Taxi Drivers Harassing Tourist's.

Dub13

I have seen this a few times over the last couple of months,basically while ether walking up O'Connell street or waiting for MrsDub13 I have seen Taxi drivers pull up to the private bus stop (aircoach I think) and tout for business.

I am sure in some way this is not on as there is a Taxi rank just across the road,anyway as I said I have seen this a lot over the last while one guy seems to be at it a lot.The conversation tends to go like this..the driver pulls up and jumps out and says I am going to the airport and I may as well take a few of you,I will charge the same as the bus.

Most times the punters are happy and just jump in but a couple of times in the last two weeks I have witnessed the driver basically harassing tourist's when they refuse maybe they have return tickets one time it got very heated.This type of behavior is not on,but sadly on the increased from what I have seen.

markf909

Can you take his plate number and report this to the regulator?

Dub13

markf909 wrote: »

Can you take his plate number and report this to the regulator?

I am not sure thats part of the reason I posted this,If I can report it to the regulator I will in future if I come across it again.

Spook_ie

Dub13 wrote: »

I am not sure thats part of the reason I posted this,If I can report it to the regulator I will in future if I come across it again.

And other than the fact that you have witnessed a taxi driver behaving illegaly, why would you post it up? Or are you just setting up for a pop at taxi drivers in general ?

Dub13

Spook_ie wrote: »

And other than the fact that you have witnessed a taxi driver behaving illegaly, why would you post it up? Or are you just setting up for a pop at taxi drivers in general ?

Its a discussion board right...?maybe to have it discussed and see if its the norm or did I witness something out of the ordinary.

There are alot of dodgy Taxi Drivers out there that are giving good taxi drivers a bad name. There are issues with Taxi driver haggeling to drive people home at night. THis happens at the bottom of Grafton street. There are also many illegal taxi's out there.I had my own issue with a driver were he tried to take advantage of a foreign friend of mine, overcharging her by 30 euro's. The reason i caught him was because there was a taxi driver with me at the time who knew of him. I told her to come to were i am were i was waiting with 7 other driver all eager to catch him in the act. So they did and i got him reported.
The other thing about this guy is, he is a millionair . He own's B&B's through out ireland.
The other taxi drivers were great and were so delighted that he was caught, they drove us home for free.

veryangryman

My 2 cents....

Scenario: Dublin Airport - ive just returned from a long haul flight (delayed). Its cold and raining outside as we wait for the Aircoach. A taxi comes over and charges us the same as it.

Do i...

a) Report them to the regulator, who are actually responsible for the taxi fares being as expensive as they are now.

b) Take the cab and get where i want quicker

Tough one. What kind of idiot reports someone when they are in effect doing you a favour?

Im one of the major knockers of taxi drivers, but in this case, im on their side.

ArmaniJeanss

This is fairly common. I actually find it handy.

Recently 3 of us from working going away for a weekend at 4PM on a Friday.
Rather than have a taxi on the meter going through the rush-hour traffic, we went to the Aircoach stop on Leeson St purposely to wait for a taxi to pull up and say 'I'll take ye for the same price as the bus'. Took about 60 seconds of waiting.

Hassling tourists is not good though.

Dub13

veryangryman wrote: »

My 2 cents....

Scenario: Dublin Airport - ive just returned from a long haul flight (delayed). Its cold and raining outside as we wait for the Aircoach. A taxi comes over and charges us the same as it.

Do i...

a) Report them to the regulator, who are actually responsible for the taxi fares being as expensive as they are now.

b) Take the cab and get where i want quicker

Tough one. What kind of idiot reports someone when they are in effect doing you a favour?

Im one of the major knockers of taxi drivers, but in this case, im on their side.

Thats all well and good as I said I have seen the scenario you talk about happening many many times and never gave it much taught,although it is illegal.

What I am talking about is when this 'kind offer' is refused for whatever reason and the Taxi driver becomes aggressive and very pushy.Is this acceptibale...?would you be an idiot to report this...?

PurplePrincess

I get the aircoach out of town fairly regularly and its quite common for taxi drivers to stop when they see a few people with suitcases and say they'll take them to the airport for the same price as the aircoach. Thats fair enough as its mutially beneficial for both parties but if I saw them hassling tourists I'd have no trouble reporting them.

meathstevie

Folks, I'll be very straightforward and blunt : you're being as thick as two short planks. I drive a taxi myself and I work Dublin.

If you find yourself at an Aircoach bus stop and you don't want to be fleeced by aircoach go up to the nearest taxi rank or flag one once there's four or more of you and a taxi on the meter from the city center will always be cheaper than aircoach. For example : from the Gresham rank a 7-seater taxi full to capacity to the airport will typically cost less than 30 euro per 7 people sharing ( less than 4 euro/person). Aircoach will cost a euro shy of 50 euro. In short : once there's more than 2 people at the bus stop you're shooting yourself in the foot.

This morning I picked up 7 Spanish students at the Gresham rank who were waiting for an Aircoach that obviously didn't come. They told me they were led to believe that the taxi fare to the airport was going to be more than 80 euro. I'd just love to know who spreads this sort of crap, is it airline companies or Aircoach itself or hotels who get a cut out of ticket sales ? By the way the fare was 24,50.

Dub13

meathstevie wrote: »

Folks, I'll be very straightforward and blunt : you're being as thick as two short planks. I drive a taxi myself and I work Dublin.

If you find yourself at an Aircoach bus stop and you don't want to be fleeced by aircoach go up to the nearest taxi rank or flag one once there's four or more of you and a taxi on the meter from the city center will always be cheaper than aircoach. For example : from the Gresham rank a 7-seater taxi full to capacity to the airport will typically cost less than 30 euro per 7 people sharing ( less than 4 euro/person). Aircoach will cost a euro shy of 50 euro. In short : once there's more than 2 people at the bus stop you're shooting yourself in the foot.

This morning I picked up 7 Spanish students at the Gresham rank who were waiting for an Aircoach that obviously didn't come. They told me they were led to believe that the taxi fare to the airport was going to be more than 80 euro. I'd just love to know who spreads this sort of crap, is it airline companies or Aircoach itself or hotels who get a cut out of ticket sales ? By the way the fare was 24,50.

Thats all well and good but the point of this thread is what happens when the person at the bus stop refuses maybe they have a return ticket or something,the taxi driver is way way out of line to start having a fit if people don't want to go with him.

meathstevie

True enough. If you start throwing fits if every time a potential customer doesn't buy for some reason or other you might need to have a long hard think to find out if you're in the right business or not.

Trampas

veryangryman wrote: »

My 2 cents....

Scenario: Dublin Airport - ive just returned from a long haul flight (delayed). Its cold and raining outside as we wait for the Aircoach. A taxi comes over and charges us the same as it.

Do i...

a) Report them to the regulator, who are actually responsible for the taxi fares being as expensive as they are now.

b) Take the cab and get where i want quicker

Tough one. What kind of idiot reports someone when they are in effect doing you a favour?

Im one of the major knockers of taxi drivers, but in this case, im on their side.

Well since you are at the airport you will have a taxi rank there at the arrivals entrance and I am pretty sure the other taxis will be quick to report you skipping the rank to gain a fare

Victor

Not everyone using the various airport buses pays full fare. Any Dublin Bus season (day/week/month/year) ticket holder can use the Airlink for no extra charge and Aircoach offer a huge discount to airport staff.

PRND

Trampas wrote: »

Well since you are at the airport you will have a taxi rank there at the arrivals entrance and I am pretty sure the other taxis will be quick to report you skipping the rank to gain a fare

Best thing is to go upstairs at the airport and take a taxi of someone who has just let a passenger off.

They should negotiate a good fare as it takes them ages to go into the queue and back to the rank downstairs.

In relation to the original post, after O'Connell St. the aircoach does not pick up again so I'd say it is as easy to get that than a taxi. Easier probably because if there is a queue at the dropoff, you still cruise into the bus stops. The aircoach is also very comfortable and you don't have to talk to anyone.

It's fair enough, meathstevie, 4 people paying less in a taxi but what if you are only two and don't feel like approaching the other people waiting in the queue with you to ask them to share a cab? It is probably best for the taxi driver to make the approach to the people at the queue and charge each person the €7 individually.

Dub13

You would think Aircoach would be concerned about this as it is hitting there revenue.Do Aircoach even have inspectors...?

meathstevie

PRND wrote: »

Best thing is to go upstairs at the airport and take a taxi of someone who has just let a passenger off.

They should negotiate a good fare as it takes them ages to go into the queue and back to the rank downstairs.

In relation to the original post, after O'Connell St. the aircoach does not pick up again so I'd say it is as easy to get that than a taxi. Easier probably because if there is a queue at the dropoff, you still cruise into the bus stops. The aircoach is also very comfortable and you don't have to talk to anyone.

It's fair enough, meathstevie, 4 people paying less in a taxi but what if you are only two and don't feel like approaching the other people waiting in the queue with you to ask them to share a cab? It is probably best for the taxi driver to make the approach to the people at the queue and charge each person the €7 individually.

A couple of points :

- Departures at Dublin Airport is drop off only. They DAA bylaws make it illegal to pick up passengers at Departures. If you're looking to get to town for a fiver you're barking up the wrong tree

- The alternative entrance to Departures is not only accessible for buses. I drop people down by the escalator to Departures beside the short term car parks more so than on the actual Departures road. Saves me time and them a few cents.

- Unless you're talking about pre-arranged trips only the taximeter can be used for pricing. Setting prices per passenger etc on an ad hoc basis is illegal and drivers have been fined to do this.

- To the best of my knowledge : Air Coach picks up down by Quinn's in Drumcondra as well.

meathstevie

Dub13 wrote: »

You would think Aircoach would be concerned about this as it is hitting there revenue.Do Aircoach even have inspectors...?

Not that I know of, they seem to be relying on the Gardai and the Taxi Regulator's enforcement people.

I for one will never offer people bring them for 7 euro each. I do stop at the odd Air Coach bus stop and explain people that there is a cheaper option to go to the airport than waiting for the bus and paying 7 a pop.

PRND

meathstevie wrote: »

A couple of points :

- Departures at Dublin Airport is drop off only. They DAA bylaws make it illegal to pick up passengers at Departures. If you're looking to get to town for a fiver you're barking up the wrong tree

- The alternative entrance to Departures is not only accessible for buses. I drop people down by the escalator to Departures beside the short term car parks more so than on the actual Departures road. Saves me time and them a few cents.

- Unless you're talking about pre-arranged trips only the taximeter can be used for pricing. Setting prices per passenger etc on an ad hoc basis is illegal and drivers have been fined to do this.

- To the best of my knowledge : Air Coach picks up down by Quinn's in Drumcondra as well.

Of course I do not look to go into town for a fiver but if there is a queue on then I go upstairs and get a cab there. I guarantee you it is very easy. Try it sometime. Nobody says anything. The driver is happy, I am happy.

I have never negotiated a discount but I'd say that someone would take you into town on the cheap instead of having to queue. That is why I have written "should".

I have been caught going up that bloody departures ramp in the past in a taxi. Pain in the bum. Most recent times, I have had the driver drop me off at the drop off on the right, round by the Spar.

I'm not sure about the pick up at Quinn's. I was on it once when someone got on up near Whitehall church. I think they were airport staff.

Anyway, you can't argue that the Aircoach is not more comfortable than a taxi.

meathstevie

Try my 06 air conditioned factory fit interior ( no gammy conversion ) 7 seater Merc Vito

Only messing. I take your point that there's fair few sub standard cars out there but not all are. But on the other hand you'll see S-class Merc's, GS300 Lexus etc floating around. You can hardly call that the pits.

PRND

Oh, definitely not. There are some great taxis out there. I was mentioning on another thread about seeing a 08 S-class but compare the aircoach to getting 4 people plus 4 bags into a new S-class and most people should prefer the former. Maybe with the exception of the person in the front passenger seat!