Taxi stinking of cigarettes

intheclouds

Where does the law stand on this?

Got a taxi on Saturday night and the guy had clearly just been smoking before I got into the car. It reeked. I was dressed up and on my way to an event and wouldnt have had time to wait for another taxi. I just put up with it but it was disgusting and I have no doubt my clothes and hair smelled smoky after I exited the car.

Sam Kade

That's shocking, totally unacceptable in this day and age. The driver needs to be reprimanded over it.

coylemj

The driver's information is on display on the dashboard (or should be), report him.

schemingbohemia

What did the driver say when you commented on it to him/her? Not much we can do about it.
Complain to the NTA.

Losty Dublin

Two questions. Did you see the driver smoking in the taxi, yes or no? Was the taxi dirty or not, yes or no?

If yes then report the driver to the HSE at Lo-Call 1890 333 100 for the former and here for the latter. The NTA don't directly deal with complaints relating to smoking in taxi's but they do deal with complaints relating to dirty cabs.

If you are reporting for either or both then you will need to identify the driver or taxi for it to go anywhere.

intheclouds

schemingbohemia wrote: »

What did the driver say when you commented on it to him/her?

I didnt comment on it to the driver. I was on my way to an event (running a little late to be honest) and I did not have time to get another taxi - so I put up and shut up. I am also not clear on what the law says about it - which is why I am asking here.

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Two questions. Did you see the driver smoking in the taxi, yes or no? Was the taxi dirty or not, yes or no?

If yes then report the driver to the HSE at Lo-Call 1890 333 100 for the former and here for the latter. The NTA don't directly deal with complaints relating to smoking in taxi's but they do deal with complaints relating to dirty cabs.

If you are reporting for either or both then you will need to identify the driver or taxi for it to go anywhere.

No I didnt see the driver smoking, but when I sat into it it was quite clear that he had only just been smoking in it a few minutes beforehand.

The taxi was grubby in the same way any vehicle that is regularly smoked in would be grubby. It was dark so I didnt examine the interior in detail. I was more concerned about the fact that I was essentially sitting in a small smoky area and it was going to make me smell of cigarettes. The windows were totally fogged up but I didnt want to wipe them because I was afraid they would be stinky from the smoke. It was quite stormy outside so I didnt want to open a window and have my hair/make up destroyed before I even arrived where I was going.

Im just wondering what the law says about taxi drivers smoking in the car just before passengers sit into it.

Losty Dublin

intheclouds wrote: »

No I didnt see the driver smoking, but when I sat into it it was quite clear that he had only just been smoking in it a few minutes beforehand.

The taxi was grubby in the same way any vehicle that is regularly smoked in would be grubby. It was dark so I didnt examine the interior in detail. I was more concerned about the fact that I was essentially sitting in a small smoky

Im just wondering what the law says about taxi drivers smoking in the car just before passengers sit into it.

The law is clear. You can't smoke in any enclosed work place; when in service a taxi is a work space. If it matters enough to you then you should report it; however unless you can identity the cab then there's not a lot you can do.

_Kaiser_

Losty Dublin wrote: »

The law is clear. You can't smoke in any enclosed work place; when in service a taxi is a work space. If it matters enough to you then you should report it; however unless you can identity the cab then there's not a lot you can do.

That could be the key point.. the driver may have been taking a break/out of service before the OP got in? Does the law cover that?

If I was the OP I would have just gotten another taxi but then as long as the car was clean and the guy wasn't smoking there and then it probably wouldn't bother me in the first place having grown up in an era when these things weren't an issue.

Is it possible that the previous passenger was a smoker? I'm very sensitive to smells and would smell smoke that wasn't necessarily from the driver. If someone sits next to me, I would think they reeked of smoke, but no one else would notice.

Losty Dublin

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

That could be the key point.. the driver may have been taking a break/out of service before the OP got in? Does the law cover that?

When I was taxiing I asked the then regulators office to clarify same. The told me that it was outside their remit if he was breaking a law when off duty but it was theirs if it happened when he was on duty. However they said smoking in a workplace wasn't inside their remit and to contact the appropriate bodies who enforced smoking bans.

I asked them what constitutes on duty and they said that its whenever a driver is working. My reply was if there was any distinction here between working and on duty. Their reply was this; a taxi is always on duty except when he isn't working.

Confused? I know I was and I wish I kept said e mail rallies.

intheclouds

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

That could be the key point.. the driver may have been taking a break/out of service before the OP got in? Does the law cover that?

If I was the OP I would have just gotten another taxi but then as long as the car was clean and the guy wasn't smoking there and then it probably wouldn't bother me in the first place having grown up in an era when these things weren't an issue.

The driver mentioned that I was his first customer of the evening and that he lived nearby so he must have had a cigarette in the car on the way round.

Im not particularly sensitive to the smell of old smoke, grew up in an era where you could smoke in the cinema, was subjected to years of parental smoking, and smoked for many years myself, but I do not like sitting into an actual smoky car (as opposed to just a stinky one) and the smell of it must have been clinging to my hair and clothes.

I was already running late and had been collected at home so if Id gotten out Id have had to go through the same process (Saturday night was a busy night for taxis) and would have missed my event start time.

This happened me before on the way to an exam and I felt trapped in the same situation, where I just didnt have time to simply complain and get out and look for a new taxi.

I dont take a lot of taxis and if I do order one, it is because I am trying to be somewhere for a specific time so its not convenient to go look for another one.

Its not a huge issue by any stretch of the imagination, but I wondered as to the legalities of it.

My husband suffers from seasonal asthma and I know it would have triggered a coughing fit for him had he sat into that car.

tabbey

Deleted User wrote: »

Is it possible that the previous passenger was a smoker? I'm very sensitive to smells and would smell smoke that wasn't necessarily from the driver. If someone sits next to me, I would think they reeked of smoke, but no one else would notice.

It is illegal for a passenger to smoke in a taxi or any other public transport. The driver is obliged to enforce this .
As a general rule, smoke in a taxi is from the driver, and if from a passenger, it is with the collusion of the driver.
I often see taxi drivers smoking with the window open, occasionally window closed. Unless we complain to the NTA or whoever took over the role of the erstwhile Carriage Office, the law will be flouted, and passengers will be taken for a miserable ride.

Losty Dublin

tabbey wrote: »

It is illegal for a passenger to smoke in a taxi or any other public transport. The driver is obliged to enforce this .
As a general rule, smoke in a taxi is from the driver, and if from a passenger, it is with the collusion of the driver.
I often see taxi drivers smoking with the window open, occasionally window closed. Unless we complain to the NTA or whoever took over the role of the erstwhile Carriage Office, the law will be flouted, and passengers will be taken for a miserable ride.

The National Transport Authority oversee the Taxi industry. As I've mentioned already, they won't deal with smoking in a cab and will refer you to the HSE.

roverrules

Losty Dublin wrote: »

The National Transport Authority oversee the Taxi industry. As I've mentioned already, they won't deal with smoking in a cab and will refer you to the HSE.

At least you will be refered rather than reefered.