarda/trafdiv/caroff.html

Note they have 3 lines for complaints. Must be busy all year round!

Complaints and investigations: 01-6669863/4/5

And completely off the point I love the way all Garda numbers in Dublin start with 666. It's like calling the devil :eek:

johnnyrotten

Hes obliged to take you on the meter. Should have got his number and reported him to the Carraige Office

Suaimhneach

I didnt wanna call the gaurds. My reaction was just... wtf, who do ya call?!

Carraige office I've heard of. Seems like good advice and great links. Thanks people.

Dub13

If you pursue this let us know how you get on.

antoinolachtnai

Well, the general practical situation is that once you are in the cab, you are in control, and he has to go where you say within the taximeter area. You could have sat it out and he would have done the run eventually. You could have called the gardai yourself.

I don't blame you for not wanting to get into a whole lot of hassle though.

Antoin.

cgf

Wouldn't bother with the Carraige office.

Mid last year I rang them several times, never got an answer, put thru to an answering machine that asked me to leave name & contact details. Never heard back from them. After my 5th attempt over a 2 week period I simply gave up on them. Piss poor service but hey what's new, this is Ireland

Neil_Sedaka

If the journey is within the Dublin or Co. Dublin area he has to take you AND, he has to use the meter, no fixed prices!
Fixed prices, or agreed fares only apply to areas outside of Dublin Co.

If you have any problem with this in the future, write down the number on his roof and report him to the Carriage Office.
Same advice applies for aggressive, filthy, smelly etc. drivers, report them!
Also, if you are in any doubt as to the fare at the end of a journey, ask for a printed receipt, he is legally obliged to give you one.
The receipt shows his number, the fare charged, the distance travelled and the time of hire and journey end.
These situations will only change when people start to take action.

On another note, there are a lot of honest, polite drivers out there, treat each one as they come.

masterK

You should have refused to get out of the taxi no matter what he said and sat there until he brought you where you wanted to go. He is obliged by law to this. I had a similar situation a few months ago when out with a few friends, we just sat in his car and refused to budge until he brought us where we wanted to go. We took his number and made sure to get a receipt so he couldn't try to add on any extra charges, he was sick but knew there was noting he could do.

whippet

I did the same a few years ago ... the driver tried the usual trick of rolling down the passenger window to ask where I was going. I just opened the door, sat in and then told him. He said that he was on his way home and wouldn't go that direction. I sat there and said that I wasn't moving till I was home. A stand off (or more of a sit off) ensued for about 5 minutes until he gave in and eventually drove me home. Not a word was spoken all the way.

garred

Neil_Sedaka wrote:

If the journey is within the Dublin or Co. Dublin area he has to take you AND, he has to use the meter, no fixed prices!

Actually there are instances when he does'nt have to take you. If your aggressive, drunk, he has a suspicion you don't have the funds, outside the Dublin area, etc. Some may be hard to prove but legally there are circumstances when he can refuse to take you.

Sorry to hear so many people have grieviences with taxi drivers. Being one myself (the last few months) its a bit annoying applying these experiences/generalisations to all drivers. However my own experiences were mixed when using them. I'm not defending them all but some are sound enough. I've had, on the most, good experiences with them, eventhough I'd be travelling back to Bray from Dublin at all hours in the morning.

Neil_Sedaka

garred wrote:

Actually there are instances when he does'nt have to take you. If your aggressive, drunk, he has a suspicion you don't have the funds, outside the Dublin area, etc.

Yes, this is true.
Getting into a Taxi and giving the driver grief about having to wait ages etc. is unproductive, he most likely only has one Taxi and is out there driving it.

It always helps to give them a general route to follow, some drivers may not be familliar with your address, whereas you might know a shortcut.
Don't always assume that he's trying to rip you off by taking the long way, he could be just a little bit unsure of the best route.

At busy times of the night, stand on the side of the road leading INTO the City centre. Most Taxis are coming into town empty, whereas Taxis leaving town will usually be full.
Don't expect him to stop for you if you're munching on a kebab though!

Be nice and he just might be nice back to you;)
Also, there's no quicker way to get thrown out of a Taxi than by fighting with fellow passengers, shouting, drunken s**t etc.

Vmaxer

Neil_Sedaka wrote:

At busy times of the night, stand on the side of the road leading INTO the City centre. Most Taxis are coming into town empty, whereas Taxis leaving town will usually be full.

It also helps to walk out of town towards the direction you intend on going thus avoiding the Northside Taximan on Amien St when you are going to Rathfarnham....Then again if you are a regular customer with a company you will get to know some Driver's and I find they will look after you likewise.....Pays to be nice and most will give you there Mobile No.........

garred

Neil_Sedaka wrote:

Yes, this is true.
Getting into a Taxi and giving the driver grief about having to wait ages etc. is unproductive, he most likely only has one Taxi and is out there driving it.

It always helps to give them a general route to follow, some drivers may not be familliar with your address, whereas you might know a shortcut.
Don't always assume that he's trying to rip you off by taking the long way, he could be just a little bit unsure of the best route.

At busy times of the night, stand on the side of the road leading INTO the City centre. Most Taxis are coming into town empty, whereas Taxis leaving town will usually be full.
Don't expect him to stop for you if you're munching on a kebab though!

Be nice and he just might be nice back to you;)
Also, there's no quicker way to get thrown out of a Taxi than by fighting with fellow passengers, shouting, drunken s**t etc.

You sir would be a model passenger!!:D