taxis - sitting in the passenger seat

[morningtoncrescent62]

I don't drive, I live in a city with excellent public transport, but on some (fairly rare) occasions I travel by taxi - usually booked in advance, so in ordinary cars rather than black taxicabs. It's always been my habit to get in the passenger seat if I'm on my own, and chat to the driver if they're so inclined. If I'm with someone else I'd normally get in the back with them. Today I ordered a taxi, and did my normal thing of smiling at the driver and getting in the front when it arrived. The driver looked very surprised, and said (in a pleased way, not a horrible way) that it's very unusual for people to do this, and when I got out she said she'd appreciated the chat as if it were an unusual thing. So HIBU all this time in thinking it's normal to get in the passenger seat if you're on your own - and are taxi drivers privately thinking I'm odd or presumptuous or something, and just not wanting to tell me? I sometimes think there are unwritten rules in life known to everyone except me...

Always sit in the back but I talk to them, I feel awkward and wrong if I have to sit in the front because we are filling a taxi.

I'm not sure if it comes from black cabs, because you wouldn't sit in the front of one of those.

steff if that was aimed at me (I'm not 200% sure) it's not the norm where I live to sit in the back. Even in the back when I've had the kids I get the same talk. When I lived elsewhere it was the norm to get into the back over here where I am now it's not. Everyone gets into the front and at first I thought it was weird but it's easier to hand the money over.

I always sit in the front, it's normal where I'm from.
The first time I got a taxi 'black cab' in London I didn't realise they didn't have a front passenger seat, and tried to park me arse on a wooden box

If I'm in a city I always sit in the back but still have a chat with the driver. I live very rurally and always use one of the same 4 taxi drivers, I'm on first name terms with them all and always sit in the front for a chat. One even bought my DD a Christmas present!

My grandad was a taxi driver for many years and always liked a chat with his customers, he said meeting interesting people and having a chat with people from all walks of life just made the job easier and more fun.

"It's a car, sit in a seat, if alone the nearest free seat is the front passenger. People are really weird, or up themselves.

msgrinch are you actually reading what people are saying? We don't sit in the back because we are up ourselves. We sit in the back because it is more respectful to the driver.

Why is that difficult to understand?

Also... "if alone the nearest free seat is the front passenger" ... the nearest seat to what? Why is it a rule that a person has to sit as close as possible to the driver?

Seriously, why?

I always sit in the front, even if I'm with a friend, as I get horrendously travel sick if I sit in the back...

I sit in the back, I know someone who was sexually assaulted when she sat in the front.

Disclaimer I'm not claiming all taxi drivers are perverts, I just think why take the risk?

I always get in the back on the rare occasion I use a taxi on my own. I do always talk to the driver though.

My uncles are both black cab drivers. They hate it when people sit in the front because it's a distraction & they feel pressured into being sociable. One has since ripped out his front seat so passengers have no choice but to sit in the back.

Should have read (not black) cab drivers. Jeez. Hate my phone!

msgrinch are you actually reading what people are saying? We don't sit in the back because we are up ourselves. We sit in the back because it is more respectful to the driver.

You see I think it looks more disrespectful to sit in the back. It just shows how wrong some of us get it when trying to do the right thing.

I only get in the passenger seat if there's 2 people in the back. Drivers often have stuff on the front seat so I assume it's normal to sit in the back.

I always sit in the back. I take taxis about 9 times a week on average, and have probably only initiated chatter with drivers about 1 or 2 times in the past month (of course it's a different matter if they started the conversation). Some people are more social than others, and we have no idea which category the driver falls into. It's far more inconsiderate forcing someone into small talk (which many people loathe) when maybe all they want to do is do their job in peace IMO.

I sit in the back. I think it's a bit intimate to sit in the front! I'm pretty uptight mind you.

I sit in the front because I'm upright and worry about childlocks/window locks. Just feel safer. Can't believe I'm the only one who does it for those reasons!

I still can't understand why anyone thinks it's disrespectful to sit in the front. Taxi operators have to buy a car and present it for testing in order to gain their 'plate' (and licence). When the car gets tested it will state the number of passengers it is licensed to carry on the little yellow (White if it's a private hire) plate on the back of the car. If you look at this it will tell you a saloon car is licensed to carry 4 people. That means up to 3 in the back and one upfront. The front seat is a seat. The taxi driver fully expects people to sit in it, it is there as part of their earning potential. All this shite about the back being safest?? How so? In the very unlikely event that your taxi driver is a monster, he will be so regardless of where you sit. In fact the last guy that was charged for indecent assault here committed the assault after his passenger had paid and got out of the car. He just got out after her.

My dad is a taxi driver. He hates women sitting in the front seat in case he accidentally touches their legs when he is changing gear and he gets accused of sexually harassing them. He also just really doesn't like strangers in his personal space.

One has since ripped out his front seat so passengers have no choice but to sit in the back.. So he sent a fully licensed taxi operator then? Because you can't just go ripping seats out of the vehicle. In fact the standards to which taxi's are tested are incredibly high. Simply ripping out a seat is not an option

*so he isn't.....

I'm not claiming all taxi drivers are perverts, I just think why take the risk?. Well if you think there is any risk, don't get in a taxi! Risk does not increase based on where you sit. Your driver is either a pervert or they are not. Chances are, they are not

Empire

If there are 3 in the back, then of course sit in the front. Nobody is saying you should never sit in the back. I just think it's intimate/rude to do so when you are travelling alone and you have the choice of the back seat. I would find it weird if I were a taxi driver, but I'm fairly reserved around strangers.

*never sit in the front