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AIBU?

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Original poster

AIBU regarding the complaint about the taxi driver?

38 replies

ytgahja · 18/03/2026 19:38

I live a 5 minute walk from my daughters school. At the weekend I tripped while walking the dog and have fractured my ankle. Unfortunately my husband passed away 3 years ago so it is just me and my 5 year old.

Now I can't really walk understandably. My foot hurts but my entire body hurts. I have some really cool bruises

Anyway I tried hopping my daughter to school but it took over 40 minutes. Even setting off early, nobody else can bring her as they go to breakfast club and that has to be pre booked for the term so I can't let her go

I rang our local taxi firm and explained as I have to you and emphasised that it was a very short journey twice a day to take and collect her from school. I spoke to the manager and we agreed on 10 pounds a day. Honestly it's a price I'd be willing to pay because hopping isn't for me

Taxi driver this morning shouted at me for wasting his time and that to come here for a 2 minute drive is ridiculous, that I'm lazy and I need to walk. As we got out I asked him to put my daughters side of the car onto the path and he refused so I had to lift her over me to get her onto the pavement which jarred my ankle and then I struggled to get out and he told us to get out and stop wasting his time
So would I be wrong to make a complaint?

OP posts:
stichguru · 22/03/2026 16:26

Did he definately know how much the payment was going to be? If he did he is a dick and deserves to loose his license. My uncle was a taxi driver and he could not charge for time spent getting to the job. This is fair enough, but if your driver thought you'd called him there and were going to only pay him for the length of journey you did, he would have probably spent more coming to you than he could charge you! While it's not exactly an excuse to be rude, it's understandable that pissed him off.

Original poster
ytgahja · 22/03/2026 16:17

Yes I have crutches but it turns out I'm not very good at using them and my 5 year old is very very lively and likes to run and skip and sing her way to school which is usually fine but I dont want her skipping into the road when I'm behind hopping.
Im going to ring the taxi firm and raise a complaint. And yes good idea I'll speak to school and see what we can do.
Also how long till I feel less like I'm drunk when I'm hopping? Because I've never been so unbalanced without the aid of alcohol

OP posts:
MimiGC · 22/03/2026 08:34

CinnamonBuns67 · 22/03/2026 08:17

I'd complain and buy some crutches, I got some from Argos delivered when I had a knee injury.

The OP may already have some (what kind of A&E dept doesn’t give crutches for a fractured ankle?!), but they are very awkward to use, nigh on impossible if you also have to hold the hand of a lively 5 year old.

OP - have you spoken to the school? They may be willing to waive the rule about having to give notice to use the breakfast club in your circumstances.

CinnamonBuns67 · 22/03/2026 08:17

I'd complain and buy some crutches, I got some from Argos delivered when I had a knee injury.

SeaToSki · 21/03/2026 23:03

Have you seen the knee scooters…they are fantastic. If you get one, try and find the off road ones as they have a wider base and are more stable

Coffeesnob11 · 21/03/2026 22:58

Can you hire a sit on electric mobility scooter instead?

somanychristmaslights · 21/03/2026 22:32

I’d complain and then get some crutches and use them instead.

CarbGoading · 21/03/2026 22:27

Complain! I've had that before. A taxi driver booked for 9.30 arrived 15 mins early, I went out at 9.25 and he had a go at me for letting him wait! I reminded him what time I booked for and he just huffed and said as yours did, it was a stupid short journey and a waste of his time and the least I could do was come out when he arrived so as not to waste more of his time. Having an injury is a perfectly acceptable reason to need a taxi. My granny used to get a 5 min taxi ride home with her shopping. One of the things keeping the trade going is people who have trouble walking!

jetlag92 · 21/03/2026 22:16

Absolutely complain. arsehole.

NotThisShitAgain121 · 21/03/2026 21:44

What a fucking nasty arsehole. You need to have a word with his manager and the manager needs to pull him for this.

takealettermsjones · 18/03/2026 19:53

He sounds like a dick. He wouldn't have said anything if you were a man. I'd ring the firm and cancel the arrangement, explaining exactly why, and go with another company (if you can).

sqwer · 18/03/2026 19:44

Absolutely complain. The manager accepted the job

CatherinedeBourgh · 18/03/2026 19:41

You agreed a price with the manager, what difference does it make to the driver whether it is very short, he knew how much he was getting for it so in fact the shorter the better from his point of view?

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