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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To pay the taxi driver half the fare?

204 replies

Dordeydoo · 07/10/2012 18:32

Booked a taxi at 7:30pm on friday night for 8:10pm. The taxi hadn't turned up by 8:20pm so rang and was told it was at the end of my road. Still hadnt arrived at 8:30pm so rang again to be told the same, which clearly wasn't the case as my road is a culdesac with 28houses so not long! Taxi finally turned up at 8:45pm then the driver drove like a prick the whole way to destination. When I got out I only paid half the fare was I being unreasonable to do so?

OP posts:
mrsminerva · 07/10/2012 18:36

No

GoldShip · 07/10/2012 18:38

I'm not really sure to be honest because I don't know the reasons for why he was late, it might not have been his fault.

For example, I had the same problem as you on Monday. I rang the taxi at 8, I booked one for 8:45. Now 45 minutes is ample time for them to get a taxi to me on time and it was important I wasn't late. 8:45 came and went. I was ringing up the taxi firm who wouldn't answer my calls, but did when I rang from a different number! When the taxi finally came it was 9:25, I was all ready to go mad guns blazing but he told me the job had only came to him at 9:05!

Now I paid full fare, because it wasnt his fault.

And the same might have been for your case too? I did complain on Facebook to the company though

SecretCervix · 07/10/2012 18:38

Amazed the driver accepted? But you were not unreasonable to be fair.

susiedaisy · 07/10/2012 18:40

Ywnbu to pay him half

dottyspotty2 · 07/10/2012 18:41

Well in theory it's classed as fraud [DH is taxi owner/driver] and you could be charged.

Original poster
Dordeydoo · 07/10/2012 18:42

Driver didn't accept really as i placed the money on armrest and we all got out. He also made some comment as we got out.

The driver never apologised for being late,plus when on phone to company they told me twice he was on my road when clearly not

OP posts:
GoldShip · 07/10/2012 18:43

The phone company will tell you anything to keep you from cancelling, they said the same to me. They're the ones who lied because they were supposed to track him

Nancy66 · 07/10/2012 18:45

'at the end of your road' and 'just turning into your road' is mini cab bollox-talk....they all say this.

SirBoobAlot · 07/10/2012 18:49

Hmm. You might find you have trouble getting a taxi again because f this. And its not really his fault personally, its the company. So I don't know.

AnneTwacky · 07/10/2012 18:56

I'm guessing the taxi driver is self employed and just pays the company a settle, as that's the way it usually works. Also if he was that late, it's doubtful he got the job in time to be at yours for 8.10.
I think yabu as you didn't tell him you only wanted to pay half fare, you just left half the money. That's not on.

SoleSource · 07/10/2012 19:00

Unsure.

Original poster
Dordeydoo · 07/10/2012 19:02

It's not on that he was 35mins late either. I told his company I'd be paying half

OP posts:
TheMonster · 07/10/2012 19:06

Yanbu.

ToothbrushThief · 07/10/2012 19:13

YABU. Taxi driver will have to pay a % of the 'fare' that he didn't get to the taxi firm. It was the firm who over booked and let you down. You have penalised the wrong person

Tuttutitlookslikerain · 07/10/2012 19:16

Yes you were. You accepted to undertake the journey, and pay full fare, when you got in the taxi IMVHO. You could've cancelled when he was very late and called someone else!

LucyLastik · 07/10/2012 19:18

YABU

zippey · 07/10/2012 19:21

I agree that you have penalised the wrong person and that it is appalling behaviour on someone who is just doing their job and trying to make ends meet. Cant be too pleasant picking up ungrateful strangers all the time. Its not the messenger that is at fault. Id be upset if I was the taxi driver.

Maybe you should make amends by phoning the company to see who picked you up so you could give the rest of the money plus a nice big tip, to apologise.

mynewpassion · 07/10/2012 19:21

Let's hope he's not waiting for you outside with the police.

mamij · 07/10/2012 19:22

Not sure. As others have said, it might not have been his fault so you've penalised him (and am guessing he's not earning a very huge amount of money).

WorraLiberty · 07/10/2012 19:24

YABU

You can't use a service and then decide it's not good enough, so you get to choose how much you want to pay for it.

If you were annoyed about him being late, you didn't have to step inside his car.

You may well get a call from the taxi firm at some point and if you still refuse to pay up, possibly the police.

It depends on whether they want to retrieve the money or just blacklist you.

AnyaKnowIt · 07/10/2012 19:26

YABU

I do hope that they decide to claim back the money you owe.

HoratiaWinwood · 07/10/2012 19:29

Yabu.

Always have more than one taxi number in your phone. If one doesn't show, tell them they've got ten minutes or you're going with .

No way I'd have waited that long for a car. By waiting you accepted the service, so you pay for it in full.

calypso2008 · 07/10/2012 19:35

Totally, totally unreasonable. You don't get in a cab and decide at the outset you are not going to pay. As others have said, quite rightly (I worked for a cab company when I was a student) they were the ones at fault, NOT the taxi driver... do you think he was twiddling his thumbs at the end of the road to piss you off?

It was a Friday night at the busiest time. so - no, he was't. The company who took the booking lied and they will be taking a percentage off him. You got in that taxi knowingly.

You stole from the man - end of.

VVVU, horrible in fact.

zippey · 07/10/2012 19:44

Judge Judy would have said you were being unreasonable. You dont use a service and then decide you dont want to pay the full fare.

dondon33 · 07/10/2012 20:00

I'm in the middle - I understand why you done it, who knows where he was if he didn't offer an explanation -he could of popped to the shops for all we know.
However
The cab company I used before were terrible for this, a few of the drivers who got the sharp end of my tongue, told me it was the booking guys fault - taking all bookings when he knew there was no chance of picking up at the booked time. They'd told him not to do it and had lost lots of customers, including myself.