Taxi drivers..

[GWW]

Taxi drivers have been in the news a bit the past few months, mainly for all the wrong reasons. I'm not going to go into the major issue thats been in the headlines (legal matter), but the matter i'm wanting to bring up is that some have no idea how to get around Adelaide (as has been documented recently in the local paper). I caught a taxi from Glenelg the other night and wanted to go to the Parade, Norwood, and the young guy said "sorry i'm only new at this". He wanted to bypass the city at all costs, and suggested that we head towards Kensington Road.

This is all a bit ridiculous really, there should be more stringent tests when allowing people to have taxi licenses.

Has anyone else had any other "dubious" taxi experiences, similar to this, or of a different nature?

[Leaping Lindner]

Taxi drivers have been in the news a bit the past few months, mainly for all the wrong reasons. I'm not going to go into the major issue thats been in the headlines (legal matter), but the matter i'm wanting to bring up is that some have no idea how to get around Adelaide (as has been documented recently in the local paper). I caught a taxi from Glenelg the other night and wanted to go to the Parade, Norwood, and the young guy said "sorry i'm only new at this". He wanted to bypass the city at all costs, and suggested that we head towards Kensington Road.

This is all a bit ridiculous really, there should be more stringent tests when allowing people to have taxi licenses.

Has anyone else had any other "dubious" taxi experiences, similar to this, or of a different nature?

This is in Melbourne but worth telling. My wife and I decided to get a taxi to match at the MCG. We live in St Kilda which is about a 20-25 minute drive down Punt Road from the MCG. When the taxi arrived and we told the driver of our plans he asked "Where is the MCG?". I don't think he was a local.

[mal]

Bayman and I caught a cab in Sydney once and Bayman asked the driver.
" Hey Driva where's the best place to get a sheila in Sydney?"
" On the end of your dick mate!"

[Magpiespower]

Don't have taxi drivers in Sydney.

They're kamikaze pilots who didn't get to crash and burn in WWII.

One night, was going from the Shire to George St in the city.

Eddie, who I don't think was a local either, had no idea where to go.

Would be the same as asking to go to King William St and the taxi driver shrugging their shoulders.

[heater31]

I caught a taxi from Glenelg the other night and wanted to go to the Parade, Norwood, and the young guy said "sorry i'm only new at this". He wanted to bypass the city at all costs, and suggested that we head towards Kensington Road.

my footy club drinks at the alma on magil rd so i regularly use taxis out that way and two weeks in a row I stated that it would be best to go up the Parade from Fullarton rd but the stupid twit takes me up Kensington Rd from the roundabout then it costs me an extra $5 to get where i wanted to go


anyway i got my own back last week the fare was $17.80 or something similar but i only had about $16 in small notes and change you ripper

[mal]

Heater, I think you will find that Taxi board regulations state
that a driver must go the way a passenger directs them.
If a driver does take you a diffrent way you can report him
to the respective taxi company or report it to the Taxi board.
I would recommend the Taxi board as they must, from what I believe,
follow up each and every complaint.

Next time you get ripped off take the taxi fleet number, and the plate
number of the taxi[registration plate].

25 years ago the industry was mainly Greeks and Australians as
drivers and the standard in my opinion was above average.
Those guys were predominantly owner drivers who took pride in
thier franchises and ran thier businesses accordingly.
About 15 years ago a lot of taxi plates were leased out, those owner drivers
were replaced by drivers, whose main objectivity was to earn money.
Those leasing have to supply thier own cars.
The expenses involved in leasing a plate[about $300 per week] and the
wear and tear on the cars to those guys leasing are exhorbitant.
Dont get fooled by some drivers being incompetent, some are sharks who will
take you the long way.......well they have to make $$$$ somehow.
Hence a generation of newly aquired drivers, some of who are blantantly
breaking the law as we have seen in recent times in the press.

Todays drivers are not in the same league.

It seems that a taxi driver's street directory is the passenger !

[heater31]

cheers for the advice mal but its a pity that the footy season is now over.

[JK]

I think you're right there Malcolm, I know a couple of times in recent years I've either been refused a ride, or had to put up with a driver whinging the whole way because it was a small fare/short distance.

[mal]

You would be shocked at the hours some of these drivers work.
Most shifts are from 6 to 6, thats a 12 hour day for both day
and night drivers, thats surely a safety issue.
Just think next time your are in a cab at 5 in the afternoon, in
peak hour traffic, the driver has been driving for up to 11 hours.
Due to the scarcity in wages, some dont stop for a lunch break.
Hence these chaps are under immense pressure to protract a
living out of taxi driving, hence the standard of people associated
from within the industry.
As mentioned previously, drivers up to about 10 years ago who
owned and drove thier cabs were of a terrific standard, the expansion
of the leased plates was the downfall in standardisation of the industry.

[heater31]

You would be shocked at the hours some of these drivers work.
Most shifts are from 6 to 6, thats a 12 hour day for both day
and night drivers, thats surely a safety issue.
Just think next time your are in a cab at 5 in the afternoon, in
peak hour traffic, the driver has been driving for up to 11 hours.
Due to the scarcity in wages, some dont stop for a lunch break.
Hence these chaps are under immense pressure to protract a
living out of taxi driving, hence the standard of people associated
from within the industry.
As mentioned previously, drivers up to about 10 years ago who
owned and drove thier cabs were of a terrific standard, the expansion
of the leased plates was the downfall in standardisation of the industry.

Some are even international students who work weekends to give themselves spending money during the week. had a ride with an indian engineering student a few months back he had good english and knew where to go when gave him general directions and he chated the whole way before I knew it i was where i wanted to be.

[MagicKiwi]

Mr MK and I recently caught a taxi in Sydney, a young and very new Australian driver of African descent. He had a wonderful device called a GPS which he threw in the address and we drove straight there. Fantastic. Should be mandatory.

[dinglinga]

yeah taxi drivers... all the excuses under the sun ... end of the day the customer is paying for a service and dont want excuses... do u go into maccas and ask a big mac and get asked how do u make that ...

melbourne taxi drivers i best remember.. one i remember australia v iran soccer game... get in taxi ask to go to casino taxi driver replied wheres that .....

the next funny story was a end of season trip with SFC 3 in the taxi travelling down some dodgy melbourne side street and the road is blocked by another car .. taxi driver gets out starts arguing with this guy and is throwing punches...

[mighty_tiger_79]

the other night Taxi Robbie was driving along and a group of aboriginals hailed the taxi, they were standing near a car with the bonnett up.

'Hey Driva, you tell us wat wong wit our kar'

Taxi Robbie has a look and fiddles around and says 'Piston Broke'

one of the group replies 'Im lika that all of da time brudda'

[mal]

mt79 that classic should be in best jokes !

[Magpiespower]

You would be shocked at the hours some of these drivers work.
Most shifts are from 6 to 6, thats a 12 hour day for both day
and night drivers...

In Sydney, it's 3 to 3.

Have to work 8 hours before they make any money.

[Squawk]

A lot of business is cash business. They all complain they never make money. I bet that's what their tax returns say too, but I bet a lot of cash also goes unrecorded.

It's not a job that pays megabucks but it must offer something for them to do it.

Don't forget either that the govt imposed a levy on taxi fares to pay for the installation of security cameras in cabs. By cut off day about 10 had been installed. All the other cabbies just spent the money. Next thing you know, the taxpayer has paid for cameras to be fitted to all cabs. And, they got to keep the levy. They had two bites of a lovely govt cherry!

One day when I hear a cabbie cross the complaint line, I'm just gonna get out and refuse to pay the fare.