Taxi driver fell asleep at wheel

[Maisy313]

This isn't really a AIBU but a WWYD? Taxi driver picked me up at 5am to drive me to the airport, noticed he was behaving oddly, kept on touching his hair seemed very uncomfortable / restless, barely had one hand on the steering wheel, then sort of saw his head drop and was very slumped. I startled him massively and ended up having to keep him awake for the rest of the journey, he didn't go on the motorway but took me the long way around as he said the motorway would make him fall asleep! He was very grateful for me for talking to him and said he planned to pull over and sleep for two minutes. Having spoken to him it turns out he's under huge pressure with family / money but he seemed oblivious to the fact that I might mind having a driver who was trying not to sleep on the job. He was very open about the fact he had fallen asleep and was grateful to me for talking to him. Would you tell the company? I'm worried for the safety of all road users going forward but don't want to get him sacked and he has my address.

[Scarydinosaurs]

Gosh that is a dilemma! I think you really do have to call the taxi company though. You would feel terrible if he went on to have an accident.

[Ivorbig1]

Dangerous, reckless behaviour of course you tell the company but surely they know how long he has been driving without sleep

[hillyhilly]

We stopped using airport taxis after so many of them told us of the huge number of hours they'd worked and how little sleep they'd had, we decided we'd be safer driving ourselves even after a long haul flight.
They should have tachographs, I'd be inclined to call the police rather than his employer but I don't suppose that realistically they can do anything.

[Maisy313]

Hillyhilly I think there is something in that, I wonder if there is anyone I can report the company too?

[inlovewithhubby]

Yes report it. This happened to us around the same time of night in an airport cab. Driver veered into the other side of the thankfully empty country road and I saw in the rear view mirror that his eyes were shut - only when I shouted did he wake up and then shout at me for shouting! We reported him and would never use airport cabs at night again - as a pp said, we'd rather drive ourselves and pay parking, than risk that again.

Do report, please. You might save someone's life. He may be struggling in some ways, but clearly not with his conscience.

[Moistly]

Id have gotten out of the car and rang the company

That is seriously bad

[Maisy313]

God, scary to see that this clearly isn't an isolated problem! I will report, no his conscience seemed very clear and he wasn't apologetic but he was very nice.

[Moistly]

Maisy he isn't nice if he risks peoples lives!

[Maisy313]

I was tempted to ask him to call someone else from the company to complete the journey but risked missing a work flight. All very odd.

[AppleMagic]

Did you get his taxi licence number? I'd try your local authority.

[marcopront]

I shouldn't have read this. I have a taxi taking me to the airport at 4 am tomorrow.

[Maisy313]

He seemed completely oblivious to the fact that I might object to having a sleeping driver, on the plus slide it slightly cured my fear of flying.

[Maisy313]

I have the number of the company I booked from but that is it

[StickTheDMWhereTheSunDontShine]

He's not going to be much help to his family if he wraps his car around a tree or kills someone.

[StickTheDMWhereTheSunDontShine]

Your council should have someone in charge of enforcement (I knew someone who had this job). That might be worth looking into, rather than contacting the company directly.

[Dontyoulovecalpol]

Hmmm. This is dilemna. If it's Addison Lee or similar I would expect them to be responsible but not a local cab firm. Cab drivers are self employed anyway. He might stop getting bookings from them but he could just go elsewhere.

On the balance of how unlikely you are to stop him driving by calling, but how likely it is he'll suffer financially when he's already struggling I might leave it tbh. I'm still undecided

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

There's got to be some industry organisation that regulates minicabs. Someone has to give them the stickers for their back windows. Report the company to them?

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

Outside London it's your local council who licenses taxis and private hire vehicles. Inside London it's Transport for London.

[MummyBex1985]

It's happened to me twice. I refuse to get taxis anymore.

Both times I called the police and refused to pay the fare.

[MummyBex1985]

(I called the police so that someone who so obviously shouldn't have been driving didn't kill someone)

[Iliveinalighthousewiththeghost]

Poor you. Goodness. What a shock, and Yes poor him, too. He must have been absolutely exhausted, but. Yes you do have to report. As his next passenger may not be as fortunate, and it may not be anything to do with tiredness. It could be something medical.

[smellyboot]

You have to report it. Seriously he'll kills some one - even cause a motorway pile up. You wouldn't accept some one drunk

[Yeahthatwasme]

Was it a "taxi driver" or was it a "driver of a car for hire"?

Black cab - a serious issue. Uber/mini cab - you get what you pay for.

[ExitPursuedByABear]

Do taxis have tachos?

[KingJoffreyLikesJaffaCakes]

This is common in nursing too.

I've worked a night shift many times with someone who's then gone on to do a day shift.

You'd think there'd be a legal number of hours you can work...