Taxis - expected standard of service?

An incident on the way home got me thinking, and thinking back to the last ride I had in a taxi.

What level of service do you think is reasonable to expect from a taxi?

The incident in question was my receiving a tirade of foul language because I did not let said taxi out of a side turning because I knew he was going to make a turning to the right soon after, which is always stopped by oncoming traffic and usually results in the lane being blocked up for at least one cycle of the subsequent traffic lights.

If a taxi driver did that with me as a passenger I would tell them to stop the car and I'd get out.

Which had me thinking back to the last taxi ride I had. I was picked up 20 minutes late from the airport. The driver was out to set some sort of speed record, cracking 100mph on the speedo around the M60, overtaking 5 abreast in a 4 lane stretch, answering a phone call whilst he was driving (after the motorway nightmare was complete, thankfully) to arrange to go and bunk off driving his taxi for a pint or two at the pub.

I think this is also unacceptable, and I won't be using that taxi firm again (although it is the one my company has an account with, I shall demand another firm is used next time I take a taxi ride on business).

Would you stand for these things as a passenger in a taxi? Do you feel that you should be addressed as "sir" rather than "mate" by the taxi driver (or "madam" rather than "luv" as appropriate)? Should the driver open the door for you and put your stuff in the boot for you? How should they drive (courtesously, or mad screaming rage to get you there 10 seconds quicker? 100mph on the motorway?)? All in all, what level of service do you expect of a taxi?

 

If you live in London it's all straightforward. Get into black cab, relax, and then, for the whole of the journey, listen to the driver banging on about how that bloody Ken Livingstone should be shot, he doesn't have a clue about how to manage traffic in London, do you know he changed the timings on all the traffic lights in the west end and didn't even (cont. page 94)

-- Ian

 

There's generally not much chance for 100mph antics in a black cab... referring more to minicabs and airport transfers.

 

At work we use a variety of "limo" (they're E-class mercs usually) companies for trips to the airport etc and on one trip to Heathrow the driver:

- swore at another road user after having not let them make a turn that would have cost us nothing (we were in heavy traffic)
- considered the South Circular as a sensible route to go from Wandsworth to Heathrow
- realised what anyone should know, that the South Circular makes the M25 look like Britain's emptiest road and then resorted to a hopeless sat nav system
- reluctantly accepted my directions to get to the A4/M4
- nearly drove someone off the road with a lane change on the M4 without looking

I complained to the company (via work) and I wasn't the only one. They no longer work for us.

I think they should be courteous to you and other road users, drive safely and responsibly, know where they're going and not overcharge you. They should also turn the radio off if you request it and ask your permission before smoking. Whether they call me mate or sir I don't really care. I also don't really care whether they open the door for me or help me put luggage into the boot.

New York cabbies are the worst. The description of your journey Isaac sounds typical of yellow cab rides I've had from JFK to Manhattan. I usually take the train now if I can as it's a lot safer even if it does take a bit longer.

Michael.

 

I often go in taxis although I much prefer the bus, if I go out at weeknights I am forced to get a taxi because the nightbuses only run at the weekends. Some are quite polite just have a little chat with you, some are so misserable they should be shot.

I recently got a taxi from my house in Chorlton to Salford to work, which is just 4.5 miles down the road .The dirver didn't say a single word on the way, he was doing 50mph down regent road at 9:20 in the morning (anybody who knows this part of Salford will know how built up it is). He also decided to drive past the Old Trafford stadium which is out of the way, its much quicker and is less distance just go to via Salford Quays near White City. When I did finally get there I was charged £8 which seemed very steep to me when my dad can do the journey without breaking any speed limites in 15-20 minutes.

 

Taxi drivers in Wolverhampton: Generally Asian, often with the local Punjabi radio on very loudly, these guys are occasionally a bit dodgy with regards to lane discipline on the ring road but they tend not to speed, rather they cruise everywhere in as high a gear as possible. My biggest 'issue' with them is understanding them though - I can understand Asian accents pretty well, but sometimes it really is a struggle when they try to have a conversation with me. They probably think I'm stupid, but its not really my fault!

Taxi drivers in Aberystwyth, well theres so few taxis I know 2 of the drivers by name now!

However the best taxi service I've ever had has been in Copenhagen. Car sales tax is (according to the people we spoke to) around 40% in Denmark but taxi drivers don't have to pay it. So what they do is buy a big, nice Merc (I've seen current shape LWB S500s on taxi ranks), run it for 2 years, then sell it on through their taxi company who hardly lose any money as the original purchase price was so low compared to the usual market rate. Luxury cars is a good start, but all the drivers were very friendly as well - we hardly needed to go on a guided tour of the city, as on the way through the city centre to the hotel the driver told us so much about the place.

Generally though, from all taxi drivers I'd expect safe driving and for them to be reasonably polite (they don't have to be chatty though), at a bare minimum. Helping me with luggage would just be a bonus

 

I just want them to get me to my destination using the shortest route possible, as quick as possible. Most of them are usually quite chatty, one or two either is a mute or an arsehole. I am sure one of them was actually pissed too... apart from that I dont particularly care... and I would much rather taxi home than get the last bus on a weekend around here, unless I fancy a fight or being covered in vomit.

 

The adventures of a Taxi driver

I worked as a cab driver for a few months whilst waiting for a visa to be sorted to work abroad. My boss was very particular about the type of client they where after, mostly airport runs from the big Hotels in and around St Andrews. Most of the Taxis where large Volvo's , Granads Scorpio's, or Toyota 'People Carriers, etc. If we where picking up from one of the hotels for an airport run and had been on normal duties in and about the town, we had to first take the cab back to base, hoover it out, wash it, remove the illuminted roof top taxi sign and put the Fare meter in the glove box ( but still running ). Basically these runs where nice little earners. Also it was far nicer to Bash down to Edinburgh or Glasgow airport for a known fare than grub around in town for rides. I had the added advantage that i was on a rather large retaining wage whilst my Visa was being sorted and so being a cabby was just a bit of fun really for me.
I was always amazed that some of the regular drivers couldn't be bothered to pitch up to work on time when they did get a good Airport job early in the morning. I'd not been out of the Military that long and so maybe my sense of duty and always turning up to work looking smart was because of this , but i got more and more of the good jobs, just for being smart and reliable, it was that hard to do. The boss would say : Right Sid You've got that job if he can't be bothered, I'll sort 'him' out later...

Another thing i liked about it was the huge cross section of society you met, very rarely a dull moment.

My best fare:
was taking some rich wifey shopping and hairdressing in Edinburgh. Basically her and her new husband were on their Honeymoon and both lived/worked in Dubai, he had a top job with an Oil company. I picked her up at the Old Course Hotel, Turned the meter on and put it in the glove box and then took her to get her hair done at a top stylists and then shopping and all day in Edinburgh, before driving home at tea time. Oh, How the other half live, hubby picked up the tab and a nice little earner it was for me too.

My worst fare:
Totally obnoxious wankers, sorry i meant bankers. 4 x 30 something yuppies. Basically i picked up at the Airport as arranged, waited around for nearly 2 hours to pick up their pal who had missed the earlier flight. I then Endured their incredibly borish bragging and self congratulating of how wonderful their life was, name dropping top hotels, destinations and golf courses they had attended whilst on Banking ' convention' duties. They were actually attending a NatWest convention at the Old Course but all freely admitted they wouldn't attend the actual convention and where only there for the free golf and champagne. After ****ing me about for nearly 5 hours and after me going out of my way to do the little extras ( eg wait at hotel for extra 2 hours, drop folk off at other hotels , etc ) they got out, picked up their stuff and din't even say thanks, just totally dismissed the worthless cabby and didn't give a tip. I learnt from that one....

A few other observations of ordinary folk i used to pick up:
Little old ladies going to the doctors or shopping, etc. Always always gave a tip . Sometimes it was just 20p or Keep the change after giving £2 for a £1.95 fare . If they gave a tip I took it , if they asked me how much for the tip I told them not to bother. ( I did have my day job too don't forget and am not that greedy ).

Pub hoppers.
People who couldn't be bothered to walk from one pub to the next even in such a small town. I'd often pick the same person up 5 or 6 times in a night , amazing. Not just at night either, they obviously didn't have normal jobs but could afford Taxis , make you wonder what they got up to eh ? I didn't care as long as they paid.

Carry outs:
Folk who can't be bothered to go to the chippy. A regular call from base would be: " got a job for you Sid, get a pen and paper" "OK first of all go to the Spar and get a Bottle of Cheap Vodka and some Irn Bru. Next go to XXX Chippers and get Two fish Suppers and a White Puddin' supper and 40 Benson and Hedges. Last stop, go to the Shell garage and get a bag of Ice Cubes and deliver to Flat XX in ......

Quite a shrewd move really get the cabbie to get your Tea, your Drink and your fags. These folk always lived in council houses (or former Council houses) and never seemed to work either. I didn't bother as they always paid up and usually gave an excellent tip especially if i'd managed to keep their tea nice and warm....

In fact I have to say that from my own personal experience it was always the normal working class folk who gave the tips, fools and their money or is that just how the rich get richer.......

 

Very interesting to hear it from the other side sid. However, it sounds like you were always courteous.

Admittedly my experiences of taxis are few, but if the driver is making an obvious effort then a tip seems perfectly reasonable. However, the point of a tip is not that it's a given... it's an extra for going beyond expectation. I've done it once or twice. I have also not done so quite deliberately, for something like 50mph in a 30 limit, or being late to pick me up when it's bloody cold.

 

Airline Fares, Taxi standards.....Isaac, have you started working on the side as a columnist for the Daily Mail?

Michael.

 

I once gave a taxi driver £2 tip on a £10 fare. This was because he was very chatty and kept me entertained during the entire ride I was always quite drunk so I was in the mood for the chat, if it was 8:30 in the morning I may not have been in the mood for a typical east end style cabbie.

If the driver is really miserable I will not bother tipping them. The same goes if they drive dangerously. I just feel safer on the buses at night, there is never any trouble on the nightbus I get. People are usualy quite drunk but they never do you any harm. Everybody is just pretty merry. I would not fancy getting buses at night going in the other direction though.

 

No michael, but you never know where talent spotters may wander...

Mind you, last editorial job I was offered I turned down.

 

nicest cab driver I met was in Paris, which isn't what you'd expect... I got food poisoning at a conference and with next to no warning threw up copiously, loudly and repeatedly out of his window en route to CdG. He pulled over on a busy dual carriageway to let me finish, gave me some tissues and then carried on, all concern and amiability. Got a good tip.

On the other hand, I tried to open the boot of a taxi in Madrid and the whole handle assembly came off in my hand. Now he wasn't a happy hombre at all.

 

when I working down south - I used to get a taxi from the office to the hotel (was down there short term) and everything was on expenses - and the taxi drivers knew this...so, when they're drop me off they would ask if I wanted a receipt (which I always did), then would say 'thats 10 quid then' it was the way they put the 'then' at the end of the sentence...!
edit - plus the fact it was a 10 minute journey..

but up in newcastle - you used to get loads of didgy bouncers at pubs / nightclubs etc who used to deal in drugs, now they get their crim records checked & have to do exams - guess what jobs they all do now....I mean its almost perfect for doing drug runs...who would suspect a taxi driver..?
I knew people who did it in peterlee