To think the taxi driver shouldn't have expected dd to sit in silence for 20 minutes.

[FiveSugarsPlease]

Yesterday, dd and I got into a taxi straight after school to take us into the next town.

We were chatting about her day, trying to ignore the driver's huffs and puffs and undertone swearing about traffic. Whenever dd got a bit over excited, I reminded her to use an indoor voice.

The driver turned his radio up really loudly. Dd got upset and started slapping her ears. I asked the driver to turn it down please, and he said, 'Can you turn her down please?'

So I asked dd to whisper now, and tried to turn it into a game, but sometimes she forgot and spoke in her usual voice which was met with a loud sigh from the driver.

Then his phone went. I asked dd to stop talking for a moment. He had a little chat with his wife on loudspeaker. DD kept saying 'Mum, Mum,' as if wanting to tell me something. I whispered that she should wait a minute until the phone call's finished. But the call went on for 6 minutes (yes, I timed it). They were blethering about the wife's day at work, what was for dinner etc. Halfway through, I resumed my conversation quietly with dd. The driver started getting all huffy. he ended his call with a loud tut and said to his wife 'I'll phone you back once I've dropped this hire off. Can't even hear myself think."

He turned his radio on again really loudly this time. DD gave a loud scream because it was very sudden (a few seconds of it being put on at full volume) and she got a bit weepy saying her ears burned. The driver pulled over when she had screamed and said to me that if I didn't keep her quiet, he was going to end up having an accident. He can't drive in such noise.

I told him she only screamed because of the noise of the radio, and he said the radio had only gone on because of her.

At the end of the journey, dd said thank you and goodbye to him and he totally blanked her!

Anyway, i'm needing a taxi again this evening and was going to use this firm (as they're by far the cheapest), so wanted to establish who was being unreasonable first. Me or the driver? If him, should I complain?

Well he clearly he was but I wouldn't use them again

God! He was bu! If you want you use that firm again, stipulate you do not want this driver again and explain why.

He sounds unpleasant. You were paying for a service, you shouldn't have to put up with him swearing, or blaring music. Is he the owner? I don't think I would use them again.

YANBU he sounds vile, so rude I wouldn't use them again tbh

I would not have paid the fare then got straight on the phone and reported him.
I certainly wouldn't use the company again.

ACtually if you think its a big enough operation to make a difference I would complain. (If it's a two man band probably not).

I don't know how old your DD is or if she has any special needs but he sounds bullying and thoroughly unpleasant so I don't really like the idea or a young girl or any other vulnerable person being stuck in a car with him.

I would report the driver to the company. He shouldn't be answering a personal call while driving, for one thing.

I can't believe you are asking. It doesn't matter how loud your DD was being or not. You are paying good money for someone to drive you from A to B and even if your DD had screamed and cried the entire journey, that has nothing to do with the taxi driver. What if he were carrying a person with SN who was noisy? Would he complain then, too. What an arse.

I would report him. Or I would have got out of the cab at the first sign of rudeness and refused to pay.

I think you should report him, and I can't believe you pandered to his rudeness for so long. He sounds appalling.

If you get no luck reporting him to the firm report him to the local council instead, surely answering personal calls while driving is a breech of his taxi license?

You're his customer. I think his attitude was terrible.

You should report him. Just plain rude, no people skill's what so ever. Do not know how you stayed in his cab for so long. I would not have put up with this. No excuse for rudeness.

Personally I'd have told him to turn the radio down to a decent level while we were in the car, and I'd have told him to hang up the call when he answered. I'd also have take his name and reg. number and complained there and then, especially if he had given me grief over any of the above.

Sadly taxis are a law unto themselves really, and you'll likely find you won't get anywhere with it. Probably best to avoid that firm, or specify you don't want that driver if you do use them again.

You were the customer and were paying him for a service. His behaviour was a total disgrace and I would definitely make a formal complaint to the company about him and make it very clear you will not be using them again because of his rudeness and ignorance.

He's a twat. Report him. I would have got out of the taxi and told him where to go and booked another one.

I think I'm going to be in the minority here, but I think you should just leave it.

There is no point in complaining to the taxi firm and then carrying on using them, just take your business elsewhere.

How can they be cheaper? I thought taxis were a fixed rate per mile?

He was BU.

Is this a new thing, btw?

It's not the same situation, but I was on a bus the other day, and a woman was having a phone conversation in a perfectly normal, quiet speaking voice, and the driver actually yelled at her that she was breaking the law by distracting him. He seemed to think her having a quiet conversation was totally out of line, while it was absolutely fine for him to have noisy chats with regular passengers whenever they got on and off.

I know that is so much more trivial (because it was only an adult who was disturbed), but I wondered if there has been some new law about passengers having to be quiet?

What age is your daughter OP?

Complain to the firm.

You are the customer here!

Fair enough she needs to keep it down a bit so she doesn't distract him when he's driving, but it sounds like he had plenty of distractions of his own.

I mean, why does his conversation with his wife have precedence over your conversation?

Really, just complain.

He is behaved like an ass!

No question.

Its his job to drive. You should be able to expect a pleasant journey, and for him to keep his opinions to himself.

Don't use the company again, I suspect there can't be much difference between firms?

I would have made him stop the car and got out. What a horrible man! Complain!