Taxi Drivers

People will soon start to think I am a bit of a moaner!!! But I am not . . . honestly!

Todays topic (rant) is that of taxi drivers!

As you will probably know, taxi drivers are pretty much self employed, they have their own car or use a pool car, and they pay the firm for jobs at a set rate (for example £100 a week) but keep all they earn from customers!By the way, in this post I am talking about the private hire cabs!

Over the past few weeks I have been stopping quite a few taxi's at night, in particular Friday and Saturday nights!

So, here it is, Top 5 Taxi Pet Hates!

1) Exemption from the RTA (apparently)

2) No Seatbelt and No Fare

3) Speeding

4) The attitude of them when you pull them over

5) Condition of their cars, often having lights which have blown

I am sure many of you can relate to the above! Now, taxi drivers DO provide a good service, and I use them occasionally too! I by no means have a personal vendetta against them!

So firstly, the RTA exemption they believe that they have! They can stop where they want be it on a corner of a road (literally on the junction), in bays marked "Police Vehicles Only", on zebra crossings, doing U-Turns when not allowed to . . . need I go on? They dont seem to realise that they can not do this!! And when told this the usual reply is "I am waiting for a fare" or "Fuck off or ticket me" the latter being my personal favourite! Why? Because I will ticket them!!

Second point, no seatbelt with no fare in the car. Stop the car and ask them why they are not wearing it and do they have an exemption certificate. Sometimes they will reply saying "sorry sorry sorry sorry" in an effort to make you not ticket them, or simply try and be smarter than me and say "I dont have to wear it, im exempt" . . . oh no your not, only with a fare!! Oops! Im sure you all know my views on not wearing seatbelts from aprevious post!!

Thirdly, speeding. They dont seem to notice a car with shiny reflective bits on it that resemble a battenburg cake behind them with blue cruise lights on!! Now it really winds me up, we all know that speed can kill etc etc but to put at risk those of people you are carrying is appauling!! And when stopped they dont seem to care, they dont realise that getting points will effect their job! If they lose their license, they are buggered!!! If only they can see this!!!

Fourth on my list was the attitude some of them have when pulled over. Some are nice and take on board what they are told, others couldnt give a toss to be quite honest!!

Some replies:

"ticket me, see if I care"

"yeah and?"

"oh fuck off"

Now how rude and obnoxious are some of these!! Its no wonder in one night I have pulled over the same drivers several times (not deliberatly but because they have committed another offence, often the same one and only when I am talking to them does it click I have!)

This shouldnt happen!!

Finally the condition of their cars, some of them have lights that dont work etc etc, is this really the condition that a taxi should be in? Minor thing it may be but none the less!!

Enough ranting now about taxi drivers! Perhaps an operation is needed to try and bring up the standards of taxi drivers and their vehicles in my town! I anyone has any experiences of this please do let me know!