the worst skangers of the lot.....taxi drivers!!!!!!

MorningStar · 13-10-2005 01:59PM

kearnsr wrote:

Its the same with evey walk of life. You get your good and your bad.

I can't see how that is true. They aren't the same as all walks of life because the majority are male and generally not well educated. THere are woman and well educated taxi people but it is not proportional as the rest of the country or even city.

Sleepy · 13-10-2005 02:37PM

MorningStar wrote:

Actually you can blame them, they may think they are all private operators but they aren't. They are a public service that is licenced. In other words they don't have the right legally to pick and choose. The job involves that risk if they don't like it then they can do something else. The taxi trade is notorious for tax evasion and free money (tips) .
By picking and choosing they actually cause certain social issues to be worse.

All the same, I won't blame them for it. I'd have a problem with a taxi driver cherry-picking to avoid trips that take them out of their way but I will never blame a taxi driver for avoiding a staggering drunk that looks likely to vomit all over them and/or their car.

And I can't see how avoiding these fares can "cause certain social issues to be worse".

Iago · 13-10-2005 02:42PM

MorningStar wrote:

I can't see how that is true. They aren't the same as all walks of life because the majority are male and generally not well educated. THere are woman and well educated taxi people but it is not proportional as the rest of the country or even city.

Can you show me the statistics to prove this? I would tend to agree with the women part, but the educational part is a big leap. If anything the deregulation of the taxi service has brought more people from professional careers and degrees into driving taxis where they report only to themselves and can make a reasonable living.

if you have figures to show the opposite is true I'd love to see them.

MorningStar · 13-10-2005 02:45PM

Sleepy wrote:

All the same, I won't blame them for it. I'd have a problem with a taxi driver cherry-picking to avoid trips that take them out of their way but I will never blame a taxi driver for avoiding a staggering drunk that looks likely to vomit all over them and/or their car.

And I can't see how avoiding these fares can "cause certain social issues to be worse".

Certain drivers will only pick up at the ranks as they get extra money. People don't queue because there are large queues . people take risks walking some of the way home and take risks by walking the streets at night. By making people wander the streets they generally put more people at risk.
Most people drunk on a Saturday just want to go home.

Canis Lupus · 13-10-2005 04:21PM

MorningStar wrote:

Certain drivers will only pick up at the ranks as they get extra money. People don't queue because there are large queues . people take risks walking some of the way home and take risks by walking the streets at night. By making people wander the streets they generally put more people at risk.
Most people drunk on a Saturday just want to go home.

So in effect the taxi men are now at fault for peoples choices.

I've never had a problem with a taxi when living in Dub.

mikemac · 17-04-2006 09:31PM

japanpaul wrote:

I am from Dublin and have never had a problem with taxis myself but nearly any friend I have from outside of Dublin has many, many stories. The most common is the driver finding out by "friendly conversation" whether they are living in or visiting Dublin and then going a round about way if they seem new to the city.

This isn't unique to Dublin
I'm from Tipperary and worked in Belfast for a few months. The taxi drivers used to rob me blind until I got wise after a few weeks and asked a few locals about fares.
The black cabs were the worst. They'd take me home on completly roundabout routes even though I'd know exactly where I'm going.
Was told to avoid the black cabs as locals never use them, mainly tourists.

Regarding Dublin drivers, there are some that are crooks but thinking back on the last few trips Ive taken, they were all gents.

I left my phone in one taxi and the driver came back immediately and gave it back. I hadn't even realised I'd lost it

At the end of the day, there just trying to earn a living and put up with abuse and disgracful behaviour. Im sure any reasonable person would harden and toughen up after working as a taxi driver.

When I worked in a hotel bar, I was often disgusted at what people got up to (puking, stealing,etc)

Nightwish · 17-04-2006 09:38PM

I've been ripped off by taxi drivers both in Dublin and Kilkenny. There seems to be an overly-high proportion of scumbags in the industry. I've had them bring me home the "long way"...and its not about not knowing where they were going - one time it happened in Kilkenny and the town aint that big that you'd get lost. I've had taxi drivers pick up other fares while I was in the car in order to get more money from the one run.

Brown_Eyed_Girl · 17-04-2006 09:49PM

There is no test (ie the knowledge) that taxi drivers have to pass they just have to apply for a PSV licence and off they go.

They only have to adhere is the meter within a certain radius of the town / city after that it is totally up to them what they charge for a journey.

Of course there are bound to be a high number of scumbags in this profession when it is so easy to get into !!!!!!!

Zascar · 17-04-2006 09:53PM

The thing I hate most about Taxi Drivers is that 90% of them can't fcuking Drive! They aggrivate the hell out of me on a daily basis on Dublin roads. They seem to have little regard for the rules of the road or any other driver on the road that isn't a taxi like them.

The think they can stop ANYWHERE they like, put on their hazards and think everyone else just has to wait or drive around. Even on a single late one way, blocking every car behind them. I REALLY hate when they drive in the middle of 2 lanes, taking up the bus lane and the other lane. And how they creep forward at the lights breaking the line, and then when it goes green proceed to drive at 20mph. AAAHHHHHGGGGGHHHH! Sometimes I just want to run them off the road.

I mean they do a job at doesn''t demans any 'skill' whatsoever - anyone can drive a car. They constantly moan about they work so hard and have unsociable hours - its not like they knew that when they started the job! Taxi men can earn 50-60k a year - quite a bit more than a lot of other people in skilled jobs.

I know of a number of them who are drug dealers - overpriced ones at that because they deliver. And if you are ever outside Reynards, there are a number of them who wait for passengers who will give them a few lines of coke in exhange for a ride home. Ex cons can get a job as taxi driver any time so it is an obvious choise, so there are a lot of mugs in the business, although some of them are very sound, nice to talk to etc.

But how they can get away with such bad driving is beyond me...

Snake Plisken · 17-04-2006 10:12PM

Just wondering would you tip a Taxi driver??? For example I normally get lifts from mates family to the Airport, but I know if I take a Taxi from Lucan it'll cost me a min of 40 Euros! So are you expected to tip them?

Snake

Nightwish · 17-04-2006 10:16PM

You're not expected to tip a taxi driver. I never do unless I feel they deserve it. If you feel they deserve a tip, somewhere in the region of 10% of the fare is usually seen as adequate.

meowCat · 17-04-2006 10:22PM

I'd say there are good and bad ones. I am lucky so far, never had a bad experience. Although I felt uncomfortable twice. Once the driver was clearly drunk :eek: :mad: , the other time the driver was indeed a skanger and I just felt a bit "unsafe".

However, my flat mate wasn't as lucky. She once got a cab home from a club and instead of bringing her to UCD, he dropped her off at DCU. She didn't realise at first because she had just arrived in Dublin that week and thought it would just be another UCD gate but the main entrance. Before that night, she had been dropped off at just any gate convenient for the driver. So she wasn't too worried at first. After a while she realised it's not Belfield though and indeed found someone at 4am to ask where she is. She didn't manage to find another taxi at that time, so she ended up walking all the way from DCU to UCD!!!! :eek:
Well, the walk helped her to sober up, I guess. :rolleyes:

hullaballoo · 17-04-2006 10:34PM

Ouch!

I have recently taken issue with the different types of taxi meter. There are certain ones that seem to result in a much higher price than others. These are the ones that have that little electronic ticker that keeps going around when you're stopped at lights. Now, they're perfectly legal, but they make a difference, even on the short trips. I go from Griffith College (South Circular Road) to Leeson Street every Monday and Thursday and it usually costs about €4.50-€5. When I get into a taxi with one of those ticky ones, it can be up to €7.

Our man in Havana · 17-04-2006 11:49PM

Prehaps they should all be of one type? The Carraige office should specify which type and make them all use them.

MrSinn · 17-04-2006 11:58PM

I think the best opinions on this topic are going to come from people that drive for a living,sitting in any vehicle 8-14 hours per day is a very lonely job,all accountants are not boring,all guards are not b^stards,all priests are not pedofiles,all taxi drivers are not skangers,try not to be so naieve and think that they are

Cormic · 18-04-2006 12:07AM

K-TRIC wrote:

When I was growing up in the 80's people had no money and everyone was happy

That is so funny.... It really cracks me up when I hear BS like that. How about this, live on the dole for a couple of years, then tell me how happy you are.

OMcGovern · 18-04-2006 12:59AM

One thing really annoys me.... and you can watch out for this yourselves....

Anytime you experience a taxi driver that overtakes you at speed on the inside lane / bus lane, cuts you up, etc..... they never have passengers. As soon as they get a passenger, and are being paid for their time, they're they never break the speed limit, even stop to let other cars out.

I've never been overcharged by a taxi driver, due to my Dub accent, but I've had several near misses while driving.
Especially up the Quays, Westbound. There's a couple of traffic light junctions where the left lane is strictly only for turning left. That includes buses and taxis.
50% of the time a few taxis will undertake a row of cars and cut a across them.

I should really set up a dashboard webcam to report these offenses !
Become a traffic corp vigilante :-)

Right_Side · 18-04-2006 01:03AM

1. I never tip them, unless they do something exceptional for me. It's a ripoff already.

2. As a driver they are the biggest hazards on the road. They are liable at any point to stop suddenly, flick on the hazard lights and forget about everything.

2 stories to illustrate:
a) I was actually in a taxi the other day in town. It was two lanes of traffic. A taxi in the outside lane saw a fare and cut straight across the path of my taxi to get the fare nearly causing a crash.

b) Last night I was driving. It was a tight road. On the opposite side of the road there were a load of tour buses parked. So there was no overtaking room. The taxi in front of me stops in the middle of the road completely blocking the road, flicks on the aul hazards and lets the passengers out, which of course takes an age with a load of traffic behind! No respect for other road users!

3. A couple of nights ago, I was getting a taxi home it was only about a fiver. But I had a €50 note. The taxi driver said they had no change. Luckily, I had it in coins just about. What would have happened if I didn't have coins?

dubtom · 18-04-2006 01:39PM

I am a taxi driver and I don't rip people off. Plenty do but it's unfair to tarnish me and the thousands of other drivers with the same brush. The carriage office deal with all complaints against PSV drivers, if you feel ripped off, take the number of the car and phone them, you will be doing us all a favour. In september the new Taxi regulator is bringing in new rules and regualtions for the taxi industry,these will include fares, identification of licened taxis, basically taxis all over the state will be goverened by the one set of rules, you will pay the same amount in Cork as Dublin for a journey and journeys over 30K will be metered, that will include the likes of Bray and Celbridge. It seems a lot of people have a negative attitude against Taxi drivers in general, driving habits seem to be a big one. Funnily enough, most people don't seem to care when they tell their driver to let them out HERE when the car is in the middle lane blocking traffic or when they run across three lanes of traffic and try to get into the taxi, the driver is an absoute cnut if he doesn't let them in. A driver is by law obliged never to refuse a fare, unless that person is drunk/stoned or generally acting the maggot so think about that next Saturday night when 20 empty cars pass you by. I don't want some drunkered puking or worse in my car, as was said, their is a fine of 75 quid (soon to be 150) but try getting that out of a drunk. BTW, the Guards will lock up anyone who refuses to pay untill they do (fair play to them) but that doesn't compensate for the couple of days out of work trying to get the smell out of the car. You can access all the info about the new regulations at http://www.taxireg.ie/taxi/publisher/index.jsp

Nightwish · 18-04-2006 02:09PM

When I was in 1st year of college, first year away from home and all that, a taxi driver picked up a friend of mine from town, after a night out but refused to drop her to her door, because he picked up another fare on the way and wanted to get them home too. Totally illegal and irresponsible. She got out of the taxi and had to walk the rest of the 3/4 miles home. Anyway on her way home she was attacked and badly beaten. She doesnt have any recollection of what happened after she got out of the taxi, and cant remember the guys plate number to report him. Anyway its people like that guy who give the industry a band name.

Also I see in the paper that a substantial number of criminals have been given taxi licences despite the Gardai objecting. This again does not help peoples opinion of the industry.

NeMiSiS · 18-04-2006 02:35PM

My mates a taxi driver. I give his daughter guitar lessons, in return for a few runs during the week, or at the weekend. Barter and trade rules! As for Dublin Taxi's, have not had any bad experiences to my recollection, I'm a mouth piece so I'l yap away, even had a couple of specific drivers I'd ring if I was in town, who I'd have met on previous runs.

Used to gig alot in town too, and would have had drivers give us a dig out bringing the gear in etc.. I dunno really, people are people, you get good and bad in anything.. Maybe I'm just ...'lucky' or don't look like a sucker..

TK

Dilly1 · 18-04-2006 04:31PM

"Originally Posted by K-TRIC
When I was growing up in the 80's people had no money and everyone was happy"

Cormic wrote:

That is so funny.... It really cracks me up when I hear BS like that. How about this, live on the dole for a couple of years, then tell me how happy you are.

The 80's was a horrible time, the country was like one large ghost town.
But the Irish have now become greedy, now they are more like the English were in the 80's. still its better than the way we were.

as for taxi drivers, before deregulation they were far more ignorant and it was impossible to get a taxi at night, they would pick and choose.
I find them ok now

Ruu_Old · 18-04-2006 05:20PM

Ive always found taxi drivers to be friendly people and never had any problems, thats just me.

Right_Side · 18-04-2006 05:51PM

Right_Side wrote:

3. A couple of nights ago, I was getting a taxi home it was only about a fiver. But I had a €50 note. The taxi driver said they had no change. Luckily, I had it in coins just about. What would have happened if I didn't have coins?

dubtom, maybe you could answer this?

deisedolly · 18-04-2006 06:13PM

Everytime I'm in a taxi the drivers are always sound out and chat away to me.

One time I left my drivers licence behind me and I hadn't even noticed. The driver went to the trouble of looking me up in the phonebook, phoning me up and arranging to meet up with me so I could get it back. I thought that was just brilliant of him because he could have easily just looked at it and think 'f*ck it' and through it away or something and I'm sure there is taxi drivers out there who wouldn't give a sh*t about me losing my licence!

dubtom · 18-04-2006 07:06PM

Right_Side wrote:

dubtom, maybe you could answer this?

Well I usually try to have a float with me,usually about 50 quid in notes and about 60/70 in coins. I get a 50 on my first job for a fiver fare and everyone else is getting coinage. You would be surprised how many people pay in 50 notes, especially at the end of the month. We are not banks, it's foolish to carry large amounts of money on the off chance that you may get a few 50's at the start of the shift because the risk is too high of being robbed. In saying that, drivers who have been robbed in the past may be afraid of showing that they have money on them at all. I've never been robbed but have had dodgy people on occasions in my car and it is a frightening expierence. I had one drunk guy in my car once on a GAA sunday who wanted to go to Ballymun, as you can guess the traffic was bedum and it took nearly an hour to get him home. He asked me if I had ever killed anybody and I knew by the look of him that he wasn't asking just to make conversation, maybe he wanted to 'share' or something, but that expeirence frightened the s*it out of me. I was expecting to get a trashing for sitting in traffic when I'd no where else to go. So next time you might get yourself a pack of gum out of the 50 before you get your taxi, the driver is probably more wary of you than you are of him.

OMcGovern · 18-04-2006 08:22PM

dubtom wrote:

I don't want some drunkered puking or worse in my car, as was said, their is a fine of 75 quid (soon to be 150) but try getting that out of a drunk. BTW, the Guards will lock up anyone who refuses to pay untill they do.....

That doesn't sound right at all.... from a legal point of view.

The Guards can lock someone up for being drunk and disorderly, because that's a criminal offense. But not paying for some arbitrary soilage fine, is a civil offense, a breach of an implied contract between the passenger and the driver, which is usually addressed in the small claims court. Then comes the tricky bit.... can the Guards legally divulge information to the taxi driver ? If it's on computer, then they would be breaching the data protection act.

In short, the Guards have no powers to hold someone for a civil matter.
Otherwise, you could technically get arrrested for not paying your ESB bill on time....

dubtom · 18-04-2006 10:58PM

In short, the Guards have no powers to hold someone for a civil matter.
Otherwise, you could technically get arrrested for not paying your ESB bill on time....

Well they do, I've also heard of people being locked up for not paying fares. Their is a bit of a difference between the ESB and a taxi man who is being stung for 20 quid. The Guards usually see it the taxi mans way, he is bringing home someone who is pissed, sometimes abusive or voilent. The taxi man calls the cops or goes to the station, they arrive and tell the offender to pay up or be charged, most do I'd say, for those who don't, it's the cells for the night.
Try it yourself sometime and see what happens.

Right_Side · 18-04-2006 11:45PM

dubtom wrote:

Well I usually try to have a float with me,usually about 50 quid in notes and about 60/70 in coins. I get a 50 on my first job for a fiver fare and everyone else is getting coinage. You would be surprised how many people pay in 50 notes, especially at the end of the month. We are not banks, it's foolish to carry large amounts of money on the off chance that you may get a few 50's at the start of the shift because the risk is too high of being robbed. In saying that, drivers who have been robbed in the past may be afraid of showing that they have money on them at all. I've never been robbed but have had dodgy people on occasions in my car and it is a frightening expierence. I had one drunk guy in my car once on a GAA sunday who wanted to go to Ballymun, as you can guess the traffic was bedum and it took nearly an hour to get him home. He asked me if I had ever killed anybody and I knew by the look of him that he wasn't asking just to make conversation, maybe he wanted to 'share' or something, but that expeirence frightened the s*it out of me. I was expecting to get a trashing for sitting in traffic when I'd no where else to go. So next time you might get yourself a pack of gum out of the 50 before you get your taxi, the driver is probably more wary of you than you are of him.

Yeh I can appreciate a €50 is a major pain but what happens if:
1. I have nothing else
2. You have no change

Do I just go for free?

dubtom · 19-04-2006 12:06AM

We go to a bank (at your cost)
You send the money on to me???
or we go to the Guards.

the worst skangers of the lot.....taxi drivers!!!!!!

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