Nasty bullying taxi drivers

scwazrh

Just like accountants and solicitors , majority of taxi drivers are over opionated self obsessed muppets that think they know a hell of a lot more about everything than you do.

mikemac1

oisindoyle wrote: »

Then theres the other side of the coin ,where passengers get into a taxi and never shut up!

Ye busy tonight?

foggy_lad

wexford12 wrote: »

There is nothing in law to say that you must pull off a rank yes you should take the fare but if you don't you can still sit there where in the law does it say that you must pull of the rank

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/public-transport-services/taxi/taxi/

Taxis

May be hired at a taxi rank or hailed on the street (stand or ply for hire);
May stand at a taxi rank (but only while the vehicle is available for hire);

If you refuse any reasonable fare you are NOT available for hire!



Also regarding having to leave enough room to pull away from the rank, it is plainly obvious that if a passenger gets into a taxi somewhere along the rank and asks to be taken to their destination the driver must be in a position to pull away from the rank, but there are also bye-laws covering this

http://www.dublincity.ie/RoadsandTraffic/Documents/Taxi_Rank_Bye-_Laws_2011_Fina.pdf

The driver of a street service vehicle shall comply with any directions given to him or her by a member of the Garda Síochána in relation to placing of the street service vehicle at the appointed stand or the bringing of the street service vehicle into, or the removal of the street service vehicle from, the appointed stand.

A driver will not be able to comply with the directions of a Garda if their car is too close to the cars in front and behind!

Losty Dublin

Terrontress wrote: »

Why are passengers rude and abusive?

Because they are drunk.

Why are they in a taxi?

Because they are drunk.

If you don't want to interact with drunken people then look for a job whose biggest customer base is people other than those using a service because they are drunk.

I worked the most of my hours days when I was in the trade. I should hope that most of them were sober, not that it excuses rudeness or abuse so what was their excuse?

Losty Dublin

oisindoyle wrote: »

What offence is it then ? what is the exact offence?

The offence is something or other they heard off a man in a pub who knew a man who heard it on Joe Duffy. They'd hand you in Iran for it, you know

Mongfinder General

Pretty grim reading this. The rep of the taxi industry is at an all time low. Everybody loves laying the boot into taxi drivers. Can't say I'm their biggest fan either but driving a taxi in Dublin must break your heart. Only time there is any real trade is between 2 and 5 am on fri/sat night.

SeanW

wexford12 wrote: »

There are thousands of taxi drivers in Dublin alone its not that hard to find stories of bad and abusive drivers. I do wonder if a thread was set up praising the good drivers would people be as quick to post.
Its a problem that has been around since year dot people love to give out when things go wrong in business but if they get served well they don't feel the need to praise

That's not a uniquely Irish thing - people in general are more likely to whinge about something that went wrong than praise something that went right - when I was an undergrad I studied marketing, and we learned that a delighted customer will tell 3 people how great your product/service is, a satisfied customer will say nothing, a dissatisfied customer will tell 7 people how crap your product/service is.

It also has a lot to do with expectations going in, and that's why the original Batman movie way back in the '70s or whenever, the studio publicised the movie only with monochrome posters showing the Batman logo, and pulled them all down the day the movie opened. The taxi gripes are the equivalent of:

Hey mate, what did you do last nite?

1. Responds by telling the questioner and two others: I saw a movie (name here) and it was great.
2. Oh I saw some film.
3. (Telling the questioner and 6 others) I saw movie X last night and it was utter rubbish, long, rambling, pointless, stay the hell away from the cinema until its gone!

I'm guessing the OP had few expectations either way of getting a taxi in Dublin before the difficulties that lead to this latest thread, but there are clearly others for whom the experience sometimes falls below even their dimmest expectations.


Hence, all the taximan bashing.

EricPraline

mikemac1 wrote: »

How does that happen?
I read it on boards all the time but I've never experienced it myself

What were the two of you even talking about to get onto that subject
Can you not chat about some light subject? Holidays or GAA or weather or some other trash.

If you want to chat to the driver sit in the front and chat away

If you couldn't be bothered and are tired, sit in the back, fold your arms and look out the window. The driver won't bother you, you can get them to turn off the radio too

You've obviously never been in a taxi where the driver is insistent on initiating a discussion on a specific subject about which they have a strong opinion (e.g. the government, the regulator, other drivers, immigrants) and no amount of hinting or disinterest will get the driver to change topic, or just shut up. Has happened to me 4-5 times in the last few years, even though I always sit in the back seat, and rarely initiate conversation with a driver. In one case the driver started banging the steering wheel as he ranted about the regulator. That was my cue to ask him to let me out, so I could walk the rest of the way. He still got €10 for his "service".

Obviously it's a minority of drivers who do this, but it's pretty unpleasant when it does happen. Probably even more so if you're a single female in the same situation.

wexford12

foggy_lad wrote: »

http://www.nationaltransport.ie/public-transport-services/taxi/taxi/If you refuse any reasonable fare you are NOT available for hire!

If you refuse a fare there is nothing to say you must drive off. It just says that you must be available for hire there are many reasons a driver can come up with not to take a fare.
May stand at a taxi rank (but only while the vehicle is available for hire);

Oh and to the little bugger who did a runner last night you picked the wrong night the look on his face when he was in the hands of 4 guards was worth a good run down a dark road its hard not to look smug when he hands over the money

foggy_lad

wexford12 wrote: »

If you refuse a fare there is nothing to say you must drive off. It just says that you must be available for hire there are many reasons a driver can come up with not to take a fare.
May stand at a taxi rank (but only while the vehicle is available for hire);

Oh and to the little bugger who did a runner last night you picked the wrong night the look on his face when he was in the hands of 4 guards was worth a good run down a dark road its hard not to look smug when he hands over the money

If you refuse to take someone to swords from the airport because the distance is too short you are not for hire so must leave the rank! are taxi drivers going to start making up rubbish excuses for not taking passengers now?

What are the many legitimate reasons that a taxi driver has refused a fare? They are far more likely to refuse fares because they only want to go north side or south side because they don't know the city they are driving in or because they only want a longer journey so refuse shorter fares, or they want business passengers from Heuston station or the airport so refuse the people that look like they might have free travel!

The truth of it is that taxi drivers are for the most part nice genuine people doing a job the same as anyone else but because of their militant and thuggish actions in the past when they held the city to ransom when there was far fewer taxis and where some ranks are "closed shops" and then with their protests which affected everyone they have turned the general public against their cause and now while many would previously have supported their plight they can't support them now as a group because of the reputation that taxi drivers as a group have made for themselves!

oisindoyle

foggy_lad wrote: »

If you refuse to take someone to swords from the airport because the distance is too short you are not for hire so must leave the rank! are taxi drivers going to start making up rubbish excuses for not taking passengers now?!

Well they are for hire,but given your lack of knowledge of the situation I will inform you that any driver that refuses a fare from DubAirport IS moved on.

foggy_lad wrote: »

What are the many legitimate reasons that a taxi driver has refused a fare?

You were gievn them on numerous occasions on this thread alone

foggy_lad wrote: »

They are far more likely to refuse fares because they only want to go north side or south side because they don't know the city they are driving in or because they only want a longer journey so refuse shorter fares, or they want business passengers from Heuston station or the airport so refuse the people that look like they might have free travel!?

You know this for a fact then do you or is it your usual armchair assumption and generalisation! or in other words ,what a load of rubbish

foggy_lad wrote: »

The truth of it is that taxi drivers are for the most part nice genuine people doing a job the same as anyone else!

Exactly ,but from numerous comments you have made about taxi drivers ,you wouldnt think it .You make wide generalisations inaccuracies and disengenous comments about "nice genuine people"

foggy_lad wrote: »

but because of their militant and thuggish actions in the past when they held the city to ransom when there was far fewer taxis and where some ranks are "closed shops"!

Closed shops? really ? name them ,wheres your proof?

foggy_lad wrote: »

and then with their protests which affected everyone they have turned the general public against their cause and now while many would previously have supported their plight they can't support them now as a group because of the reputation that taxi drivers as a group have made for themselves!

Why were there protests?,,,
As usual a thread that was about "nasty bullying taxidrivers" has desended into a taxi man bash and everything is thrown into the mix ,
To quote your good self
The truth of it is that taxi drivers are for the most part nice genuine people doing a job the same as anyone else

Andremac96

most of them are pleasent

Andremac96

but not all and expensive

wexford12

Andremac96 wrote: »

but not all and expensive

LOL well they should all be the same price

Gumbo

scwazrh wrote: »

Just like accountants and solicitors , majority of taxi drivers are over opionated self obsessed muppets that think they know a hell of a lot more about everything than you do.

Just like posters on boards.ie, majority of them are over opionated self obsessed muppets that think they know a hell of a lot more about everything than you do...........

wexford12

Well that's helpful

austenesque

hey! so i normally don't go on rants about people, but i can totally relate to this thread. I visit dublin seldomly, however the last two times i was there i got a taxi from the city. On the first occasion I admittedly chose to pick a taxi towards the middle of the taxi rank because it was a nicer car to some of the shabbier taxi's and grumpy looking drivers. When i got into the taxi and asked him if he could he take me to my hotel in donneybrook, he responded "So what was wrong with the other taxi's in front of me?" I was shocked by his remark because as a customer you should feel free to choose what service you want and shouldn't be made to feel guilty for that choice. So the rest of the journey consisted of a very awkward silence. I overlooked this event afterwards as a once off, but astonishingly on my second visit to dublin a few months later I got a taxi from the the train station and asked to be taken to grafton street. The driver responded "Its not that far, you could easily walk it" once again i was shocked but insisted i still wanted a taxi as i was tired after my day. He subsequently talked very loudly on the phone and shouted out the window to one of his taxi driver friends who passed by on the street saying he was "only" going to grafton street and laughed rudely while i sat right next to him. Both of these incidents have put me off wanting to get a taxi in dublin again and have made me very angry at their disregard for their customers!!!

AlekSmart

austenesque wrote: »

hey! so i normally don't go on rants about people, but i can totally relate to this thread. I visit dublin seldomly, however the last two times i was there i got a taxi from the city. On the first occasion I admittedly chose to pick a taxi towards the middle of the taxi rank because it was a nicer car to some of the shabbier taxi's and grumpy looking drivers. When i got into the taxi and asked him if he could he take me to my hotel in donneybrook, he responded "So what was wrong with the other taxi's in front of me?" I was shocked by his remark because as a customer you should feel free to choose what service you want and shouldn't be made to feel guilty for that choice. So the rest of the journey consisted of a very awkward silence. I overlooked this event afterwards as a once off, but astonishingly on my second visit to dublin a few months later I got a taxi from the the train station and asked to be taken to grafton street. The driver responded "Its not that far, you could easily walk it" once again i was shocked but insisted i still wanted a taxi as i was tired after my day. He subsequently talked very loudly on the phone and shouted out the window to one of his taxi driver friends who passed by on the street saying he was "only" going to grafton street and laughed rudely while i sat right next to him. Both of these incidents have put me off wanting to get a taxi in dublin again and have made me very angry at their disregard for their customers!!!

Both of the above gentlemen are in the wrong business and need to exit it asap.

This type of behaviour is what the NTA/Taxi Regulatory Directorate SHOULD be attending to,but instead they choose to spend substantial amounts of time and energy faffing around with first-aid kits,stickers and all manner of nonsense rather than devote their energies to sorting out their patch !

I Was VB

austenesque wrote: »

hey! so i normally don't go on rants about people, but i can totally relate to this thread. I visit dublin seldomly, however the last two times i was there i got a taxi from the city. On the first occasion I admittedly chose to pick a taxi towards the middle of the taxi rank because it was a nicer car to some of the shabbier taxi's and grumpy looking drivers. When i got into the taxi and asked him if he could he take me to my hotel in donneybrook, he responded "So what was wrong with the other taxi's in front of me?" I was shocked by his remark because as a customer you should feel free to choose what service you want and shouldn't be made to feel guilty for that choice. So the rest of the journey consisted of a very awkward silence. I overlooked this event afterwards as a once off, but astonishingly on my second visit to dublin a few months later I got a taxi from the the train station and asked to be taken to grafton street. The driver responded "Its not that far, you could easily walk it" once again i was shocked but insisted i still wanted a taxi as i was tired after my day. He subsequently talked very loudly on the phone and shouted out the window to one of his taxi driver friends who passed by on the street saying he was "only" going to grafton street and laughed rudely while i sat right next to him. Both of these incidents have put me off wanting to get a taxi in dublin again and have made me very angry at their disregard for their customers!!!

The 1st driver was following taxi etiquette, 1st car (the one thats been waiting gets the job 1st), that said he still took ya so i dont see a problem.

Second driver, gave ya the option of walking as it would save ya money and you'd probably be quicker walking. And he still took ya, fair enough he was rude and talking on the phone. Not all taxi drivers are like this, and to be fair if this angers you, you've little to be worrying about. My advice, toughen the fuk up.

bk

I Was VB wrote: »

My advice, toughen the fuk up.

No way, the behavior of these two taxi drivers, often the first people foreign visitors to Ireland meet, is totally indefensible.

Taxi drivers are members of the service industry and as such are meant to treat their customers with dignity and respect.

You sohuldn't have to be "tough" in order to take a taxi, my girlfriend, sister and elderly parents often have to take taxis and it makes me shudder that they have to deal with louts like these.

Of course in my experience, most taxi drivers are friendly and helpful. But there is definitely a large number of sour, grumpy bully's out there.

oisindoyle

austenesque wrote: »

hey! so i normally don't go on rants about people, but i can totally relate to this thread. I visit dublin seldomly, however the last two times i was there i got a taxi from the city. On the first occasion I admittedly chose to pick a taxi towards the middle of the taxi rank because it was a nicer car to some of the shabbier taxi's and grumpy looking drivers. When i got into the taxi and asked him if he could he take me to my hotel in donneybrook, he responded "So what was wrong with the other taxi's in front of me?" I was shocked by his remark because as a customer you should feel free to choose what service you want and shouldn't be made to feel guilty for that choice. So the rest of the journey consisted of a very awkward silence. I overlooked this event afterwards as a once off, but astonishingly on my second visit to dublin a few months later I got a taxi from the the train station and asked to be taken to grafton street. The driver responded "Its not that far, you could easily walk it" once again i was shocked but insisted i still wanted a taxi as i was tired after my day. He subsequently talked very loudly on the phone and shouted out the window to one of his taxi driver friends who passed by on the street saying he was "only" going to grafton street and laughed rudely while i sat right next to him. Both of these incidents have put me off wanting to get a taxi in dublin again and have made me very angry at their disregard for their customers!!!

How can a person "laugh rudely"???
FFS You're easily "offended " and have little to complain about .
Hard to believe theres war and famine in the world

oisindoyle

bk wrote: »

No way, the behavior of these two taxi drivers, often the first people foreign visitors to Ireland meet, is totally indefensible..

Well no the first people foreign people meet are customs officers and passport control officers.

bk wrote: »

Taxi drivers are members of the service industry..

Service industry ???? Really please elaborate,because this is a new industry that you have now identified

bk wrote: »

You sohuldn't have to be "tough" in order to take a taxi, my girlfriend, sister and elderly parents often have to take taxis and it makes me shudder that they have to deal with louts like these...

The poster had little/nothing to complain about .Its like some of those "moaners" on Joe Duffy its incredible stuff people moan about for the sake of it ..
and many a taxi driver has had to put up with crap and abuse from elderly parents sisters girlfriends boyfriends

bk wrote: »

Of course in my experience, most taxi drivers are friendly and helpful.

EXACTLY...So why "shudder" when you elderly parents sister girlfriend get a taxi ?

ballooba

I asked a driver on the rank at college green on Saturday if he wanted a fare to Ranelagh. He said no, so I flagged down a passing cab. By rights I should have went along the rank until I found someone who did. The best way to deal with these a-holes is to deny them a living. Give the fare to someone who wants it.

As for skipping cabs at the head of the rank, that would be my approach to cabs displaying nationalist, religious or exclusionist symbols too. It's a PSV, not a soap box. Might start skipping shabby cars myself, plenty of supply in the market.

bk

oisindoyle wrote: »

Well no the first people foreign people meet are customs officers and passport control officers.

But taxi drivers are the first people they are likely to have an extended conversation with, outside of the normal bureaucratic people, who no one expects to be nice anyway *.

* Actually I always find the passport control officers to be friendly, but people don't expect them to be.

oisindoyle wrote: »

Service industry ???? Really please elaborate,because this is a new industry that you have now identified

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Service_industries

The Service industries (More formally termed: 'tertiary sector of industry' by economists) involve the provision of services to businesses as well as final consumers. Such, therefore, include accounting, tradesmanship (like mechanic or plumber services), computer services, restaurants, tourism, etc.

That include Taxi drivers, who deal directly with the public. Such people are expected to treat their customers with respect.

I know, a shocking concept for some of our entitled taxi drivers.

oisindoyle wrote: »

EXACTLY...So why "shudder" when you elderly parents sister girlfriend get a taxi ?

Because while most are good, some taxi drivers are down right awful and rude and I hate to think of my loved ones in a car with some of these pricks.

Let me give you one example with my girlfriend:

I order a taxi for my girlfriend from my place to Clontarf Dart station (she was heading for Dun Laoghaire). I ordered it via an iphone app, so the driver has the exact destination details.

My girlfriend gets in the taxi and asks for Clontarf Dart station. He asks her where is she going, when she tells him Dun Laoghaie, he offers to bring her there, she has to tell him no 3 times, that she wants Clontarf Road. He then says it would be better to take you to Connolly Station, that it is closer and safer at night!! (it isn't it is 2km further from my place, Clontarf is just down the road). She refuses again and asks for Clontarf Road.

In the end he ends up bringing her to Killester Dart station (again further away then Clontarf and not where she asked to be brought).

My girlfriend was very frightened as she had never been to Killester dart station before and she didn't know where he was bringing her!! She jumped out of the taxi and ran into the DART station.

She felt that the driver was scary and very aggressive, trying to force her to take a longer journey. I felt like he was trying to take advantage of her because she was foreign.

So yes, I worry about my loved ones having to deal with pricks like this.

foggy_lad

ballooba wrote: »

I asked a driver on the rank at college green on Saturday if he wanted a fare to Ranelagh. He said no, so I flagged down a passing cab. By rights I should have went along the rank until I found someone who did. The best way to deal with these a-holes is to deny them a living. Give the fare to someone who wants it.

As for skipping cabs at the head of the rank, that would be my approach to cabs displaying nationalist, religious or exclusionist symbols too. It's a PSV, not a soap box. Might start skipping shabby cars myself, plenty of supply in the market.

The best way of dealing with these type of driver is to take their number and get into the car and ask to be brought to your destination, If the driver refuses, complains or is in any way discourteous towards you make an official complaint to the regulatory body.

When they refuse a fare to Ranelagh are they holding out for some tourist they can give a tour of the northside to while they bring them to Harolds Cross?

The_Wrecker

Ive had Burlington bound tourists board my 46a on O'connel st after being told to use the bus by the toughies at the O'connel st rank.

Ive had bad experiences with them also, when we go out now we either walk if local or one of us stays sober.

mikemac1

he responded "So what was wrong with the other taxi's in front of me?" I was shocked by his remark. So the rest of the journey consisted of a very awkward silence.

You sound easily offended
Another vote for toughen up

. He subsequently talked very loudly on the phone and shouted out the window to one of his taxi driver friends who passed by on the street saying he was "only" going to grafton street and laughed rudely while i sat right next to him.

And you did the usual Irish thing of not saying anything, sit there fuming and complaining afterwards.
If you want the radio off, say it. If they are taking calls then say it too
If you are intimidated, garda station please

The driver responded "Its not that far, you could easily walk it"

It's a shame you bad service. And you are the customer and it's not your fault they were waiting ages
Next time flag someone down, it's not a perfect solution but they are delighted for your fare

oisindoyle

ballooba wrote: »

I asked a driver on the rank at college green on Saturday if he wanted a fare to Ranelagh. He said no, so I flagged down a passing cab. By rights I should have went along the rank until I found someone who did. The best way to deal with these a-holes is to deny them a living. Give the fare to someone who wants it. .

Well you were foolish to "ask" in the first place .Was it the rank facing Trinity ? Hard to believe any driver refuseing that fare .
Secondly ,why did you ask before hand it's like you were almost apologetic ,what you do is SIT IN THE CAR and say the destination to the driver .Once you are in the car he cannot refuse. So why didnt you go to the other cars on the rank? what rank was it theres a few illegal ranks in that area[/QUOTE]

ballooba wrote: »

that would be my approach to cabs displaying nationalist, religious or exclusionist symbols too.

Oh that's interesting ,,please tell us what these "nationalist, religious or exclusionist symbols " are

oisindoyle

bk wrote: »

But taxi drivers are the first people they are likely to have an extended conversation with, outside of the normal bureaucratic people, who no one expects to be nice anyway *.

* Actually I always find the passport control officers to be friendly, but people don't expect them to be..

Really? that's your assumption.??? Jeez!
I have and I presume my friends /family are the same but I dont expect that the "bureaucratic people " would NOt be nice.Why do you think otherwise ?

bk wrote: »

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Service_industries



That include Taxi drivers, who deal directly with the public. Such people are expected to treat their customers with respect.

I know, a shocking concept for some of our entitled taxi drivers..

~Oh please you resort to Wikipedia !!!!!
So taxi drivers are now oficially under the moniker of "services industry " Could you tell the Dept of Transport as well please ,because they wont even say that taxis are part of the Dept of Transport

bk wrote: »

I order a taxi for my girlfriend from my place to Clontarf Dart station (she was heading for Dun Laoghaire). I ordered it via an iphone app, so the driver has the exact destination details.

My girlfriend gets in the taxi and asks for Clontarf Dart station. He asks her where is she going, when she tells him Dun Laoghaie, he offers to bring her there, she has to tell him no 3 times, that she wants Clontarf Road. He then says it would be better to take you to Connolly Station, that it is closer and safer at night!! (it isn't it is 2km further from my place, Clontarf is just down the road). She refuses again and asks for Clontarf Road.

In the end he ends up bringing her to Killester Dart station (again further away then Clontarf and not where she asked to be brought).

My girlfriend was very frightened as she had never been to Killester dart station before and she didn't know where he was bringing her!! She jumped out of the taxi and ran into the DART station.

She felt that the driver was scary and very aggressive, trying to force her to take a longer journey. I felt like he was trying to take advantage of her because she was foreign.

So yes, I worry about my loved ones having to deal with pricks like this.

So i presume you complained about the driver to the taxi company that you booked with

bk

oisindoyle wrote: »

So i presume you complained about the driver to the taxi company that you booked with

Yes I did, they gave me a full refund and put the driver on notice.

I was going to make a complaint to the taxi regulator too, but I felt that the taxi company took sufficient action. The taxi company did say they would support me in any complaint made to the taxi regulator.

Note that the taxi company had my original booking details from the booking I made, plus they had the route he actually took via GPS, so it was an open and shut case.

Really I can't understand why you are so busy defending outrageous behaviour from taxi drivers like this. Are you one yourself?

Can you imagine if you walked into the shop and asked the shop keeper to buy a bottle of milk and he replied: "not worth it to me, go to the shop down the street".

Or when you went to buy the bottle of milk the shop keeper ignored you talking loudly on a phone instead and shouting at his passing friends.

No this would be unacceptable behaviour by a shop keeper and it is just as unacceptable for a taxi driver.

A taxi driver is there to serve his customers in a respectable and dignified manner.