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Racism Taxi Drivers or Public?

Spook_ie

Please feel free to move this thread to where ever

Interesting article in the Irish Times today on page 13. Where it appears people are by passing the 1st taxi on a rank ( if its driven by people of an African heritage ) and taking the next cab.

Two main questions cross my mind ( as a Taxi Driver )

1 Is there a LEGAL requirement to take the 1st taxi at a rank?

2 If I refuse to take the fare who has moved down the rank to my car, am I in breach of regulations that LEGALY require me to take that fare ( suppose it sort of X.references to Q1 in that Does the customer have the right to select their taxi at a rank )

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Snake Plisken

It was on Newstalk yesterday morning about this, problem didn't seem to be Dublin, more to do with Galway & Drogeda? Any Boardies from these areas want to elaborate? Also do you need to do the tests to get your license outside the pale?

SimpleSam06

Snake Plisken wrote:

It was on Newstalk yesterday morning about this, problem didn't seem to be Dublin, more to do with Galway & Drogeda? Any Boardies from these areas want to elaborate? Also do you need to do the tests to get your license outside the pale?

You do need to do the tests to get your licence, and I was informed by a taxi driver yesterday that non-national drivers don't have to answer the same number of questions in the test as Irish drivers, and they get financial assistance with the insurance and licence fees. How true that is is anyone's guess, but I could see it happening. The thinking might be that its better to get them out there earning some sort of a wage, by hook or by crook, than putting them on the dole.

Skipping the first driver if he is black does happen a lot in Galway, but then again many people seem to feel that they will overcharge. Most of the taxi companies flat out refuse to allow black members, which is illegal, as far as I know, but not something you can stop, since they also refuse a lot of white people for a variety of reasons.

Spook_ie

Snake Plisken wrote:

It was on Newstalk yesterday morning about this, problem didn't seem to be Dublin, more to do with Galway & Drogeda? Any Boardies from these areas want to elaborate? Also do you need to do the tests to get your license outside the pale?

It is a known fact that the standards required to obtain an SPSV drivers license varies from on area to another.

Dublin Approx 60 questions on Routes, Areas, Landmarks, Hospitals, Roads adjoining another road, Areas adjoining Areas Etc.

Mayo Paperwork in order and the Gards can't see any reason for you not to have a license

Louth 20 Questions on Road and SPSV regulations...

Now one of the arguments that taxi drivers have been putting forward for the old number system was you could tell where a taxi was licensed to operate, now it relys on the driver ID card, all very good as long as the card is displayed properly.

Next time your in a cab, take a look and if the ID isn't set so that people outside the car can see the licencees area, ask yourself why? and is this driver insured for this journey if we crash?

arybvtcw0eolkf

Spook_ie wrote:

Next time your in a cab, take a look and if the ID isn't set so that people outside the car can see the licencees area, ask yourself why? and is this driver insured for this journey if we crash?

The problem there is, if you remember your instructions upon getting your new card, is that it only states it must be visable to all the car's occupants. It says nothing about displaying the reverse side to anyone.

The public, and taxi drivers need a dedicated squad of inspectors to check on taxi drivers. The cops should also pay closer attention to the driver ID cards like they did with the old fare cards.

IMO the regulators office is a joke.

Spook_ie

Mairt wrote:

The problem there is, if you remember your instructions upon getting your new card, is that it only states it must be visable to all the car's occupants. It says nothing about displaying the reverse side to anyone.

The public, and taxi drivers need a dedicated squad of inspectors to check on taxi drivers. The cops should also pay closer attention to the driver ID cards like they did with the old fare cards.

IMO the regulators office is a joke.

The card has the drivers ID on one side and on the other side ( I know that you know, Mairt, but for all other people ) has the area the driver is licensed to work in. The instructions for display are

Displaying Driver ID

Drivers should ensure that the new Driver ID is displayed prominently on the dashboard of your car so that it can be seen clearly from the front of your vehicle, but also by passengers. The side displaying the area in which you are licensed to operate should face outwards leaving the side displaying your name, picture and licence number facing the customer inside the vehicle.
New licence holders should note that due to the requirement for transfer of documentation from the Gardaí to the Commission, there will be a waiting period of approximately two weeks between a renewal or issue of a new licence and arrangement of the collection of your Driver ID.

johnnyskeleton

spook ie wrote:

2 If I refuse to take the fare who has moved down the rank to my car, am I in breach of regulations that LEGALY require me to take that fare ( suppose it sort of X.references to Q1 in that Does the customer have the right to select their taxi at a rank )

I'd like to try moving down the rank and if the taxi driver tells me to take the first in the queue, ask him is there a cartel of taxi drivers in an anti-competitive agreement to distort prices in the market.

Sadly I only ever get taxis when I'm pissed and at that time of night you're lucky to get any taxi, nevermind there being a queue of them.

tomcollins97

Am I correct in thinking that foreign nationals have a lower pass rate for the PSV test? If that is the case should their fares not be reduced pro-rata?

Zzippy

Snake Plisken wrote:

It was on Newstalk yesterday morning about this, problem didn't seem to be Dublin, more to do with Galway & Drogeda? Any Boardies from these areas want to elaborate? Also do you need to do the tests to get your license outside the pale?

Yeah it was in the local papers here recently - the African taxi drivers were complaining about racism by customers. From experience in Galway, the only time people really have to take the first taxi in the rank is late at night when there's a queue, at other times if you come to the end of the rank first its quite normal just to take the end taxi.

The African drivers have got a bad rep now so a lot of people here seem to skip the first cab if its a black driver, particularly women customers on their own. Have been rumours about drivers harassing women on their own, but I don't know how true they are.

My own experience has borne out what I've heard - several times I've had African drivers try to take me the long way home, costs about 5 quid extra. I don't not take taxis with black drivers now, I just make sure to tell them which route to take. Besides, you can have some craic with them if they are devout Christians - some of them are real Bible-bashers and try to preach to you, it can be hilarious

meglome

Galwayguy99 wrote:

Yeah it was in the local papers here recently - the African taxi drivers were complaining about racism by customers. From experience in Galway, the only time people really have to take the first taxi in the rank is late at night when there's a queue, at other times if you come to the end of the rank first its quite normal just to take the end taxi.

The African drivers have got a bad rep now so a lot of people here seem to skip the first cab if its a black driver, particularly women customers on their own. Have been rumours about drivers harassing women on their own, but I don't know how true they are.

My own experience has borne out what I've heard - several times I've had African drivers try to take me the long way home, costs about 5 quid extra. I don't not take taxis with black drivers now, I just make sure to tell them which route to take. Besides, you can have some craic with them if they are devout Christians - some of them are real Bible-bashers and try to preach to you, it can be hilarious

I would imagine there is an element of racism with people who won't get into a car with a black driver. But as I've said already myself and the girlfriends experience is that they drive you the long way round (whatever the reason). This could be easily sorted it there were proper checks on all cabs, to check who’s driving, go on test journeys etc with a retest every few years.

I'm the same as you I'll get in the car with anyone and I've no problem telling them exactly where I want to go. Although luckily I know Dublin very well. The girlfriend isn't keen to get into a cab with Africans any more but her knowledge of Dublin isn't as extensive as mine.

Savman

So people refuse to get into a taxi for fear of -god forbid- having to give the driver directions? What an age we live in.:rolleyes:

pickarooney

What about black Irish drivers - where do they fit into the grand scheme of who you feel OK about refusing to let drive you home?

Pythia

Had a black guy last night. He had no idea where we were going.
Only had one other one, he spent the whole time having an argument in a foreign language on speakphone, also had no idea where we were going even though it was 10 mins away, I had to shout over the speakerphone to give directions.

Rob_l

Savman wrote:

So people refuse to get into a taxi for fear of -god forbid- having to give the driver directions? What an age we live in.:rolleyes:

In many instances passangers are not ina position to give the driver directions, perhaps not knowing the route and surely this si the drivers job i mean when i go to a restaurant the chef does not ask me how to cook my food computer techniciansdo not ask me how to fix my pc and taxi drivers unless told a specific route should know themselves not to specific estates but definetly yo general locations.

And I'll see your:rolleyes:
and raise you:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Exit

meglome wrote:

I would imagine there is an element of racism with people who won't get into a car with a black driver.

I'd imagine there is.

In fact, my mother was out with a male friend and the first fella in the rank was black, and the friend said to her "Let's get the next one, I'm not getting in a taxi with a ******" :rolleyes:

Spook_ie

So surely the problem at the bottom of this woodpile is that the Gards/Taxi Regulator should be making sure that people who are driving taxis have a reasonable knowledge of the area they are working in? and if they don't know the area then they should be having their license to drive a taxi suspended.

Now as for enforcement how much would it take to get the Gards in their Tax/insurance check points to do the following when a taxi comes along

1. Look at the tax/nct disk as normal

2. Look at the yellow taxi license sticker to check its in date ( if its not the vehicle is unlicensed and therefore uninsured )

3. Check that the driver has his/her ID on display (showing the area they are licensed for )

4. If questionable about 1,2 or 3 then checking that the Insureance cert actualy does cover for SPSV work

2 and 3 should take about 30 seconds a car if they are in order

So Glad

Lets just hope taxi drivers never start blogs.

Spook_ie

So Glad wrote:

Lets just hope taxi drivers never start blogs.

You would have a problem with taximen having blogs! Why you're not worried that you'd be in a few?

thebman

Spook_ie wrote:

Its more to do with the gist of the Times article, One of the points made is that passengers refuse to get into the 1st car if its being driven by a "black person"

from the Times
To me ( rightly or wrongly ) this implies that the customer and the driver behind are complicit in racism, unless there is a LEGAL basis for customers not to have to take the 1st taxi.

I ( as a taxi driver ) often send people to the front of the queue but that particular situation luckily hasn't ( yet ) arisen

Sorry but from the quote in the Irish Times it looks like the taxi driver is assuming Irish people are racist and jumping to conclusions that this is why they don't want to get in his Taxi.

It could be a crappy taxi he drives or the lack of knowledge and ripping off that other people have heard stories about which is not racist behaviour, just bad luck that he looks like people that rip off passengers (if enough stories went around about red headed taxi drivers and they suspected people weren't getting in their cabs because they have red hair, people would probably laugh at them and call them gingers) or don't know where they are going.

I've gotten in the first taxi when it was a black person, didn't even think about it at the time or check the drivers skin colour. I did check to see what type of car I was getting into though.

meglome

Savman wrote:

So people refuse to get into a taxi for fear of -god forbid- having to give the driver directions? What an age we live in.:rolleyes:

I think ALL drivers should be checked and have to do a retest every few years. Problem would be solved.

thebman

Savman wrote:

So people refuse to get into a taxi for fear of -god forbid- having to give the driver directions? What an age we live in.:rolleyes:

I hope your drunk posting nonsense like that!

I don't ever expect to have to give a taxi driver directions. I'd only be getting a taxi if I have to or if I don't know the area and don't know which bus to get.

Next I'll be expected to give the doctor directions to my appendix or the operating theatre. Ah sure the cafeteria out the back will do if you can't tell me where to go, this isn't rocket science.

I expect people to be able to do the jobs they are trained to do at a minimum. If you can't do something you've been trained to do, your a useless piece of crap. I mean your trained to do your job so you'll know how to do it. Are you understanding this yet or have you sobered up yet?

L1011

keefg wrote:

Anyway, the baby Jesus gave us satnav so non-national drivers could take us drunk people home. There endeth the need for endless turn by turn directions.

Until you get a house that, despite being 21 years old, isn't on sat nav properly, and the driver sails right past the turnoff - or on current Garmin maps, takes the previous one. And then takes two to three minutes/about a kilometre on the meter to get the right house.

I'll take telling them where to go (not in the insulting sense

) over that.

L1011

Galwayguy99 wrote:

My own experience has borne out what I've heard - several times I've had African drivers try to take me the long way home, costs about 5 quid extra. I don't not take taxis with black drivers now, I just make sure to tell them which route to take. Besides, you can have some craic with them if they are devout Christians - some of them are real Bible-bashers and try to preach to you, it can be hilarious

I've had this once, telling him I'd just come from The George was a way to enable instant silence for the rest of the journey

Has anyone ever tried enacting the "silent journey" thing in the new regs? I don't mind a talkative driver much, so I've never bothered asking.

SimpleSam06

Spook_ie wrote:

Now as for enforcement how much would it take to get the Gards in their Tax/insurance check points to do the following when a taxi comes along

More rumours from the cheap seats, the last time the guards tried to do that in Galway, a lot of taxi drivers took the day off.

bill_ashmount

I know a lot of people who won't get a taxi from an african driver. I have never seen them skip a queue though to go to the next driver. What usually happens is that these people go to a different taxi rank or else try and call one down on the street.

I see nothing wrong with this, people are perfectly entitled to get into whatever taxi they want, as long as they aren't jumping queues.

For me, I just take whatever taxi I can get, I actually find the foreign drivers tend to be quieter, which suits me. I've had my fill of annoying Irish taxi drivers over the years, unfortunately I have to get a lot of taxis.

TIP....when a taxi driver annoys you, just agree with them, it's the best way to shut them up.

arybvtcw0eolkf

Regards chatty drivers.

I guess its a no win situ. for the lads. I like a gabby cabby, other's don't

So its horses for courses I guess.

Dragan

Personally all i want from my taxi driver is to take me where i need to go.

Generally, the reason i am getting a cab is because i don't really know how to get to the place i need to be so the cab is easiest.

I ask them do they know where it is, if not i get a different cab.

Be The Holy

Got into a taxi Friday night, driver was foreign, no probs there. After a while, he turns from spin fm over to this chanting and asked me did I know what it was. I didnt know so he told me it was the Koran, this didnt particulary entertain me so i asked him to switch back.

Probably is on the look out for converts to the nation of allah, beware all you intoxicated young punters, before you know it, you could be slaughtering sheep and etc..

Maple

Doesn't bother me what colour the taxi driver is as long as he gets me home. Have on two seperate occasions been brought around the houses by black taxi drivers but then have been brought home in record time by another couple of black taxi drivers. Have also been ripped off by Irish taxi drivers so I reckon its really down to the individual and how corrupt and mercenary their soul is.

Besides can't you complain about a taxi driver if you feel they've really ripped you off? Thats why their number is displayed.

Spook_ie

Just to keep people up to date. I did send the TR an email asking as I did get a response to say they had read it but so far nada as far as answers

Your message

To: Commission@taxiregulator.ie
Subject: Taxi Ranks
Sent: Fri, 28 Sep 2007 18:20:32 +0100

was read on Mon, 1 Oct 2007 10:35:30 +0100

shrapnel222

i always take the first cab no matter what and all in all have had more problems with irish cab drivers than with foreign ones.

the amount of irish taxi drivers who don't have maps in their car is ridiculously high, and when they don't know where they're going, they expect you to know. if you don't they'll phone a couple of colleagues, who don't know either and then expect you to phone ahead to where you're going so that they can give them directions:eek:

this has happened way too many times. what the fcuk is up with not having a map in your car?