Taxi Scams?

rubadub

Lollipops23 wrote: »

and i've never seen a "booked" taxi wait more than 15 mins for their fare which all of these guys did.

Well this guy didn't wait around. If he was legit then maybe his fare was late, he shouldn't have to sit around all night. If he calls back to base then another might be sent out, serves the people right if they were keeping him waiting.

dotsman wrote: »

I just can't believed you walked from Leeson Street back into the city. Had you walked in the other direction, you would have gotten a taxi within 5-10 minutes guaranteed.

And it keeps you warm. I was on the luas on friday and it broke down, walked 10mins out of the city from the canal stop and got a taxi easy. around 12, or 12.30

foggy_lad wrote: »

i would have serious doubts about the legality of the taxi taking those fares when they were pre-booked,

They cannot wait all night like I said. Maybe all he has to do is turn his light on and then it is would be properly hailed, except for the meter thing. I expect more dodgy taxis soon. I remember lads pulling up before in small cars saying they were taxis.

steph1

Sam Vimes wrote: »

what carry on exactly? The acceptance of an offer? The guy was waiting for a pre booked fare and had no obligation to take them. The only thing he kind of did wrong is abandoning the person he was supposed to be waiting for

Well as a taxi driver myself I would consider that to be a total rip off

Spook_ie

steph1 wrote: »

Well as a taxi driver myself I would consider that to be a total rip off

It was a rip off Steph but the OP still has to realise that they were the ones who offered the €100, the driver didn't approach the rank and ask who wanted to pay over the odds, if they had had the patience to wait (with the rest ) or the idea to book their own taxi then they wouldn't have had to pay and the driver would have had to wait either for his fare or pick up off the street. I work for a Dublin taxi company and (AFAIK) we picked up or dispatched a cab to every customer who rang us... I myself did 2 booked runs from the city to the Malahide area ( both for the extra €2 it costs for a booked cab :rolleyes: ) the only problems I have is when customers put their phones into their pockets and don't hear me ringing them, because I won't wait around for longer than 5 minutes and if you miss your allocated cab then I'm sorry but you go to the back of the queue...

Lollipops23

Spook_ie wrote: »

It was a rip off Steph but the OP still has to realise that they were the ones who offered the €100, the driver didn't approach the rank and ask who wanted to pay over the odds, if they had had the patience to wait (with the rest ) or the idea to book their own taxi then they wouldn't have had to pay and the driver would have had to wait either for his fare or pick up off the street. I work for a Dublin taxi company and (AFAIK) we picked up or dispatched a cab to every customer who rang us... I myself did 2 booked runs from the city to the Malahide area ( both for the extra €2 it costs for a booked cab :rolleyes: ) the only problems I have is when customers put their phones into their pockets and don't hear me ringing them, because I won't wait around for longer than 5 minutes and if you miss your allocated cab then I'm sorry but you go to the back of the queue...

my OH had already offered the usual amount(as said, it's usually in ten area of E50-E60) and was turned down. i didn't see any people at all just stroll up and get into their "pre booked" cab during the whole thing.

To answer another poster, yes i am telling the whole story to the other people i've told,like i said the only negative responses i got were here, although thanks to the others who posted some good advice!We had missed all the nitelinks,but i think in future i'll leave earlier to get one as it'll be easier and cheaper. BTW as a poster said, there was not mention at any point of a waiver form, it was just "give me the money upfront".

Lollipops23

Spook_ie wrote: »

The legality of the situation is as follows....

1 You couldn't hail the taxi as he wasn't tecnicaly plying for hire ( waiting AT a rank or driving looking for custom )

actually he was technically sitting at a rank(outside Topshop) with his lights off, not sure that makes a diff though!

oisindoyle

Spook_ie wrote: »

It was a rip off Steph but the OP still has to realise that they were the ones who offered the €100, the driver didn't approach the rank and ask who wanted to pay over the odds, if they had had the patience to wait (with the rest ) or the idea to book their own taxi then they wouldn't have had to pay and the driver would have had to wait either for his fare or pick up off the street. I work for a Dublin taxi company and (AFAIK) we picked up or dispatched a cab to every customer who rang us... I myself did 2 booked runs from the city to the Malahide area ( both for the extra €2 it costs for a booked cab :rolleyes: ) the only problems I have is when customers put their phones into their pockets and don't hear me ringing them, because I won't wait around for longer than 5 minutes and if you miss your allocated cab then I'm sorry but you go to the back of the queue...

It wasnt a rip off .The driver didnt come over to them and say ill drop u home for 100euro .The OP OFFERED the 100 euro.NOTHING Illegal was done .Yes there maybe be a technicality about the waiver form,but personally speaking that wavier form is absolute nonsense dreamt up by Kathleen who has No clue about the taxi industry on a day to day basis.The bottom line is this and ill keep saying it ,,,The OP made the offer of 100 euro the driver accepted ,absolutely nothing wrong wit that.Would you refuse to accept a tip or a higher amout of money from a customer if he/she offered it to you? i doubt it...

oisindoyle

Its always the same this time of year anyway .You get mary and johnny complaining about taxis .The same people only get one taxi a year and are tanked up with alcohol.Blame everyone else except themselves.Stop calling it a scam ITS NOT

you bribing a taxi driver is not a taxi scam.

that is all

krudler

Deleted User wrote: »

you bribing a taxi driver is not a taxi scam.

that is all

Well said,OP if a bouncer wasnt letting anyone in to a club and you paid him 100 quid to let you in would he have scammed you? no., you paid over the odds, you got home quicker than you would have standing out in the cold, no scam involved

mikemac

This happened on a Friday night.
So unless you had work or somewhere urgent to be the next day, the two of you could have got a room in Jurys for 99 euro. Tbh, at 4am you might get a cheaper room elsewhere, I'm only picking Jurys as that offer was well publicized and they are in a few locations around the city.

Speaking as a former night porter, hotels loooove to sell rooms at these hours. They've an empty room and get to sell it at full rate for a few hours so it's a sale they weren't even expecting.

Everyone wins

rubadub

oisindoyle wrote: »

It wasnt a rip off .The driver didnt come over to them and say ill drop u home for 100euro

Even if the drive did come over and say that, it is still not a ripoff. People just rip themselves off and then call it a ripoff. You did not have to pay it, and if he offered you have the choice to say no. If mcdonalds said €100 for a big mac it is not a ripoff.

Now if the taxi driver had a dodgy meter and charged €100 for a 2mile fare then it IS a ripoff. Everybody was clear what was going on in this situation and were willing to pay the price.

hottstuff

Taxi drivers will do almost anything for more money.:p

Sam Vimes

hottstuff wrote: »

Taxi drivers will do almost anything for more money.:p

As opposed to the rest of us who try to avoid it at all costs

Jaysoose

I think we have a late contender for 'Silliest thread of the year'..

How was this a scam? did the taxi man hypnotise the OP?

Its ok because her friends are shocked aswell.:D

shinzon

im not exactly sure what way you wanted us to reply in this thread, its not as if the taxi driver is going to get a sudden attack of morals and say sorry im not excepting this fare as its way above the normal fare for the route your going on, id suggest renting a hotel room and staying in the city now go and get yourself dried off and stop being so silly

And why didnt you say to your other half, what the hell are ye doing offering 100 euro to a taxi driver in the first place

I agree with everyone else in this thread, 100 euro or no 100 euro, you took somebody elses booked taxi and you got home, its only after your thinking what awful eeejits we were and trying to cause trouble for the taxi driver, who was offered 100 euro by your other half, now im sorry but if thats waved in anyones face there gonna take it

Just leave it be and think the next time your OH does something really stupid

Shin

Saruman

And next time, instead of joining a 200m Queue just walk into a hotel and ask reception to call you a cab. They usually have a contract with a cab company. Oh and as others said, a hotel room would have been cheaper. Trinity capital was €89 that night or for a cheaper option €67 for Days inn Talbot street.

MOH

Why does everyone assume all these hotels would have had vacancies?

The_Conductor

MOH wrote: »

Why does everyone assume all these hotels would have had vacancies?

Because they are having their worst season ever on record- and have, after the construction sector, the second highest number of redundancies announced, and forecast.

S.

mikemac

MOH wrote: »

Why does everyone assume all these hotels would have had vacancies?

Tough times for the industry and unless there a major concert (talking U2 big) or big GAA weekend, you'll get a hotel room nay bother.

Saruman wrote: »

And next time, instead of joining a 200m Queue just walk into a hotel and ask reception to call you a cab..

Pah! :P
There's a reason the night porter locks the door and demands to know if you're a resident before they open it.
They won't call a cab or at least some won't.
But most have a freephone in the lobby which links direct to their cab company and you can call your own.

Carturo

Lollipops23 wrote: »

funny,seems anyone we told this to who wasn't a Boardsie was equally shocked and appalled. as usual some people are just missing the point entirely. and of course we don't have more money than sense, it was sheer desperation on our part.and i've never seen a "booked" taxi wait more than 15 mins for their fare which all of these guys did.

God I'd hate to be sad enough to be labelled a 'boardsie'. These people on their high horses Lollipops never had an issue like yours because they don't get out that much. From what I can gather most are fat bastards who type at their keyboards all they long, looking down on others. Keep reading about how people can't afford this or that or to subscribe, well get off boards you lazy bastards and get a decent job.

Anyway, it's not been fun. Bye.

mickoneill30

Carturo wrote: »

Anyway, it's not been fun. Bye.

Bye. Thanks for sharing.

Types on a forum giving out about people who type on a forum.
Irony whooshes over his head.

Mr E

€5 says Carturo is Lollypop23's other half.

cornbb

Carturo wrote: »

God I'd hate to be sad enough to be labelled a 'boardsie'. These people on their high horses Lollipops never had an issue like yours because they don't get out that much. From what I can gather most are fat bastards who type at their keyboards all they long, looking down on others. Keep reading about how people can't afford this or that or to subscribe, well get off boards you lazy bastards and get a decent job.

You ARE one of us buddy. Only here since September and over 200 posts across a broad range of forums. Great to have a nice, friendly, helpful new boardsie like yourself around the place

rubadub

Mr E wrote: »

€5 €100 says Carturo is Lollypop23's other half.

.

Spook_ie

Originally Posted by Mr E
€5 €100 says Carturo is Lollypop23's other half.

I'd love to take you up on that but I'm already booked

the groutch

funniest thing about this thread is that they could have just gotten a nitelink for a fiver each

Lollipops23

the groutch wrote: »

funniest thing about this thread is that they could have just gotten a nitelink for a fiver each

did you not see the part about it being 4am?our last one left busaras at 3.30 and we were on Leeson St. In hindsight it would have been better for everyone concerned if we'd just left early and got that though; will be in future!

Spook_ie

Lollipops23 wrote: »

did you not see the part about it being 4am?our last one left busaras at 3.30 and we were on Leeson St. In hindsight it would have been better for everyone concerned if we'd just left early and got that though; will be in future!

Busaras which nitelinks that then?

I'm gonna have a stab in the dark based on the little information given that you were looking to go to Balbriggan ( fits the costs, last bus to Balbriggan would have been 33N at 3.30 from Dolier ) if so ( and don't shout at me if it's not Balbriggan ) why not get the Nitelink to Swords and then a taxi from Swords (€35 to Balbriggan) and if anyone tells me there were no taxis in Swords I know you're wrong 'cos that's where I was working...

Just looked at the nitelink times and I note it could have been 88N Ashbourne, if so still only €30 from Swords....

I think this was just a case of bad planning on the part of the original posters, as I'm sure that you could have gotten a nitelink service that was running till 4.30 to somewhere nearer your destination and then walked into a cab office there...

penexpers

Spook_ie wrote: »

Busaras which nitelinks that then?

It's probably the Bus Eireann Nightrider.

vestanpance

penexpers wrote: »

It's probably the Bus Eireann Nightrider.

Does the Hoff drive it?