yes since most journeys are local, short journeys are their bread and butter - they cant sit around all day waiting for long journeys!
short journeys mean they can quickly get another fair, and not have to return from far away before getting another one.
also they expect it when people have a lot of bags, hence why they hang about by supermarkets - it may not be a physical distance but it may as well be a 100 miles if you cannot carry the bags.
the only time ive heard of someone moan is when they wait in a rank for a while .. they wait their turn and then only have a couple of quid fair, then have to go to the back of the rank and wait again ... i get that might be frustrating, but then they don't actually have to wait at the rank, they can just drive around and wait to be hailed.
aside from that, i couldn't care less if the driver didn't like it - if i am paying the fare then i will go wherever i want - and if they wont take me then there's plenty others that will.