Taxi Drivers

tonc76

I've had 2 fairly strange experiences with taxi men in particular in the last 2 months. The most recent was 2 weeks ago on a saturday night when i was getting a taxi home with some mates from earlscourt. We got into the taxi and i told him where we wanted to go and said the handiest way to go would be out the new ring road. He pulled in the taxi turned to me and said "do u want to drive the fcukin taxi?" No thanks said i and on we went!! The time before that i was getting a taxi from fbank home on a friday night. Got into the taxi and as i had passed through town earlier and saw a big crowd outside 10, asked was there something on? He replied that there was a teenie disco on and that he had been in the taxi que watching "the little b1tches in their short skirts." He then told me how he would love to bring one of them away and have his way. I genuinely felt sick at what he was saying and ignored the rest of his speil.

I know that these are two incidents that happened to me but have people similar experiences?

mike65

Nope but Travis Bickle types lurk everywhere. Was the latter local and were both taxis from the same company?

Mike.

tonc76

Not sure the second taxi was ordered by mates who had already gotten one

AdMMM

I've never had taxi drivers behave that way, most of them I can talk to at ease. There was one occassion where one driver tried to give me the run around. I got off the bus from Dublin and found a taxi nearby, I told him where I wanted to go (Johns Hill) and he set off but instead of turning left at the end of the Quay (onto Lombard St) where he would have avoided 3 sets of traffic lights, he tried to go straight on before turning left at the end of Parnell St. I realised what he was trying to do and told him to turn left at the end of the Mall and onto Catherine St. Traffic lights must act as magnets to them though because he then tried to go towards the lights on South Parade but I told him to go up Water St instead.

It's annoying to think that they (as in the driver of this particular taxi) probably gets away with taking the long way round most of the time, especially when they are carrying passengers who may not be familiar with the area that they are headed to.

Apart from that I can't really complain about the taxi service in Waterford.

shockwave

I have noticed some taxi drivers slowing down when coming to green traffic lights in the hope that they will turn red thus getting a few extra cents on the meter.One driver drove all the way out to williamstown at 25 mph costing me nearly €8,I could have walked it faster!

Dilbert75

Next time you have a bad experience, take note of the driver's license / badge number (should be displayed) and report them to the Gardai. Probably won't have any result other than a feeling of satisfaction but anyway.

AdMMM

shockwave wrote:

I have noticed some taxi drivers slowing down when coming to green traffic lights in the hope that they will turn red thus getting a few extra cents on the meter.One driver drove all the way out to williamstown at 25 mph costing me nearly €8,I could have walked it faster!

I've heard friends of mine mention that Taxi drivers have - since the launch of the new rates - apparently been driving safer. Gone are the days of them bolting it around the town trying to get as many fares as possible (I know one driver who used to keep a second VHF radio in his car to try and steal fares from other drivers!) and are in are the times of them driving as slowly and as carefully as possible!

fricatus

I remember a real beauty one time, yeah, a real fvcking beauty!

I was going from Viewmount to Gracedieu at about 5 in the morning, mid-summer, and I only had £5 on me (this was pre-euro days).

I told the driver how much I had and offered to get some extra cash out of an ATM if he thought the fare would be higher than that. He said the fiver was OK, so I thought "grand"...

No sooner had we come out the other side of town (ATMs behind us) when he started b1tching and moaning about people in Gracedieu, and how we were no longer the first turn after the bucket factory, but the second, now that a new estate had been built! Like we had been demoted or something. I mean, WTF???

Anyway, just as he was dropping me off, he said to me "surprised you were like that - you don't have a Spurs nose!" I didn't catch the anti-Semitic stereotype at first and asked him what he meant, and he said "you don't have a Jew nose!"

At that point I slammed the door and walked off before I did something I'd regret. There sure are some Travis Bickle types out there...

mad man

tonc76 wrote:

I've had 2 fairly strange experiences with taxi men in particular in the last 2 months. The most recent was 2 weeks ago on a saturday night when i was getting a taxi home with some mates from earlscourt. We got into the taxi and i told him where we wanted to go and said the handiest way to go would be out the new ring road. He pulled in the taxi turned to me and said "do u want to drive the fcukin taxi?" No thanks said i and on we went!! The time before that i was getting a taxi from fbank home on a friday night. Got into the taxi and as i had passed through town earlier and saw a big crowd outside 10, asked was there something on? He replied that there was a teenie disco on and that he had been in the taxi que watching "the little b1tches in their short skirts." He then told me how he would love to bring one of them away and have his way. I genuinely felt sick at what he was saying and ignored the rest of his speil.

I know that these are two incidents that happened to me but have people similar experiences?

What did this guy look like?

Cabaal

Dilbert75 wrote:

Next time you have a bad experience, take note of the driver's license / badge number (should be displayed) and report them to the Gardai. Probably won't have any result other than a feeling of satisfaction but anyway.

Still worth doing,
that second comment is ****ed up and people like that shouldn't be driving women around on their own

Dilbert75

Cabaal wrote:

Still worth doing,
that second comment is ****ed up and people like that shouldn't be driving women around on their own

True - hope the OP got the ID for the scumbag. Makes me resolve to ensure that my kids never have to depend on random taxi drivers for transport - don't care if I have to stay awake all night.

tonc76

mad man wrote:

What did this guy look like?

Not goin to give a description as it would have too many possibilities.

Dilbert75 wrote:

True - hope the OP got the ID for the scumbag. Makes me resolve to ensure that my kids never have to depend on random taxi drivers for transport - don't care if I have to stay awake all night.

Unfortunately didn't get any of the id's.

I'll keep an eye out for them though.

mad man

tonc76 wrote:

Not goin to give a description as it would have too many possibilities. .

Maybe you should.I had an experience with a taxi driver a long time ago where he went completely psycho in the car because he had to wait a few minutes.Your description reminded me of that.Theres only about a hundred plates in Waterford if even that.The thing is he probably has done this to a lot more people.The reason they get away with it is people don;t complain.

Incidentally,if someone needes to complain about taxi drivers they have to complaign to the carriage office in Dublin castle.AFAIK there is no local means.The local gardai will not get involved unless a crime has been comited.

ROCKMAN

In general i do not have a problem with the drivers, but the the lads who work the office(one in particular ) are really bad . Just once i would like to hear we are really busy at the moment you could try someone else?? Instead of "on the way" and you end up waiting half an hour!

run_Forrest_run

U should have reported the sick fcuk to these lads:

http://www.taxiregulator.ie/

lm7

I am a taxi driver and am sorry for the experiance you had. You should have got his number which is on the dash and roof sign, and reported him. You don't have to speak to him just get the number and ring the taxi regulator. there are creeps in many work places.

run_Forrest_run

lm7 is correct, there are creeps in every industry and I have met lots of very nice & decent taxi drivers, as usual it's the minority that mess it up. But if anyone has any complaints with taxis then they should use the taxi regulator as that is what the body was set up for and if we don't register our complaints then the industry will not improve.

samsham

AdMMM wrote: »

I've heard friends of mine mention that Taxi drivers have - since the launch of the new rates - apparently been driving safer. Gone are the days of them bolting it around the town trying to get as many fares as possible (I know one driver who used to keep a second VHF radio in his car to try and steal fares from other drivers!) and are in are the times of them driving as slowly and as carefully as possible!

folks don't you love being the victim. Driving at 25mph a hour has no
effect on a taxi fare other than taking longer and costing the idiot
driving money in time he could be using on other fares. just a thought
but seeing there on the road 24/7 maybe they have some penalty points
and are not risking it. Time does not start on a meter until a vehicle is going
under 21 klm not mph and as you know 21 klm is a jogging speed

.

samsham

tonc76 wrote: »

I've had 2 fairly strange experiences with taxi men in particular in the last 2 months. The most recent was 2 weeks ago on a saturday night when i was getting a taxi home with some mates from earlscourt. We got into the taxi and i told him where we wanted to go and said the handiest way to go would be out the new ring road. He pulled in the taxi turned to me and said "do u want to drive the fcukin taxi?" No thanks said i and on we went!! The time before that i was getting a taxi from fbank home on a friday night. Got into the taxi and as i had passed through town earlier and saw a big crowd outside 10, asked was there something on? He replied that there was a teenie disco on and that he had been in the taxi que watching "the little b1tches in their short skirts." He then told me how he would love to bring one of them away and have his way. I genuinely felt sick at what he was saying and ignored the rest of his speil.

I know that these are two incidents that happened to me but have people similar experiences?

By any chance was this fellow bald with a goaty beard , My friend had two encounters with the same guy driving a beat up old merc, he was about 40. He was rude, when she opened the door and asked was he free. He let fly, what the **** did she think he was? She actually knew the guy because he works in the day time in her Boyfreinds factory, She remarked the hungry bast*ard is probably aftter doing 20 hours that day.

Elle Victorine

AdMMM wrote: »

I've never had taxi drivers behave that way, most of them I can talk to at ease. There was one occassion where one driver tried to give me the run around. I got off the bus from Dublin and found a taxi nearby, I told him where I wanted to go (Johns Hill) and he set off but instead of turning left at the end of the Quay (onto Lombard St) where he would have avoided 3 sets of traffic lights, he tried to go straight on before turning left at the end of Parnell St. I realised what he was trying to do and told him to turn left at the end of the Mall and onto Catherine St. Traffic lights must act as magnets to them though because he then tried to go towards the lights on South Parade but I told him to go up Water St instead.

It's annoying to think that they (as in the driver of this particular taxi) probably gets away with taking the long way round most of the time, especially when they are carrying passengers who may not be familiar with the area that they are headed to.

Apart from that I can't really complain about the taxi service in Waterford.

This always happens to me when I'm coming from the train station. I don't get what their problem is. It's a very short bloody route. I've had one or two very uncomfortable experiences and generally don't like getting taxis with any rank except for one. A1 are spot on.

longshanks

i have a mate whose father drives a taxi, so when i need one i generally ring him and he's spot on. sometimes if all i had in my pocket was a fiver and a 50 he'd just say the fiver will do which is sound. usually the next time i get him i'll give him extra so all in all it balances up. still its a nice touch for him to do that.
if i was the op, or anyone with bad experiences, i'd get friendly with one of the sound drivers and just make a point of using him from then on. a lot of drivers will give you there private number if you ask, and you can ring them directly instead of going through the office and getting some dodgy prick with a chip on his shoulder

Moiph

I was getting a taxi a couple of weeks back from the rank in john street with a few mates. And as soon as we got in the taxi the guy started racially abusing foreign taxi drivers and just foreigners in general. And just literally wouldnt let up on it for the whole journey. And it wasnt like, lets say a "foreigners are coming in and taking our jobs" speech, he was really verbally smashing them and using horrible language towards them and calling them several names which I dont want to repeat. None of us even wanted to pay the guy after that.

Thats been my only bad experience really. I have to say though, A1 cabs are great. Nothing but good words for them.

windowlicker

Myself and my girlfriend got a taxi home from the forum last sat night, the next day the driver called round to our apartment because someone left a gold chain in the car. it wasn't hers but he was pure sound for callin round to check. So like, there not all bad lads

magick

personally ive never had a bad time, but my friends have though. I tend to just have a blank slate when i get into the taxi, and 99% their fine. In fact the only bad times ive ever had was in Dublin when one taxi overcharged me way too much, so i replied "jaysus why dont dont u take my balls while ur at it".

No i know that comment wasnt helpful but i wanted to at least make him aware of what he's doing, i find too many people in this country dont complain while their there.

But personally i think if people complained more to the face of the person who is ripping them off/ poor service then their would be better quality overall.

samsham

mad man wrote: »

Maybe you should.I had an experience with a taxi driver a long time ago where he went completely psycho in the car because he had to wait a few minutes.Your description reminded me of that.Theres only about a hundred plates in Waterford if even that.The thing is he probably has done this to a lot more people.The reason they get away with it is people don;t complain.

Incidentally,if someone needes to complain about taxi drivers they have to complaign to the carriage office in Dublin castle.AFAIK there is no local means.The local gardai will not get involved unless a crime has been comited.

Way of the mark there are almost 400 taxis in Waterford not to mention about 60 hackneys, over 2000 people in Waterford carry a license to drive a taxi psv license. Taxi Eire discussion forum http://taxieire.lefora.com/forum/

There is another side to this discussion. The taxi driver's that get ripped of, countless numbers of runners, then the drunk thats too intoxicated to know if he/she has no money. In my City the driver who was attacked on the folly and had his cab carjacked another on the Newross road beaten and had the car stolen, A female driver hit and bitten while a guy tried to rob her in Kilbarry. A female driver in ferrybank was pulled from the drivers seat as a guy who took of his pants tried to pull her into the back. A driver in Kilbarry that had his car destroyed because he wanted to get paid in, they stoned his car. A driver who was struck over the head with a hammer in Hilview as he brought a guy home, the guy was sitting quietly in the back on his own, no apparent reason. I recon if there are people in our General public who are capable of these things then its probable there are a few rouges in the taxi industry too. It aint an easy job at times and not for the faint hearted. http://taxieire.lefora.com/forum/

There were 750 complaints in 2007 received by the taxi regulator for over 40,000 psv holders. (psv holder) is anyone with a license to drive a taxi, currently there are over 20.000 taxis in Ireland. Of this most were about taking the wrong journey , condition of the car and overcharging. the majority didn't stand up. Complaints received don't necessary mean any wrong doing bearing this in mind Less than 50 taxis drivers faced any charges in a court.

Out going Garda complaints last review 2006 there were 1350 complaints recieved for just 12,000 garda serving in Ireland In 2006 2.3 million was paid out in Compensation and a further 14.7 million paid out as a result of Garda corruption and mismanagement. 55 Donegal-related civil actions were part of a total of 190 civil cases connected to the actions of members of AnGarda Siochana last year . In short yes there are thieves and assholes in the Taxi industry, but unfortunately there in every sector of our community.

Cabaal

samsham wrote: »

. In short yes there are thieves and assholes in the Taxi industry, but unfortunately there in every sector of our community.

Indeed they are, however nobody forces anyone to be a Taxi driver....if they dislike it so much or fear for their lives so much then like anybody else they should change jobs

Or perhaps they should spend some monkey on the car and get a devide put in between the front and back seats...similar to what taxi's in new york often have....

robtri

Like anyjob or even anyplace, a few rotten eggs give the rest of the people a bad name...
Most taxi drivers are decent hardworking and trying to make a living it is just a few that are pure scum. and I use that term for the racists and the sexual predator mentioned by the OP

samsham

Cabaal wrote: »

Indeed they are, however nobody forces anyone to be a Taxi driver....if they dislike it so much or fear for their lives so much then like anybody else they should change jobs

Or perhaps they should spend some monkey on the car and get a devide put in between the front and back seats...similar to what taxi's in new york often have....

indeed some are looking for just that, but there is some opposition from consumers groups and the regulator because then taxis can only carry three people like happens in some other European countries and the states. But I am sure it will eventually be come necessary. pity lots of people especially my dad just wont get into the back of a car.:cool::D

samsham

A female garda has been accused of making a false statement to gardai alleging that she was attacked by a taxi driver, a court heard yesterday. Niamh O'Connor (24) from, Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, appeared before Dublin District Court yesterday on a charge of providing false information.Sergeant Ronan Muldoon told the court that Ms O'Connor made a statement at Donnybrook garda station in Dublin alleging that she was attacked on her way home in the early hours of December 28 2007.
Ms O'Connor hailed a taxi on Camden Street and asked to be taken to Balinteer, Sgt Muldoon said. She said the taxi driver asked her if it was all right if he dropped off another passenger, already in the front seat, in Rathmines, according to Sgt Muldoon's evidence. Ms O'Connor told gardai that she didn't realise until they were outside Herbert Park that the passenger was still in the car.
She alleged that the car stopped and another man got out of the boot. The three men then attacked her, she said. Sgt Muldoon said Ms O'Connor told him and his colleague that she had her dress ripped and her tights torn before escaping the men's advances. But Ms O'Connor admitted later that day that she fabricated her statement because she had a disagreement with the taxi driver, Sgt Muldoon said.
Judge Clare Leonard asked Sgt Muldoon what the disagreement had been over, but he said that Ms O'Connor could not remember. Sgt Muldoon said that Ms O'Connor had told gardai, following her admission, that she had torn her own dress.
The case was deferred until October 13 due to a dispute over jurisdiction -- on whether the case should be heard in the District Court or to a higher court.
Defence counsel Martin Moran told Justice Leonard that he required time to consider garda statements and obtain reports."I'll be in a better position to persuade you on jurisdiction then," he said.
Judge Leonard granted Mr Moran's request. But she described the case as very serious and said she was not usually persuaded on jurisdiction. sometimes people lie to make life more interesting. Don't always believe what you hear..

Quigs Snr

Cabaal, you are talking out your hoop. Your are implying that if someone decides to be a cabbie and then gets attacked that's their own fault is it ?

If you decided to walk down the street now and I walked up behind you and beat your head in with a lump hammer, would you tell yourself that you couldn't complain, after all, no-one forced you to leave your house and walk down the street. If someone walked into my office right now and opened up with a rifle, would that be my fault because no-one forced me to take up this profession ?

No. I didn't think so. No one said that cabbies hated being cabbies, it was stated that its a dangerous occupation, and that like any other role that deals with the dregs of humanity that walk our streets, there is a danger involved. People too often don't appreciate that. It doesn't mean that people don't have a right to be safe when they go to work. They are taxi drivers, not soldiers.

The divider would be a good idea, in NYC it's easier as cabs are bought and fitted as cabs, here in Ireland standard civilian vehicles are used. It would make it a lot easier for all concerned to standardise the cars themselves, but costs would likely prohibit it for now at least. Who knows, maybe in the future though.

shinzon

and what with the price rises just announced the thieving will get beyond a joke not that it isnt that already, either that or people will not use taxis and just use hackneys when necessary

Shin

Sully

I used taxis a lot when in Dublin and found them great. I keep an eye on the meter and I know what to expect - I have yet to be over charged or ripped off. Iv met some lovely taxi drivers and then some odd ones. But you get that in all walks of life, so we cant bash taxis just for that! The little I used them in Waterford, I have found the same.

As regards to increases, with the way the economy is and fuel prices - I can hardly blame an increase.

Cabaal

shinzon wrote: »

and what with the price rises just announced the thieving will get beyond a joke not that it isnt that already, either that or people will not use taxis and just use hackneys when necessary

Shin

Shin at this stage given the amount of mopney you put into taxi's getting to work etc, you might be better off with a small car surely?

ToxicPaddy

I too use Taxis a fair amount in Dublin and Waterford, like a few have said, there are some genuinely decent hard working guys out there who are taxi drivers and are both Irish and foreign nationals.. but I have come across some right psychos and scumbags who also work in that game..

One in particular tried to rip me off one night a few years back, he realised I had a few drinks in me, so when changing gear he continually kept pressing a button on the meter to increase the fair, I copped it almost immediately and after the 3rd of 4th time of doing it, I asked him where the nearest garda station was, he asked why, I said very calmly that I'd just like to report him for trying to rip me off by messing with the meter when driving..

The look on his face was priceless.. so we came to an agreement, he'd stop the meter there and then, drop me the rest of the way home for whatever pops up on the meter and I wouldnt report him.. he did and I made sure to get him to drop me at the end of the estate as I didnt want the scumbag knowing where I lived.. then I got out, waited till he left and gave a nice big wave and smile when he was driving off.. Saved myself about €10 off the fare too :D

Tox

magick

not to get offtopic but it then angers me when we have threads in after hours saying "should taxi drivers be tipped?!" WTF like?!

But yes like i said before the vast majority ive found to be v helpful, but i think when u do come across a bad egg it tends to stick in ur mind.

shinzon

Cabaal wrote: »

Shin at this stage given the amount of mopney you put into taxi's getting to work etc, you might be better off with a small car surely?

dude its me i wouldnt trust myself opening the door never mind starting the engine :eek:

shin