The London Cabbie

[Davidsw8]

Cycling up Bury Street in London (W1) this morning and I hear a *beep* *beep* behind me. I look around and see a cabbie getting very intimate with the back end of my bike and he's waving his one hand side to side indicating I should get out of his way.

Bury Street is an uphill one-way street, there are vehicles parked up the left side and on the right side Westminster Council (or some utility company) have, at some point in the past, gouged out a long tract of road and barely managed to fill it in. I discovered this when I nearly came off my bike trying to let a cabbie overtake me once before.

I have to get off my bike at the top of this street to walk my bike down Jermyn Street (not being one of the idiots that likes to cycle the wrong way down a 1-way street) so I don't hug the left side as that'd be awkward for vehicles behind me needing to turn left.

So, now I tend to ride in a primary position up this road to prevent people overtaking me.

Anyway, I stayed in primary as I wasn't going to let him pass then I pulled over to the right at the top of the street where I got off. He wound down his window as he approached me and shouts 'Thanks!', I said 'You're welcome, have a lovely day!' he muttered something and drove off - I heard him beeping someone else just a little further down the road...

After pedestrians, cabbies are becoming the bane of my life cycling round London. Besides generally being overly aggressive, I have a theory that they must have their indicator lights disabled because the majority just don't indicate. I'm behind them trying to guess which way they're going to go by the position of the vehicle then they change their mind and go the other way anyway!

Vent over

Footnote: I know this is generalising, some cabbies are ok - In fact, one of my friends (who is lovely) has been a cabbie in London for 40 years but he hates it because of all the gyp from passengers, cyclists and other cabbies.

 

[gaz]

I hate some cabbies.

 

[ianrauk]

How can you all slag of these 'Knights Of The Road'?
They'e done the knowledge and everything.

 

[jdtate101]

Mini cab drivers in Birmingham are the same (in fact I think cab drivers are the same the world over!!!). No indication...ever, impatient, rude, aggressive, speeding, basically the worse driving standards around. I do find the licensed black cabs here are better, but there are way less of them than in London.

Them and Bus drivers.........don't even get me started on bus drivers

 

[clarion]

London cabbies are the worst drivers in the UK.

 

[Davidsw8]

Unfortunately, these guys think they own the London roads. There was that helmet from the Licensed Taxi Drivers' Association on last week moaning about Boris' cycle crossrail project - they managed perfectly fine with the Olympic Lanes last year (that they also spent lots of time moaning about), they get to use Bus Lanes, taxis are given so many concessions and its about time cyclists got something...

Most of them seem to really hate their job too and I appreciate it must be really stressful but seriously, if you hate something that much, find something else to do and stop taking it out on others.

 

[J.Primus]

I don't find black cab drivers too bad. It's nearly always the minicab drivers who I find are overly aggressive.

 

[Davidsw8]

I don't find black cab drivers too bad. It's nearly always the minicab drivers who I find are overly aggressive.

They are pretty bad too, but I thankfully don't come across many of them. Generally, if you see a car being really badly driven, you'll see one of those little blue underground type symbols in the back window.

 

[clarion]

The problem with cab drivers is that there's no sanction. The PCO is a joke, and the Police will never prosecute.

 

[Boris Bajic]

Some are dreadful. I used to have to travel by Black Cab quite a lot (as do many) and the stream of bizarre social politics is baffling and annoying. It may come from having the same conversation seventy times a week with people who are too polite to question one's views.

The driving can also be poor, although I've seen it improve over the decades.

I may have mentioned once before that I was a motorcycle courier in the '80s. Black cabs were our Enemy Number One.

However, I once hailed a cab after trashing my bicycle on High Holborn. The guy was really nice, asked if i wouldn't rather go to hospital (I was leaking from various joints and my clothing was badly torn). When we got to Russell Square he refused a fare, wished me well and said "We're not all bastards".

The exception in those days, but the image lives with me still.

 

[Davidsw8]

The problem with cab drivers is that there's no sanction. The PCO is a joke, and the Police will never prosecute.

This is true, I complained to TFL about a cabby who took a left turn right in front of me and was told to go to the PCO. I complained to the PCO and was told that unless the taxi broke the law, there was nothing they could do. So taking a left and nearly taking a cyclist out counts for nothing and they're given the green light to drive badly as long as it's just within the law. I'm sure if I'd been hit, it would have been my fault.

As a pedestrian, I was crossing on a zebra crossing that had a junction to it's right. I noticed a cab coming to the give way line of the junction so I started to cross but the cabby didn't even slow down at his line, he came out of the junction and turned left to pass inches in front of me. I lightly tapped the back of the cab as it sailed passed and he stopped a little further up the road to hysterically scream abuse at me - for nearly knocking me down!

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I'm sure there are others whose road experience of cabbies means they will avoid using them unless absolutely necessary. I don't think I've been in a cab of any kind for over 10 years. I reckon there would actually be a market for cycle-friendly, road-sharing cabbies if it didn't seem such an impossible combination.

 

[Rancid]

Cab drivers = angry angry people who think that everyone else are on the roads out of enjoyment and only there to stop the cabbies earning their 12 grand PA as that all any cabbie ever earns as we all know.

 

[Sittingduck]

A cunch of bunts and no mistake

 

[addictfreak]

So many people think Taxi drivers are professional drivers, when in reality they are just normal drivers who can't get a proper job!