Taxi-drivers

[soaps]

Have you ever had a bad experience ?
Did they ever rip you off by trying to overcharging you?

[craft1948]

Was ripped off once in London by being taken the long way round..............I gave him a mouthful and he reduced the fare (I don't know why I bothered 'cos the company was paying). Worst attempted rip-off was in Spain............

[Buenchico]

Er, how long a list would you like?

Memory number 1:
A 'private hire' driver (possibly unlicensed, found by asking a guy hogging the nightclub's payphone) who took me and two mates back to college, in a somewhat inebriated state, from a night out in Sheffield. He 'misunderstood' where we wanted to go to, took us well out of our way and then (after we'd finally directed him to our real destination) tried to charge us about four times the correct fare for the direct journey. Fortunately my mate was 6'5", with the weight to go with it, and the driver hurriedly changed his mind.

Memory number 2:
A taxi driver in Lille, who took me and a friend from the Eurostar station to the centre of the old city. He drove at about twice the speed limit, while watching a film on his DVD player throughout the journey!

Memory numbers 3, 4, 5, . . . 1097, . 15003, ... etc.etc
. . . will have to wait!

[karenmac60]

I used to get local taxis all the time and there was an older driver who appeared to be displaying symptoms of Parkinson's - scared the hell out of me whenever I got in his cab!

[Mamyalynne]

Many, many but the worst was in Copenhagen, driver went through three red lights and almost knocked a lady over on a pedestrian crossing.

Have reported a few for speeding and talking on a hand held phone.

[ixion]

Being ripped off is bad enough.......its when they insist on talking about football!

[Jan1957]

Yes, taxi from Torremelinos to Almeria. Holiday company had cocked up my booking and said they would pay for it so agreed to £100, which I had to pay at the time. When I got back holiday company changed their mind, only got £35.

[soaps]

Some bad experience there, I hear the New York taxi men are worst in the world!, Anyone know if thats true?
People still tip them though, why????

[Quizmonster]

I'm sure taxi-drivers are vastly more sinned-against than sinning! Which is the worse, being taken somewhat out of your way or having your car vomited in? (That's just one example of the sort of thing I mean.)

[mungbeanz]

I was in a taxi in Bogota and the driver thought nothing of reversing up a busy highway into oncoming traffic after we missed the turn . Some of then also see the pavement as a lane there.
In a taxi in Tirana the driver wouldn't let me wear a seatbelt. Every time I tried to put it on he took it from me and said "No problem".
New York drivers are nowhere near the worst in the world. You dont have to tip them if they dont meet the criteria of a nice trip on a card they have in the cab.