to be a bit gobsmacked that a taxi driver wouldn't let DP in his cab at 6.30 this evening because he was carrying a bottle of wine????

[ginhag]

Apparently DP might have decided to bottle the cabbie

We're not in London though...and the taxi driver never found out where DP wanted to go as he wouldn't let him in the cab. But we have never had a problem getting taxis home anyway....

I am absolutely certain that the driver refused to let DP in the cab as he was holding a bottle of nicely chilled fizz which he may,at any moment,choose to break over the driver's head. The main reason for this is that the taxi driver said so.

I can see the driver may have had something awful happen to him before,but as for there being anything DP did, other than declining a carrier bag in waitrose, well there simply wasn't. Though I can see why you would wonder as it is an unusual occurance.

What about putting it this way. Dear reader, your DP (or you if you like) gets a nice bottle of wine on way home from work. Says 'no I don't need a bag thank you' to cashier. Goes to get in a cab. Cab driver won't let him/you in. Says it is because he/you are likely to inflict violence on his person. He/you has never hurt anyone in his life, and doesn't believe in wasting wine :)

surely you would be gobsmacked?

Would it have made a difference if it has been in a bag I wonder?

Seems sad that he wouldn't take the fare because of it - obviously he's quite paranoid for whatever reason - I don't think paranoia and taxi driving are too good a mix

Feel saddened too by they fact that someone has already made the does he have a tattoo of 'thug' on forehead. I wanted that

It was me tat mentioned his forehead tattoo. Why, do you think that is the problem???

Might have played a part

Though do you think ultimatly the driver was simply offended by the choice of wine - was it Boujoulay?

Some people can be terrible snobby about that

Perhaps the cabbie was Muslim ?

Cava. Because his pregnant missus really fancied a glass :)

But that is a whole different AIBU. And I'm pretty sure the cabbie didn't know that any of the wine was going to be consumed by an extremely grumpy pregnant woman.

As stated before I really don't think religion had anything to do with it. He didn't say that he had an issue with the wine/alcohol. Only that he had an issue with the fact that he could be hit with the bottle.

If he was refusing on grounds of religion or disapproval of alcohol then saying 'because you might bottle me' would not have been part of his argument I don't think. As it would have no relevance.

I agree he may have been bottled before. My Mum's friend was in a bank when it was raided. The gunman was behind her in the queue and grabbed her when the raid started. She now has a panic attack if anyone gets in a queue behind her. Would seem completely irrational to anyone who didn't know. I suspect it was something similar with the cabbie.

Just wondering why the cab driver didn't put the bottle in the boot, if being bottled was his only worry

Yep bunnyjo, you would think that would've been an option! Cumfy already suggested that the driver could've looked after the bottle. But he already had a solution, just refuse to let DP in the cab.

As it is a busy taxi rank although he would lose that fare he would still be at the front for the next one coming along, so wouldn't be a huge loss. He had no interest in solving the problem other than to effectively tell DP 'fuck off, you're a thug'.

I agree with all the posters that the cabbie must have had a bad experience. But surely being freaked out to that level means he would need counselling in order to be able to continue in his job? After all, we are taking about an early evening, sober customer, 'respectable' looking, a busy rank with CCTV everywhere and a bottle of cava. not an after-hours pissed up troublemaker iyswim.

Strange!

This brings back a memorable cab journey from my local train station to my London house. There are two routes, the quickest is up a hill, with speedbumps. The taxidriver did not want to take this route, as he said "I dont want you to puke out my cab". I was gobsmacked!
I asked him why I would puke? Because you are so drunk. How did he come to that conclusion? He said I was looking abit unsteady as I "hauled myself" into his cab.

I was due the following week. Have you seen a 40 weeks pregnant woman trying to get into a black cab?

The taxi driver was so embarrassed when he realized his mistake!

The point is, there may be all sorts of reasons or misunderstandings, and the cab driver just needs to ensure his own safety. He may have mistaken your husband for somebody, it could be anything.

:) QS he must have had pretty dodgy eyesight!

When I was a student, I got a cab, at night, to my boyfriend's house. I said the address when I got in the cab, driver said 'no problem'.

We got close(ish) to where bf lived, suddenly driver pulled over and said 'right, that's as far as I go, you'll have to get out here.' I said something along the lines of '????' to which he replied 'it's really dodgy round here, not really safe to drive my cab down this street'

I pointed out that chucking an 18 year old girl out onto said street, late at night, was possibly not really on if he didn't feel it was even safe enough to drive down. I gave him the option of driving me home and not charging me, or dropping me at the address agreed when I got in the cab. I have to say I was really it's not like I had suddenly sprung the address on him.

And hmmm QS maybe DP has an evil doppelgänger. It certainly works as an explanation...

I still feel that most people here would be pretty taken aback if this happened to their partner or themselves, even if we can think of a load of reasons that may have been behind it.

As it is a busy taxi rank

So, perhaps he just knew or fancied the look of the fare immediately behind DP ?

Just an excuse, nothing to do with DP.

Sorry, I know you keep emphasising that for you it's about whether you ABU to be gobsmacked.
But thats just like asking AIBU to be wet after someone throws water over me .

Much more interesting to understand why the water was thrown.:)

Can see your point comfy, but I don't feel at all unsure of why it happened, as the taxi driver was very explicit.

Yes, but you should be, you weren't there! :o

No but my DP has fairly good powers of speech :)

I have no reason to doubt what he has said...and I don't!