Is it unreasonable to take taxis very short distances?

[CesareBorgiasUnicornMask]

I was running very late the other morning and got a taxi for what would normally be a brisk ten minute walk. I'm currently pregnant with pelvic girdle pain and it would have been double that for me, and I had approximately 3 minutes to get there due to a very delayed train. When I said where I wanted to go the taxi driver huffed and puffed, asked if I realised it was 'just round the corner', and then muttered darkly about lazy people with more money than sense all the way there. I realise it must be annoying to wait in a queue at a station only to pick up a very short fare, but surely it's an occupational hazard? He made me feel like a right twat and I've been dwelling on it...

[SpaghettiMeatballs]

YANBU. I always walk the 15 minutes to the station from my office but last week I was called to come and collect sick DS from nursery.

The cab I took meant not waiting another 30 minutes for the train when I needed to be with DS.

Luckily the cab driver didn't moan, dropped me right at the door rather than the rank when he heard how rushed I was and why and as a result got a decent tip.

[karalime]

I've had black cabbies in London huff and tell me they can't take me home because 'they don't know where it is', no they don't know how much it will be and can I direct them.

Hence I have not taken a cab since 2009. Instead I use Uber which is bloody fantastic. Drivers are there in 2 minutes, they know where they are going because they are not too proud for a satnav, they don't mind if you are only spending a fiver and I know how much it will cost.

[BagittoGo]

In central London taxi drivers will often refuse a short fare or a very long one i.e. South of the river....unless they're on their way home anyway 🙄

[Jaxhog]

You didn't ask him to go 'sarf of the river' did you? ;))

[Jaxhog]

Using a taxi under the circumstances seems perfectly reasonable to me.

He's only moaning because you're a small fare.

[aintnothinbutagstring]

Pregnant with SPD? Do whatever the hell you want. Round here they start the meter at about £4.50 so they get that before they've even gone anywhere. The cabs you just pick up normally charge by the minute not mile so they end up getting more. I normally tip too but I wouldn't for that kind of attitude.

[Bagel88]

didn't you know the taxi drivers own the road, and will only accept the longest account job fares; but will be the first to complain when the lift sharing services take "their" work?

[Aeroflotgirl]

I take taxis regularly, some 10 mins walk journey (Dr with I'll kids) No driver has ever been rude, that's what their paid to do however short the journey.

[frauleinsallybowles]

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[HarrietSchulenberg]

I once had to change trains at Newport and couldn't use the lift to cross the station as it was out of order. Had ds3 in pushchair so couldn't use stairs to bridge.
The station put me in a taxi to take us round to the other platform entrance, a journey of 3 mins. Didn't have to pay but I bet all those journeys cost the station a fortune.

[AnoiseAnnoysanOyster]

In the days I used to go clubbing we would get taxis home and the drivers would refuse to take us if they felt the journey wasn't long enough. So women on their own at 2am trying to get home, and they would say no. Twats.

[EastMidsMummy]

It's QUEUE, ffs!

[madcatwoman61]

I had this reaction at Kings Cross - accompanied by my 86-year old father who walked with a stick and had just spent 8 hours on a train!! That is what taxis are for

[RuggerHug]

I have in the past gotten out when I had a grumbling eyeroller. Hadn't left rank yet and just said 'well if you don't want my money fine' and said loudly to the next guy 'mind if I hop in, he's refused a fare' so there can't be any que skipping accusations.

[blackteasplease]

That's the point of a cab rank surely? They take pot luck about who comes along.

[minionsrule]

I think I've heard it all now, taxi drivers grumbling cos they have a fare. Its no ones business why you take a taxi rather than walk, they are a service ffs. Does the bus driver roll his eyes if you go 2 stops on the bus?

[FeelingSmurfy]

I've used taxis a lot of times for short distances, I'm disabled but that's not obvious to look at me. I had them daily when I was doing my exams, to do a 3 minute journey, I apologised to a number of them and they all told me not to apologise, it wasn't a problem and anyway they get the minimum fare and can move on to another job quickly. I always tip well but I've not apologised since then

I've known a few who always pick up at the local supermarket and expect short trips, they prefer that and they drop off and then head back when they get the next job

We know a lot of the drivers and they come to our house to collect us, so if they didn't like the short jobs they wouldn't choose to take the job when they saw it was our address

[FinallyHere]

First time i ever took a taxi, near St. Pauls, i wasn't sure i was in the right place, getting stressed as i was running late. Decided to give up and take a taxi, whose driver did the whole its hardly worth it routine. I insisted, quoted the black cabs can't turn down a fare within the city.

Resigned, he let me get in, drove to the other side of the roundabout and said, with great satisfaction, here we are.

[CorporalNobbyNobbs]

And Yanbu op. We sometimes get a cab home from the local pub - 15 mins walk - as it's cold or dark or wet. That's their job!

[CorporalNobbyNobbs]

I've had taxi drivers complain when I've got in them at the airport and my house wasn't far enough away - 8 miles! What was I supposed to do, walk?!

[GlitterGlue]

I once had one grump at me for a short distance journey at a train taxi rank. But it was late, had a tired child, and no bloody idea how to get there. I get that it's annoying for them if they've been waiting a while - but they'd probably also moan if I tried to flag one down instead.

[OrangeIsTheNewPop]

I often catch a cab to my local Tesco, which is 0.4km away. To walk it would take less than 10 mins- but involves crossing a slip road next to a roundabout, and it's dangerous (VI), especially when I've got the kids with me!

[sailorcherries]

Yanbu, the taxing driver had no idea why you needed a taxi that day and it isn't his place to judge.
This is his job and he's got to realise that every fare is a fare/people use taxis for all sorts of reasons/if he works for a firm he cannot dictate who he picks up or where he goes.

[CesareBorgiasUnicornMask]

Glad I'm NBU! I've only done it once before and the driver didn't say anything that time, and as pps have said I made the fare up to £5. No way I was doing that this time though!

[JustAnotherPoster00]

Where I used to be a taxi driver a lot of customers would get a 500 yard taxi from one pub to another, i thought the office were joking when they first sent me out on one, minimum fare is minumum fare, grumpy git