Night driving in Dublin city centre

Marty McFly

Spook_ie wrote: »

Manners are often the first thing to disappear when you're in a free for all and the results of your competing in that free for all will decide if you can feed your children and pay your mortgage or just choose one of them.

Nobody who came into taxiing since the days of deregulation would argue that the situation of 2000 odd taxis for a major city was nothing but a license to print money however even the dog on the street ( if he hasn't been run over by them ) can see that there are too many taxis, you sound like one of the people that wouldn't be willing to wait even 5 minutes for a taxi before crying out about how long we've been waiting

Stop being so dramatic, missing one fare does not meean there kids will be left to go though a famine and there house will be reposessed. Yes they have to work hard like most do and nothing ever excuses bad manners and that goes for everything in life not just taxi drivers going for fares.


No Ive no problem waiting five mins :rolleyes: but I did have a problem struggling to get one at all, but why would i as a paying customer complain about being able to get a taxi immediately. Taxi drivers are making a living like everyone else im getting tired of the we have it so hard break out the violin routine theres no money, there to many of us, its a competitive market like all others. If youre willing to work the hours you can make a decent liviing.

Spook_ie

Marty McFly wrote: »

Stop being so dramatic, missing one fare does not meean there kids will be left to go though a famine and there house will be reposessed. Yes they have to work hard like most do and nothing ever excuses bad manners and that goes for everything in life not just taxi drivers going for fares.


No Ive no problem waiting five mins :rolleyes: but I did have a problem struggling to get one at all, but why would i as a paying customer complain about being able to get a taxi immediately. Taxi drivers are making a living like everyone else im getting tired of the we have it so hard break out the violin routine theres no money, there to many of us, its a competitive market like all others. If youre willing to work the hours you can make a decent liviing.

Tell you what, you try it and see how many taxis get a fare in front of you before you manage to get one!

As for the rest of your BS about decent living at it again try it and then come back and tell us all about your wonderful experience and how loaded you are

Marty McFly

Spook_ie wrote: »

Tell you what, you try it and see how many taxis get a fare in front of you before you manage to get one!

As for the rest of your BS about decent living at it again try it and then come back and tell us all about your wonderful experience and how loaded you are

Hit a nerve did I. You sound like a child crying over being the last child to be given a sweet. Exactly people will get a fare before you and you will aslo get one before a few others thats the nature of the business. Always was and always will be.

Its not a job I want or would do I never stated it was easy but the for the love of god give the dramatics a rest, Ive even had taxi drivers laugh about the way some taxi drivers go on about there being no money in it etc, like everything else you get out of it what you put into it, and some do make a decent living from it, I live in an estate that has plenty of taxi drivers and guess what none of there familys are looking destitute or have had there houses reposessed.

Spook_ie

Marty McFly wrote: »

Hit a nerve did I. You sound like a child crying over being the last child to be given a sweet. Exactly people will get a fare before you and you will aslo get one before a few others thats the nature of the business. Always was and always will be.

Its not a job I want or would do I never stated it was easy but the for the love of god give the dramatics a rest, Ive even had taxi drivers laugh about the way some taxi drivers go on about there being no money in it etc, like everything else you get out of it what you put into it, and some do make a decent living from it, I live in an estate that has plenty of taxi drivers and guess what none of there familys are looking destitute or have had there houses reposessed.

Sure sure, if you haven't and aren't prepared to try the job to see the reality of it, then do everyone in Ireland a favor and keep your wisecracks to yourself

Marty McFly

Spook_ie wrote: »

Sure sure, if you haven't and aren't prepared to try the job to see the reality of it, then do everyone in Ireland a favor and keep your wisecracks to yourself

Really that the strength of the argument you can provide, I havent nor am I going to try the job as I am currently employed and work hard in my job, "do everyone in Ireland a favor" really? :pac:

They werent wisecracks I was pointing out how overly dramatic some of your statements were. As ive stated there are plenty of taxi drivers around my area and I would use taxis regulary enough and have had enough conversations with taxi drivers to be somewhat informed and Ive no doubt they all work hard to earn the money they do but they are not living in poverty as you would have us believe and each fare isnt a life or death affair which excuses ever having no manners when behind the wheel.

pabloh999

OP - maybe driving in a busy city is not for you? Take a bus?


Or a taxi :pac:

CreepingDeath

Spook_ie wrote: »

Manners are often the first thing to disappear when you're in a free for all and the results of your competing in that free for all will decide if you can feed your children and pay your mortgage or just choose one of them.

Ah quit the melodramatics about justifying bad driving behaviour for some fictional "honourable" cause of mortgage and family.

Look at this Youtube dashcam video of mine, it happened last Wednesday.
Skip to 28 seconds, where he comes out of nowhere and forces his way into my lane

An utterly selfish scumbag taxi driver undertook a load of cars, and forcibly cut his way into my lane from a left-hand only lane.

Ignore the girlfriends cries of "road rage" when I simply beeped the cnut for his illegal driving manoeuvre.

FYI: I'm reporting him to the guards this weekend. I've a hi-def video footage of it, clear view of his reg number etc, and seriously hope he challenges it to go to court.

Just wondering what offence the guards would go for
- careless driving
- dangerous driving
- illegal turn? ( using a left hand lane to undertake? when going straight? )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V5QZS4MDhw

So this is the daily face of taxi drivers in Dublin, and a classic example of the OP's original point.

There was no race for a passenger here, so none of your apologist excuses will work in this instance.

PhoenixParker

The worst driver in that clip is the non-taxi driver straight in front of you, who starts out in a bus lane, then can't quite decide what lane he wants to be in.

The taxi-driver should have gotten out of the left hand turn only lane and moved into your lane before the junction, but there's a real problem with the road markings in that area. I walk the route every day and I've seen near misses there several times, caused by a variety of different drivers.

The end of the bus lane is very poorly signposted, and the three narrow lanes become two wide lanes without any continuation through the junction. You can see the problem with the road markings on google maps.


There's a problem, but taxi drivers are no worse than anyone else.

CreepingDeath

PhoenixParker wrote: »

The worst driver in that clip is the non-taxi driver straight in front of you, who starts out in a bus lane, then can't quite decide what lane he wants to be in.

I disagree.
I think they're well used to that junction and by moving into the middle a bit they defensively stop taxi drivers from dangerously undertaking them.
I reckon it's behaviour learned from bitter experience.

PhoenixParker wrote: »

The taxi-driver should have gotten out of the left hand turn only lane and moved into your lane before the junction, but there's a real problem with the road markings in that area.

Taxi drivers know those roads like the back of their hands.
There's no excuses for not filtering in before the junction.

They didn't even flash their hazards to apologise.
Nope, I'm off to the guards this weekend.
It's a losing battle teaching taxi drivers manners, but worth a try.

And I did look at Google maps already, it's out of date.
They re-marked the roads.
At the very start of the video there's a yellow sign saying that the left lane is for left turn only, and the two middle lanes are for proceeding straight ahead.

PhoenixParker wrote: »

There's a problem, but taxi drivers are no worse than anyone else.

I completely disagree.
At that particular junction taxi drivers are by far the worse offenders.
Buses and cars merge in well in advance, and there's a large yellow junction box ( the size of 2 buses ) to allow merging in stopped traffic.

I've nearly been side-swiped a few times by taxis a few times there.
In fact it's one of the reasons I spent over €100 on a dashboard camera.

pabloh999

CreepingDeath wrote: »

They didn't even flash their hazards to apologise.
Nope, I'm off to the guards this weekend..

Where in the rules of the road are flashing your hazards? :rolleyes:
Dry your eyes ffs

Spook_ie

CreepingDeath wrote: »

Ah quit the melodramatics about justifying bad driving behaviour for some fictional "honourable" cause of mortgage and family.

Look at this Youtube dashcam video of mine, it happened last Wednesday.
Skip to 28 seconds, where he comes out of nowhere and forces his way into my lane

An utterly selfish scumbag taxi driver undertook a load of cars, and forcibly cut his way into my lane from a left-hand only lane.

Ignore the girlfriends cries of "road rage" when I simply beeped the cnut for his illegal driving manoeuvre.

FYI: I'm reporting him to the guards this weekend. I've a hi-def video footage of it, clear view of his reg number etc, and seriously hope he challenges it to go to court.

Just wondering what offence the guards would go for
- careless driving
- dangerous driving
- illegal turn? ( using a left hand lane to undertake? when going straight? )

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V5QZS4MDhw

So this is the daily face of taxi drivers in Dublin, and a classic example of the OP's original point.

There was no race for a passenger here, so none of your apologist excuses will work in this instance.

Not excusing him but how often are girlfriends just soooo right

RATM

starviewadams wrote: »

Every weekend night traffic on Dame Street slows to a crawl because of taxi's stopping without any warning and parking wherever they feel like.

The last bus I get into town's last stop is supposed to be at Central Bank,but the bus drivers have everybody get off on Ormond Quay beside the Ha'Penny Bridge instead because they can't safely access the bus stop at Central Bank because of the taxi's parked there.

Same with the un-official rank that appears at the bottom of Grafton Street/Suffolk Street.

I'm often in a mates place in Temple Bar on a Friday and leave in the car about 1 or 2am. I have to drive through Temple Bar from near Paliment Street towards Fitzsimons and then turn left to get onto the quays towards my home.

The section I have to drive in Temple Bar is less than 200 metres but on more than one occasion it has taken 15 minutes to cover it because loads of taxis have just stopped and decided to set up a rank in the middle of the road. They just sit there and make only pretending attempts to move on as slowly as possible in the hope that someone will get in. I know that the drivers are keen for a fare but blocking the roads and kerb crawling is just sheer ignorance of other road users who just want get somewhere.

Spook_ie

RATM wrote: »

I'm often in a mates place in Temple Bar on a Friday and leave in the car about 1 or 2am. I have to drive through Temple Bar from near Paliment Street towards Fitzsimons and then turn left to get onto the quays towards my home.

The section I have to drive in Temple Bar is less than 200 metres but on more than one occasion it has taken 15 minutes to cover it because loads of taxis have just stopped and decided to set up a rank in the middle of the road. They just sit there and make only pretending attempts to move on as slowly as possible in the hope that someone will get in. I know that the drivers are keen for a fare but blocking the roads and kerb crawling is just sheer ignorance of other road users who just want get somewhere.

Ah but what would Marty and others do, they'd need to wait for 10.9 sec or (God Forbid! ) walk to the rank

Wishbone Ash

Those of you who seem to get wound up about driving through the city centre at night should try cycling. Then you see just how much cyclists have to put up with from motorists and pedestrians. At least when a drunken pedestrian walks in front of your car, you're unlikely to get injured yourself. And I have been hospitalised twice so far this year from accidents caused by careless motorists who seem to think a bicycle has no right of way. I have also had numerous 'near misses' from vehicles turning right across my path when I have had right of way (many of them taxis). To add insult to injury they then loudly sound their horn and shout about "road tax".

Many cyclists are now wearing helmet cameras. I think I know what Santa is going to bring now!

CreepingDeath wrote: »

They didn't even flash their hazards to apologise

Apologies for sounding pedantic but that would have been illegal. In a public place, hazard lights may only be used on a stationary vehicle.

Jay D

Wishbone Ash wrote: »

Those of you who seem to get wound up about driving through the city centre at night should try cycling. Then you see just how much cyclists have to put up with from motorists and pedestrians. At least when a drunken pedestrian walks in front of your car, you're unlikely to get injured yourself. And I have been hospitalised twice so far this year from accidents caused by careless motorists who seem to think a bicycle has no right of way. I have also had numerous 'near misses' from vehicles turning right across my path when I have had right of way (many of them taxis). To add insult to injury they then loudly sound their horn and shout about "road tax".

Many cyclists are now wearing helmet cameras. I think I know what Santa is going to bring now!


Apologies for sounding pedantic but that would have been illegal. In a public place, hazard lights may only be used on a stationary vehicle.

I cycled for a long time and I'm well aware of the crap you have to put up with, my pet hate being the complete ignorance absolute dopes turning left sometimes practice. However, I am making a point of the illegal, dangerous and totally annoying driving from taxis in town, I don't see why people are trying to take away from that point constantly. I'm not making it up.