Lit up taxi - but not for hire [rant]

vinnyfitz

I can not understand why many taxis that already have a customer on board leave the roof light on indicating they are available for hire.

Is this just to take the xxxx out of the wet and freezing potential customer base?
Is it to give the impression that there are more available taxis than exist in reality as aprt of a complex re-regulation campaign?
Or is it possible that the drivers are so incapable or operating a light switch that they should not have access to motorised vehicles?


What I really do not understand is why roof lights are not connected to taxi meters?
Meter on => roof light off.
Roof light on => free ride for the punter.

landser

their usual excuse is "sorry bud, i didn't know it was on".

what you do is, next time you see a taxi with its light on (preferably on a tuesday afternoon when you're tripping over taxis) , stick out your arm. when this knight of the road pulls up just say to him, "sorry, bud, I dodn't know it was sticking out". I did it once, and oh what joy!!!!

kenmc

landser wrote:

their usual excuse is "sorry bud, i didn't know it was on".

what you do is, next time you see a taxi with its light on (preferably on a tuesday afternoon when you're tripping over taxis) , stick out your arm. when this knight of the road pulls up just say to him, "sorry, bud, I dodn't know it was sticking out". I did it once, and oh what joy!!!!

Thats class! must remember that one. I remember once trying to get a taxi to go somewhere and he said that he wouldn't go there cos he wanted somewhere near his home, so we walked away a bit and left the back door and passenger door wide open. He had to get out and go and close them. But before he managed to drive away again we ran over and opened them up again on him and ran off. That'll teach the f*cker. Although on second thoughts I don't think it will....
Anyway, the moral of the story is always get into the taxi before you say where you wanna go, and if he refuses, then ask to be brought to the nearest police station, cos it's his job to take you where you wanna go, not where he feels like bringing you.

EvilDoctorK

KenMC I don't think this :

the moral of the story is always get into the taxi before you say where you wanna go, and if he refuses, then ask to be brought to the nearest police station, cos it's his job to take you where you wanna go, not where he feels like bringing you.

Is quite true

As far as I had known (and I could be wrong ) if you stick your hand out to flag down a taxi on the street the driver is entitled to say whether he wants to bring you to where you want to go or not. However if you are on a taxi rank you are correct he is obliged to bring you where you want to go whether he likes it or not (subject to it being in the Taxi area as defined by the local authority.)

kenmc

EvilDoc, i may well be wrong, given that the info I had is at least second hand. anyway - i use the f*ckers as little as I possibly can do - major rip off. airport to dundrum was 40 euro the other nite (thankfully was on expenses!!).