Unlicenced taxi driver

Brendog

I was running a little late getting through town to work recently.

I hailed a joe maxi and hopped in, told the driver to head to where I worked and off we went.
As we were going along I noticed there was no sign of his "Taxi driver license"....

When I asked him about it he said, "Oh! facking gards tell me I was suspended, so I couldn't taxi drive. Facking pigs man, you know?"

I told him to pull over and got out straight away. He started going mental because I didn't pay him....

I didn't get his plate number, which I'm kicking myself for....




Anyone else has an experience like mine?

Dyr

I've never been driven around Dublin by a cockney if thats what you mean...

AnonoBoy

Brendog wrote: »

Facking pigs man, you know?"

Should be easy enough for the Guards to find him.

I mean Ray Winstone's a pretty recognisable guy.

sbsquarepants

Ha, sounds quite a character!!
I once got talking to a taxi driver i stopped early one morning after a session, ended up sitting in his car, in an industrial estate, for about 2 hours doing lines of coke (his, by the way!) off his licence thing! Told me all about his mate who was up on murder charges and how he knew for a fact he was innocent, cos it was another mate that done it!!
That has definitely got to rank as my strangest ever taxi experience

Banned Account

Oh great, English people and taxi drivers in the one thread.

*gets popcorn*

biko

Title clarified and moved to a regional forum.

NothingMan

Those pesky Gardaí, enforcing laws and what not. What will they do next.

Was in a taxi once where the guy didn't know how to navigate a 3 lane roundabout and it took 3 full trips around the roundabout before he finally listened to me. He also had his phone in his hand while speaking loudly to someone in his native language.

We finally got home and what should be about a €20 fare was €23 so I gave him €20, should have gave him nothing, and got out and he actually got angry that I was "short changing" him.

So now when I need a taxi I make sure I get at least a Lexus and a driver and a driver that looks like he knows his way around Dublin, and roundabouts.

AnonoBoy

NothingMan wrote: »

So now when I need a taxi I make sure I get at least a Lexus and a driver and a driver that looks like he knows his way around Dublin, and roundabouts.

You mean you don't get black taxi drivers because of the one guy who was a bit crap?

chin_grin

Only took 9 posts before mentioning "de foreigners be drivin' deh taxi's. And they be inept!". You're slipping AH. Slipping!

Kiribati22

.

ruddellmander

sure this happens alot..sure theres 3 lads to alot of taxi's out there..not all of them,just alot!!!

NothingMan

AnonoBoy wrote: »

You mean you don't get black taxi drivers because of the one guy who was a bit crap?

Nothing to do with race, wouldn't get in a taxi with a scoby looking dub or a 92 Almera with anybody. I give a quick look at the car and who's driving and I make a judgement. I could be way off but I find that people who keep their cars nice and up to date tend to be a more professional driver.

I have had more bad experiences with foreign taxi drivers than good, but I have met many very nice and professional foreign drivers too.

Just avoid ANY driver with a beat up 20 year old car, sure they're suppose to be at most 9 years old now anyway.

chin_grin

NothingMan wrote: »

Nothing to do with race, wouldn't get in a taxi with a scoby looking dub or a 92 Almera with anybody.

MOTORIST! Wait that really didn't work............CAR-IST! There, better. :pac:

Brendog

chin_grin wrote: »

CAR-IST! :pac:

Nice anagram!

mikemac

Well when I hop I look at the yellow sticker to check it's in date.
And check the drivers ID.
They have a badge too, some wear it and some leave it on the dash. Though I don't always see the badge.
All I can do realy.

Roll on this 9 year rule, taking these battered 1995 Toyotas off the road.

However, there are some old skool Mercedes out on the road, the drivers keep them very well. A pity they have to go but they get caught by the rule.

NothingMan

feelingstressed wrote: »

However, there are some old skool Mercedes out on the road, the drivers keep them very well. A pity they have to go but they get caught by the rule.

Couldn't agree more. Was in a 2000 Lexus a few weeks ago. Felt like a limo. All electrics, front and back heated seats and all. Really swanky and he was saying he had to get rid of it and he'd get feck all for it too. If it wasn't a 3.5 litre beast I would have though about buying it.

rx8

NothingMan wrote: »

Couldn't agree more. Was in a 2000 Lexus a few weeks ago. Felt like a limo. All electrics, front and back heated seats and all. Really swanky and he was saying he had to get rid of it and he'd get feck all for it too. If it wasn't a 3.5 litre beast I would have though about buying it.

Was that a dark green one with beige leather interior..?

Terrible shame if it is because I've travelled in it, and you can tell that the driver is really attached to it and looks after it so well.
Pity there's not more drivers like him out there..... some of the wrecks on the road are a damn discrace!

NothingMan

rx8 wrote: »

Was that a dark green one with beige leather interior..?

Well I mainly get taxis when I'm hammered drunk so lets say yes, green indeed...

steph1

Well you can be sure that from next year on the lovely older Mercs will be gone and so will the Lexus and being a taxi driver myself I had to change my merc which was a 99 EClass top of the range, leather etc etc as it was too costly to run as it was petrol.
The regulator is bringing in this rule at a totally wrong time. Does she not realise we are in a recession, banks not lending, taxi business down all over the country and especially in rural towns.
So what is going to happen is that a lot of the good drivers who keep themselves and their cars in mint order are going to be the main sufferers by this rule and the rental sector will have all sorts of wrecks that are out morning noon and night with different drivers in them. How is that for health and safety for the customer?

How Strange

I have sympathy for the guys who have 10 yr mercs etc and keep them in immaculate condition but in reality for every 1 decent older car you prob get 30 clapped out bangers with no suspension. It annoys me to have to pay €20 for a jaunt in a bone shaker

steph1

I have seen some 04 and 05 cars that are in bits as they are obviously being driven hard. But good quality cars will be very scarce. I was going to try and get a diesel merc myself but the prices were too much. When you buy a car for this business you need to get at least three years out of it. It always amazes me that some of this wrecks get through the NCT test which is yearly for taxis and hackneys and limos.

Morlar

Would anyone know the exact date this rule kicks in ?

Have to say there are plenty of older cars with character that are kept in a very good condition working as taxis.

This rule seems a bit blunt/ simplistic and wasteful to me.

steph1

The rule comes into force in 2011 so when a driver is renewing his/her licence the vehicle has to be under 9 years old on that date. This can be verified on the Vehicle Licensing Cert.
A lot of drivers are angry with this new rule insofar as it was to come into force in 2012 and thats what I had budgeted for when I bought my previous car. But the regulator has decided that recession or not, some of these older cars dont come up to scratch in relation to safety and equipment and emissions. So she decided to bring the rule in a year earlier just as the business is collapsing all around the country. Cannot see the sense to this.
I can only say that having driven an EClass merc for the guts of two years that it was one of the most comfortable cars I ever drove and the punters loved it. Plenty of safety features and plenty of airbags on these top marque cars more so that on some of the other tin cans flyin around the place :mad:

Just back to the title of the topic all customers should check that there are yellow stickers on the front and back windscreens and that the driver id is displayed and should be on the dashboard. If you are not satisfied ask for a receipt when you get to your destination as the driver's licence number is printed on this so if you have a complaint you have their licence number if you need to contact the regulator's office.

arybvtcw0eolkf

And moved again.

Spook_ie

steph1 wrote: »

snipped

Just back to the title of the topic all customers should check that there are yellow stickers on the front and back windscreens and that the driver id is displayed and should be on the dashboard. If you are not satisfied ask for a receipt when you get to your destination as the driver's licence number is printed on this so if you have a complaint you have their licence number if you need to contact the regulator's office.

The vehicle registration plate and taxi roof number are on the receipt, the drivers license number is on the yellow dashboard id, as an extra point you can now input the reg/plate number or driver id into the taxiregs' website and get the licensing dates etc. back, only realy useful if you have t'internet on your phone as if someone has their area of operation hidden ( flat on the dash ) you can input the number and tell if you are/have literaly been take for a ride by someone not licensed for the area. However the newer look licenses will help as they have the area licensed for printed on BOTH sides, only taken about 4 years to realise it was needed

everyday taxi

NothingMan wrote: »

Nothing to do with race, wouldn't get in a taxi with a scoby looking dub or a 92 Almera with anybody. I give a quick look at the car and who's driving and I make a judgement. I could be way off but I find that people who keep their cars nice and up to date tend to be a more professional driver.

I have had more bad experiences with foreign taxi drivers than good, but I have met many very nice and professional foreign drivers too.

Just avoid ANY driver with a beat up 20 year old car, sure they're suppose to be at most 9 years old now anyway.

The 9 yr rule comes in jan '11. However it is facing a legal challenge.

Redsquigy

My son got into a taxi the other night (hailed it on the road) and when he got home (the normal fare is €8 as it is local fare) the driver asked for €20.08. He asked what the **** was he talking about and your man said if he didn't pay he would call the guards. Now I know my son said he was fairly locked but he wasn't that bad that he would know what the fare is as he uses the same route every weekend but when he asked the taxi guy (he was foreign) for a receipt he said he nearly sh*t himself. The "receipt" he got was on a bit of paper torn off an envelope with the fare my son eventually paid which was €8.75, the date, where he was pick up and dropped off and a number which the taxi guy said was his number. He didn't get the number off the top of the car. Could somebody out there tell me does a taxi badge number have a letter and numbers on it?

foggy_lad

yes but it may be that this driver was not a licenced taxi driver or that the car was not properly licenced. go to the guards and report him firstly for not having the proper machine to issue receipts and let them take it from there!

Redsquigy

Thanks for that never thought of reporting to the guards. Will be writing to the Taxi Federation as well, maybe they might find out something too.

the boss of me

Redsquigy wrote: »

Thanks for that never thought of reporting to the guards. Will be writing to the Taxi Federation as well, maybe they might find out something too.

No point in complaining to the taxi fed as they are a drivers rep group.You need to get on to the Taxi regulator and make a complaint. http://www.taxireg.ie/

Redsquigy

Thanks for that I meant the Regulator I downloaded complaint form and will be filling it in tomorrow after I have been in the Garda station.

godtabh

In London I almost got arrested for using a dodgy taxi. Hailed one down and some ****er jumped ahead of me and I started abusing him. Turned out he was a plain clothes officer. Taxi man was put in the paddy wagon and plain clothes officer informed me that the height restricts to get into the force had been relaxed and he wasnt 12 years old.