The London Cabbie

[downfader]

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

That's pretty much how I find it down here. The private hire sorts tend to be seen speeding at a real rate of knots. One went past me at speed yesterday morning and took a bend on what must have been two wheels, his vehicle lurched so.

 

[downfader]

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

My friend, who has a full HGV licence says the same. If there is one road user group he will get angry at its taxi drivers.

 

[slowmotion]

They seem pretty good to me. Maybe I've been lucky.

 

[Jezston]

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.

That's because they have no skills other than the knowledge and the job is easy and pays well. £12k PA my arse - the cabbie who lived above my mum's old flat bought a second parking space in the basement to keep his sports car!

Black cabs are the only drivers I've had any trouble with in the 9 months since I moved back to London. One pulled out right in front of me through give way lines causing to brake hard not to hit him - I shout "whoah!" he shouts back "what you mean 'whoah' you ****ing **** *****er *****ing etc etc" torrent of incoherent rage. Another when I was stopped at the side of the road talking to someone drove past yelling "you're going the get a ****ing slap!". What?

They have absolutely no degree of professionalism or accountability, and until the latter changes, neither will the former, and THIS is why they are losing out to the likes of Addison Lee who at least make slight attempts to respond to criticism and make their drivers presentable.

 

[Black Country Ste]

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

Bus drivers! Seen the amount of complaints I've sent to NX? To be fair I've had no problems with them recently.

Private hire and Hackney cabs here are a mix. I've got a complaint in with Licensing because of one prat following me across Belgrave by the mosque and cutting me up at the bottom by the zebra crossing/pinch point. Problem with a lot of them is that they see traffic as being in the way of their next fare. A number of them do drive respectfully though.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

I've marshalled on a couple of London Skyrides and on both occasions black cab drivers were involved in deliberate harassment of riders. As these rides didn't suddenly appear on London's streets without ample publicity, I can only assume that cabbies set out on those days with intent to bully cyclists.

 

[Dave 123]

ALL taxi drivers, black cab or private hire are all tossers regardless of which town their operating in.
And their vehicles smell of febreze and stale fags!

 

[Davidsw8]

That's because they have no skills other than the knowledge and the job is easy and pays well. £12k PA my arse - the cabbie who lived above my mum's old flat bought a second parking space in the basement to keep his sports car!

Black cabs are the only drivers I've had any trouble with in the 9 months since I moved back to London. One pulled out right in front of me through give way lines causing to brake hard not to hit him - I shout "whoah!" he shouts back "what you mean 'whoah' you ****ing **** *****er *****ing etc etc" torrent of incoherent rage. Another when I was stopped at the side of the road talking to someone drove past yelling "you're going the get a ****ing slap!". What?

They have absolutely no degree of professionalism or accountability, and until the latter changes, neither will the former, and THIS is why they are losing out to the likes of Addison Lee who at least make slight attempts to respond to criticism and make their drivers presentable.

My Cabbie friend owns a porsche, nuff said

 

[Davidsw8]

View: http://youtu.be/HOgX2sLC_Ik


A short vid of said incident this morning

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

At the end, is that the same horn beeping? It's exactly the same pitch, just with a bit more street echo. Maybe he found someone else on his road to try bullying.

 

[Davidsw8]

At the end, is that the same horn beeping? It's exactly the same pitch, just with a bit more street echo. Maybe he found someone else on his road to try bullying.

Yep, that was definitely him having a go at someone else. If he carried on like that all day hes either gonna burn his horn out or get a punch off someone!

 

[Davidsw8]

I loved how my 'you're welcome' then 'have a good day' bits really wound him up. I know its childish but being nice seems to get em more het up than swearing - i think it confuses their tiny minds

 

[Bromptonaut]

I treat cabs with a degree of caution but not found them, barring the odd nutter, a big problem. Addison Lee vehicles OTOH are all to often in ASL boxes, close passing or squeezing against kerbside bike lanes.

Unbranded Private Hire vehicles are even worse. My worst experience in last 12months was a PH Zafira a foot or so from my rear offside in Melton St, Euston. When I signalled by pointing half right and moved out to block him he came up my nearside instead and tried to tell me off for not signalling!

 

[Boris Bajic]

It is not unlikely that he had a fare in the back who'd offered a big tip for getting him there quickly.

This is not a mitigation - I am not fond of the stereotypical LTDA driver and have been tipped off by them in the past.

However, when a big-ego stupido-profundo fare offers a huge tip for rapid transit, some drivers just honk and swear at everyone for theatrical effect.

Find that unlikely? Ask a cabbie you know well.

He might just have been a cock, but the scenario I paint does happen, hateful and pointless as it may seem.

 

[Davidsw8]

It is not unlikely that he had a fare in the back who'd offered a big tip for getting him there quickly.

This is not a mitigation - I am not fond of the stereotypical LTDA driver and have been tipped off by them in the past.

However, when a big-ego stupido-profundo fare offers a huge tip for rapid transit, some drivers just honk and swear at everyone for theatrical effect.

Find that unlikely? Ask a cabbie you know well.

He might just have been a cock, but the scenario I paint does happen, hateful and pointless as it may seem.

It's possible he did but I couldn't see anyone in his cab with him. Regardless of whether he did or not, you can't hassle people just cos you're impatient. He'd have been more delayed if I'd attempted to let him pass, got stuck in one of the many potholes on that street and gone under his cab.

This is one issue with vehicle drivers, they can't appreciate that on top of everything that they have to deal with, cyclists also have to be aware of potholes too. A bad pothole may damage a vehicle but it can be fatal for a cyclist.