Taxi Driving, Yeah piece of p*ss anybody can do it

Spook_ie · 30-11-2008 07:44PM

SimpleSam06 wrote: »

Hey, you took an anti-drink driving campaign and turned it into a complaint about the people that pay your wages. Nice. Here's the thing, if the job isn't really working out, get a trade, get a qualification, and get out of it. Might as well use the education system out of all those taxes which I'm sure are paid in full.

No I think you'll find that I used a video ( made for drink driving ) to highlight the reason why a taxi man might be a bit grump if you look like behaving like these examples, and believe me you do get them in Dublin, anyone recognised their potential selves yet!!!

thelordofcheese · 30-11-2008 08:43PM

Someone involved in a business built around the fine art of exploiting and overcharging drunk people is complaining that their potential clients act like fools when drunk.

Well, i never.......

The Mighty Ken · 30-11-2008 09:12PM

Spook_ie wrote: »

No I think you'll find that I used a video ( made for drink driving ) to highlight the reason why a taxi man might be a bit grump if you look like behaving like these examples, and believe me you do get them in Dublin, anyone recognised their potential selves yet!!!

Are you meant to be doing your profession a favour by insulting your client base? Kind of counter-productive don't you think?

SimpleSam06 · 30-11-2008 11:14PM

Spook_ie wrote: »

anyone recognised their potential selves yet!!!

I'd say that mirror you're holding up isn't reflecting quite what you had intended.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 01-12-2008 09:42AM

The Mighty Ken wrote: »

Are you meant to be doing your profession a favour by insulting your client base? Kind of counter-productive don't you think?

"insulting your client base".. You think the people in that video clip have any selt respect?.

The Mighty Ken · 01-12-2008 10:06AM

Mairt wrote: »

"insulting your client base".. You think the people in that video clip have any selt respect?.

Not really. But coming onto a public forum and asking if anyone recognises themselves in the clip is an obvious goad.

In line with the thread title 'Taxi Driving, Yeah piece of p*ss anybody can do it'... the answer is yes. They can. It's practically a zero skill job. It's unfortunate that drivers have to put up with drunken twits like the people in that video but hey, if you don't like the job then do something else for a living.

Having been discriminated against weekend after weekend for being a young male in the days before deregulation, I find myself having absolutely zero sympathy for many taxi drivers and their plight of a monopoly lost. I do feel sorry for genuinely decent drivers trying to make an honest living out of it but, from past experience, the large majority would rather have seen me make a 9 mile walk home in the lashing rain than take the chance of taking a 'high risk' fare.

4zn76tysfajdxp · 01-12-2008 10:51AM

Okay, seriously, what the hell was it like before deregulation? I 'm too young to remember it but some people here's description of it sounds absolutely awful...

The Mighty Ken · 01-12-2008 11:27AM

Karlee Young Necktie wrote: »

Okay, seriously, what the hell was it like before deregulation? I 'm too young to remember it but some people here's description of it sounds absolutely awful...

It was, particularly if you were a young male or in a group of young males. Mainly on a Friday and Saturday night, trying to get home from town. Taxi drivers would pull up at the lights and you would try to flag them down and they'd just ignore you as you were considered a high risk fare. Total discrimination.

Most nights it would take me two hours or more to get a taxi. On more than one occasion I had to walk three hours home from town. After the novelty of going into town wore off (fairly quickly) I just stopped altogether. It wasn't worth it knowing how long it would take you to get home.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 01-12-2008 11:31AM

Karlee Young Necktie wrote: »

Okay, seriously, what the hell was it like before deregulation? I 'm too young to remember it but some people here's description of it sounds absolutely awful...

It was awful for the punter, going into town (Dublin at least) was a nightmare with only 2000 taxi's serving the population, and a lot less than that on Fridays and SAturdays as a lot of the lads had made a good wage during the week and didn't need to work the weekends.

The upside of that was IMO a better service (when you got a taxi) because the driver knew the area they worked, there was no language barriers and since the Guards looked after everything taxi related there was proper background checks on intending taxi drivers.

4zn76tysfajdxp · 01-12-2008 12:19PM

The Mighty Ken wrote: »

It was, particularly if you were a young male or in a group of young males.

Mairt wrote: »

It was awful for the punter

Golly, sounds terrible.

lost marbles · 01-12-2008 12:30PM

The Mighty Ken wrote: »

It was, particularly if you were a young male or in a group of young males. Mainly on a Friday and Saturday night, trying to get home from town. Taxi drivers would pull up at the lights and you would try to flag them down and they'd just ignore you as you were considered a high risk fare. Total discrimination.

Most nights it would take me two hours or more to get a taxi. On more than one occasion I had to walk three hours home from town. After the novelty of going into town wore off (fairly quickly) I just stopped altogether. It wasn't worth it knowing how long it would take you to get home.

go to B+Q
buy yourself a hammer and some wood
build yourself a nice little bridge
and
get over it

4zn76tysfajdxp · 01-12-2008 12:32PM

lost marbles wrote: »

go to B+Q
buy yourself a hammer and some wood
build yourself a nice little bridge
and
get over it

He would but he can't afford the fare. Damn extortionate taxi drivers...

S.I.R · 01-12-2008 12:37PM

i actually destroyed a taxi the other night via sick.... Nightlink is much more fun, then all of us drunks can be violently sick together !!

also: Drunk couples FTW, changing feelings faster then the wind changes direction...

Terry · 01-12-2008 12:43PM

lost marbles wrote: »

go to B+Q
buy yourself a hammer and some wood
build yourself a nice little bridge
and
get over it

This is why you're a taxi driver and not a chippie.

you forgot the nails.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 01-12-2008 12:43PM

S.I.R wrote: »

i actually destroyed a taxi the other night via sick....

€140- soilage charge plus metered fare, I wouldn't be boasting about it.

SV · 01-12-2008 12:55PM

S.I.R wrote: »

i actually destroyed a taxi the other night via sick.... .

You're so cool. :rolleyes:

4zn76tysfajdxp · 01-12-2008 12:57PM

S.I.R wrote: »

i actually destroyed a taxi the other night via sick....

Way to prove the OP right.

lost marbles · 01-12-2008 01:09PM

Terry wrote: »

This is why you're a taxi driver and not a chippie.

you forgot the nails.

nah! he already has loads of nails

taxi drivers tyres :P

Tigger · 01-12-2008 01:34PM

thelordofcheese wrote: »

Someone involved in a business built around the fine art of exploiting and overcharging drunk people is complaining that their potential clients act like fools when drunk.

Well, i never.......

sorry but how are taxis overcharging and exploiting drunk people

1 the price is regulated by govt so thats a govt issue
2 even if you think its over priced its hardly explotiative mabey taxi drivers are hireing scumbags to scare poor it dunjkards off the night links
3 drunks aremn't a group of people they are vilonet and gross idiots that need to be brought home

The Mighty Ken · 01-12-2008 02:17PM

lost marbles wrote: »

go to B+Q
buy yourself a hammer and some wood
build yourself a nice little bridge
and
get over it

I am over it. Deregulation happened!

Spook_ie · 01-12-2008 11:37PM

thelordofcheese wrote: »

Someone involved in a business built around the fine art of exploiting and overcharging drunk people is complaining that their potential clients act like fools when drunk.

Well, i never.......

Whatever business you are are in, I'm sure you would feel maybe a tad pissed off if you had just had one of the video examples in your premises, similarly for a taxi driver the taxi is his/her place of business....respect it even if you have no respect for yourself..

The Mighty Ken wrote: »

Are you meant to be doing your profession a favour by insulting your client base? Kind of counter-productive don't you think?

Don't think I was insulting a client base, merely mentioning that the next time you have a driver who seems to be a tad pissed off, make sure it's not because your behaving like the loons in the video or if he just seems a bit grump that he hasn't just had a loon as a fare, seems simple enough to me. Maybe you do recognise yourself as a type in the video and just can't hack it!

The Mighty Ken wrote: »

I am over it. Deregulation happened!

Nah, I think perhaps you still have some hang ups over it, perhaps you should consider counselling...

The Mighty Ken · 01-12-2008 11:46PM

Spook_ie wrote: »

Don't think I was insulting a client base, merely mentioning that the next time you have a driver who seems to be a tad pissed off, make sure it's not because your behaving like the loons in the video or if he just seems a bit grump that he hasn't just had a loon as a fare, seems simple enough to me. Maybe you do recognise yourself as a type in the video and just can't hack it!

Not at all. I'm always pleasant and generally sober when I use taxis. And I still have to listen to plenty of whinging, moaning and foul, obnoxious language.

Spook_ie wrote: »

Nah, I think perhaps you still have some hang ups over it, perhaps you should consider counselling...

No, sure I'm as happy as Larry about deregulation to be honest. If I still had to wait for 3 or 4 hours to get a taxi on a Sat night I probably wouldn't be but no need for counselling now that the outside of every pub in Dublin looks like the Carlsberg ad at closing time.

humbert · 02-12-2008 12:41AM

Taxi driving is pretty good money for a job that doesn't require any particular education, intelligence or skill and whose only requirement is to be able to deal with the odd thug they might pick up.

Many of them may be nice but given the specifications there are likely to be plenty of unsavoury characters doing the job.

arybvtcw0eolkf · 02-12-2008 01:30AM

humbert wrote: »

Taxi driving is pretty good money

How much are they making?.

And what about overheads, would you say their a lot?.

Diesel

Insurance

NCT (done yearly on a taxi)

Servicing/maintenance I'd imagine these are more frequent on a taxi.

Car loan, and putting money aside for a replacement car when its due, I guess a driver would be lucky to get more than 4 or 5 years before either major mechanic faults put him off the road or a complete replace car is required.

mikemac · 02-12-2008 01:39AM

The Mighty Ken wrote: »

Not at all. I'm always pleasant and generally sober when I use taxis. And I still have to listen to plenty of whinging, moaning and foul, obnoxious language.

Think I raised this before, it's not like we're ever short on taxi threads around here.

I use 3-4 taxis a week and like many I've a list of complaints about some but 90% are fine.
But in all that time I've never, ever had a taxi driver rant, talk ****e or have to listen to racist rubbish.

Which leads me to believe that if your taxi driver is giving out about the topic of the day, you encouraged him!
Seriously, what are you doing or do I just convey a sense of unfriendliness?

Get in your cab, sit in the back, by all means tell the driver directions as they won't know every tiny estate and boreen, get them to turn off Adrian Kennedy show :mad: and now STFU.
Not start "ye busy tonight bud?" and then complain when the driver talks back and you don't know where this will lead too.

I'd say I talk to maybe 10% of drivers, maybe that's the key if you don't want to get into debates.
And once again, the majority I've dealt with are gents

02-12-2008 02:00AM

micmclo wrote: »

I'd say I talk to maybe 10% of drivers, maybe that's the key if you don't want to get into debates.
And once again, the majority I've dealt with are gents

Same here, I'm not a frequent passenger but that's how I see it as well, if there is any discussion I feel is getting a bit "lively" then I (we) just change it. happy all round!

Spook_ie · 02-12-2008 09:27AM

The Mighty Ken wrote: »

Not at all. I'm always pleasant and generally sober when I use taxis. And I still have to listen to plenty of whinging, moaning and foul, obnoxious language.

Ah what a lovely cop out clause, " I'm generaly sober ", fact of life, a lot of people have absolutely no idea what they did or said when they weren't sober, maybe you should ask your partner to be truthful about what you're like...

I'll give you an example of what I'm on about, I know a couple whom I pick up on a regular basis, sober they are the nicest, most pleasant people you could wish to meet, however, let the hubby have one or two drinks more than he should and it's like WWIII in the back of the cab, with hubby accusing her of all sorts of carry ons, 'tis a wonder they aren't in the divorce courts.....

Spook_ie · 02-12-2008 10:15AM

humbert wrote: »

Taxi driving is pretty good money for a job that doesn't require any particular education, intelligence or skill and whose only requirement is to be able to deal with the odd thug they might pick up.

Many of them may be nice but given the specifications there are likely to be plenty of unsavoury characters doing the job.

Don't think it's the odd thug I'm on about, after all you get them robbing banks and little old ladies as well, I think it's more to do with people who can't handle their alcohol intake, you know the arch typical AH poster who drinks a half a bottle of Vodka and 4 cans before going out to the club to make sure they are as pissed as they can be by the time their budget runs out..just in case they meet a girl they fancy :rolleyes:

As to the unsavoury characters driving cabs, well speak to Noel Dempsey and ask him why Section 36 of the Taxi Act http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2003/en/act/pub/0025/sec0036.html STILL isn't in force!!

Section 36 of the 2003 Act
Section 36 will introduce a system of automatic disqualification from applying for or holding a SPSV driver licence for those who have been convicted of specified serious offences including:

Murder;
Manslaughter;
A range of non-fatal offences against the person, including threats to kill, syringe attacks, endangering traffic, false imprisonment;
Assault or assault causing harm;
Sexual offences including rape, sexual assault, and aggravated sexual assault;
Drug trafficking;
Money laundering;
Theft and fraud offences;
Illegal immigrant trafficking;
Firearms and offensive weapons offences.
Where a person convicted of a summary offence gets a penalty other than a term of imprisonment, that person will be disqualified from holding a licence for 12 months. Where a person gets a term of imprisonment for a summary offence or is convicted on indictment, that person will be disqualified indefinitely. However, Section 36(2) allows a licence holder who has been disqualified to apply, after a specified period of time, to the relevant Court to be allowed to apply for a licence.

The Minister for Transport is consulting with the Commission for Taxi Regulation, the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, An Garda Síochána, the Courts Service and the industry regarding the arrangements that need to be put in place prior to the commencement of the remainder of section 36. Sufficient advance notice will be given to SPSV driver’s licence holders in order to allow them to avail of the provision in section 36(2) to apply to the relevant court to hold a licence.

Please note that all queries relating to section 36 should be directed to the Department of Transport.

Terry · 02-12-2008 11:58AM

Spook_ie wrote: »

Don't think it's the odd thug I'm on about, after all you get them robbing banks and little old ladies as well, I think it's more to do with people who can't handle their alcohol intake, you know the arch typical AH poster who drinks a half a bottle of Vodka and 4 cans before going out to the club to make sure they are as pissed as they can be by the time their budget runs out..just in case they meet a girl they fancy :rolleyes:

As to the unsavoury characters driving cabs, well speak to Noel Dempsey and ask him why Section 36 of the Taxi Act http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2003/en/act/pub/0025/sec0036.html STILL isn't in force!!

Because he's a mate of yours and doesn't want to see you out of work?

Spook_ie · 02-12-2008 03:34PM

Terry wrote: »

Because he's a mate of yours and doesn't want to see you out of work?

No mate of mine, and it wouldn't put me out of work, maybe you mean it would stop you ever applying for a SPSV license.... :P

Taxi Driving, Yeah piece of p*ss anybody can do it

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