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Original poster

Taxi driver shouted at me - was I in the wrong?

69 replies

shouldnthavesaid · 04/10/2017 12:24

Had an emergency GP appointment this morning for chronic ongoing pelvic pain. GP was very dismissive, said no chance of seeing a gynaecologist until I lose weight , despite having seen them regularly since I was 16 - she said to take codeine and put up with it.

I am very, very sore so got in a taxi outside surgery. Its less than 10 minutes walk home but I am exhausted having been up all night and dizzy with painkillers.

Taxi driver shouted at me when I asked if he could take card payment as I'd run out of cash and said I must be joking him. I suggested maybe it was best I just walked and he shouted that I certainly wasnt doing that as he'd been stuck half hour in a queue.

I feel so stupid but ended up shaking and in floods of tears. I'm supposed to be going out in 20 minutes and can't calm down.

Was I in the wrong, what should I have done better?

OP posts:
Original poster
shouldnthavesaid · 04/10/2017 13:07

I'm concerned that my mum may have phoned on my behalf Blush. The consensus was that as they've done lots of scans already (found adhesions, a cyst and localised tenderness to certian areas) there's nothing more they can do for me without surgery, she said anyone would refuse as bmi is 33.

OP posts:
wifeyhun · 04/10/2017 13:09

YANBU to be upset.

Get another GP and make a complaint. You still deserve to be treated if you are bigger. Flowers

funnylittlefloozie · 04/10/2017 13:09

The taxi driver was a total knob, and if i were you, i would report him to his company (if he works for one). I also agree with caramel - get yourself a new GP. Needing to lose weight is a separate issue to having severe on-going pain.

Ceto · 04/10/2017 13:11

*Taxi drivers are rude full stop. I live out in the sticks and they won't come out unless I pay the 'fare' for them to even get to me!
So a 5 mile trip can end up costing over £30 as they have to drive 10 miles to get to my place!

I can't see that that's unreasonable or rude, to be honest. There is no reason why they have to be out of pocket, and they have no obligation to pick you up at all.

AnnieAnoniMouse · 04/10/2017 13:13

I'm sorry you're in so much pain 💐

If I were you I'd try a walk in clinic, your GP is being an arse.

I'm sorry about your experience with the taxi driver too, he was definitely wrong to have shouted at you.

I'm not making excuses for him, not at all, but hopefully this might make you take it less personally...

My friend is a taxi driver & has been for about 15 years. He's very, very stressed & on edge. He is close to using a food bank & losing his (rented) house (& he has a wife & 2 young kids to support) because people have drastically cut back on using taxis and uber isn't helping (we aren't even in London). He can sit on the rank for hours before he gets a job because the council just keep registering more taxis. He's on what us considered a 'hood & busy' rank. Sometimes he can be there from 6am and not get a fare until 11am. Then if the person just wants to go to the local town it's a £4 fare, if they pay by card it costs him £1. So for 5 hours 'work' he's earnt £3 and that's without considering any expenses Some days he can go home at midnight, from being out at 6am & earnt less than £20. He advertises, there's no better rank near by...there aren't many options. He's a lovely guy so has lots of long established clients, but the older ones aren't going out so often & the corporate ones are being forced to use uber. He comes around here, often at midnight, wondering how the hell to get himself out of this mess. He's older & there aren't many job opportunities, but he's looking. He's about at breaking point. He wouldn't have shouted at you, he's too sweet, but it's getting to the point where he might well have just broken down. He frequently calls me when he gets back to the rank from a job like this because the thought of waiting another few hours for the next job is sending him over the edge.

So he was very wrong to shout at you, but please don't take it personally, he's probably just very, very stressed.

HALIZ · 04/10/2017 13:16

The black cabs take card payments and there is no minimum payment. You didn't do anything wrong. I hope you feel better soon.

Osirus · 04/10/2017 13:22

Your poor friend Annie, that sounds awful. I hope things get better for him.

ILiveUnderYourBed · 04/10/2017 13:24

He shouldn't have shouted a you. For more perspective though he wont get any card payments for up to 14 days untill they have been processed by the company. It can be difficult for the driver's to make ends meet when they have to pay petrol/ hugely inflated insurance/vehicle hire and equipment hire from the taxi company weekly. It literally costs hundreds per week to be a taxi driver before they earn any money from fares. Next time just let the operator know If you are paying by card. It will give the driver a chance to opt out if he's struggling and needs cash. Hope you get a better gp soon too op.

Topseyt · 04/10/2017 13:27

I don't think you did anything wrong. I am sorry you are in so much pain, and would also suggest changing your GP.

Many taxis do take card payment, either in the cab itself or online/over the phone at the time of booking. There is a charge for customers making card payments though, so I guess that for short distances and not much of a fare it becomes less worthwhile for them.

I know a couple of very nice taxi drivers, and they are often operating on a shoestring too, with the costs of fuel, insurance and servicing of their cars, so it can get stressful.

Of course, none of that excuses the way you were spoken to, and the behaviour of your driver. He should have politely explained the issues to you, not assumed you were psychic.

See a different GP and insist on an urgent referral to a gynaecologist. Perhaps a walk in centre?

AuldHeathen · 04/10/2017 13:29

No idea about cards and taxis. Live in the sticks and have only ever paid cash - and an arm and a leg!! But did the dismissive, fattist GP examine you?

Ijustwantaquietlife · 04/10/2017 13:29

Black cabs are real cunts at times, espically when you want to pay by card.

Just use Uber, much better service.

PandorasXbox · 04/10/2017 13:30

A lot of taxi’s take cards. He could have stopped via an atm. He shouldn’t have shouted at you. Hope you’re feeling calmer soon OP.

AHedgehogCanNeverBeBuggered · 04/10/2017 13:31

See a different GP and insist on an urgent referral to a gynaecologist

OP has already said that surgery is the only viable next step, but it would be too dangerous with her BMI.

BeatriceBeaudelaire · 04/10/2017 13:33

Loads of taxis take cards now with those little handheld machines ... so do market stalls

ShotsFired · 04/10/2017 13:34

Report him to the local council licensing department. They generally take a dim view of their cabbies behaving badly. Even if you can only remember vague details of it, they may be able to pin it down (say if they only have 2 silver zafiras registered and one wasn't on duty at the time).

Multiple complaints (you don't know if he has been like this with others) will soon get him the recognition he doesn't want.

(if you can speak to a woman at the council, she will probably be sympathetic to your symptoms too.)

AnnieAnoniMouse · 04/10/2017 13:34

Osirus. Thank you. I hope so too. He's been through a lot of other things this past couple of years too, it's all crap 😕

Dontletthebastardsgrindyoudown · 04/10/2017 13:34

He definitely shouldn't have shouted at you. But Taxi drivers are trying to pay their bills and not out to do it out to drive people around out of the kindness of their hearts. Which unfortunately a lot of people treat them like they are.

I think you should see another Dr Op. that sounds rubbish Sad I hope you feel better very soon Flowers

Ijustwantaquietlife · 04/10/2017 13:37

Sounds unbelievable that they get charged £1 a transaction and are close to going to a food bank tbh.

I have a card reader and it costs 30p and 1.5%.

C8H10N4O2 · 04/10/2017 13:39

I pay for taxis by card all the time (both black cabs and minicabs). I quite often leave the tip in cash though. I've never been shouted at for paying by card and I do short journeys a lot of the time.

Has a gynae consultant told you they can't operate unless your BMI is down or the GP? If the GP is saying you can't see a specialist on the assumption that surgery is needed and won't be granted then ask for second opinion and access to a specialist. Anyone in chronic pain will struggle to lose weight due to impaired mobility and difficulty in managing diet. It may be that resolving the pelvic pain can help you lose weight.

PetitFilous123 · 04/10/2017 13:41

a BMI of 33 would make surgery extremely risky. Have you been taking steps to try and lose some weight? hopefully you get some relief soon

Viviennemary · 04/10/2017 13:46

The real person at fault here was the GP for doing absolutely nothing about your chronic pain and you left the surgery in some distress. The taxi driver has a living to make and really they don't have time to waste on card payments for small fares.

AnnieAnoniMouse · 04/10/2017 13:56

Sounds unbelievable that they get charged £1 a transaction and are close to going to a food bank tbh

FFS. Why the actual fuck would I lie about it? Would you like me to get him to forward you the details of his card machine agreement? His bank accounts? Shall I get him to phone you when he's fucking stressed because they need food and he's taken £6 all morning?

Why do people find perfectly ordinary things 'unbelievable'?

I have a card reader and it costs 30p and 1.5%

Fabulous for you.

TheSnorkMaidenReturns · 04/10/2017 14:02

Sorry the taxi driver was rude.

Can you phone your GP and ask for advice on weight loss? They might have a scheme for (e.g.) weight watchers and gym sessions with a PT that you could go on to help you. I'm sure with chronic pain it's difficult to get any form of exercise - so you could ask in case there's a chance you could get help with the right sort of exercise for you.

GP is right that risks of surgery are hugely increased with obesity. I'm in the same boat too, so I'm not lecturing Flowers.

Vaglikeacavern · 04/10/2017 14:05

I had no idea taxis took cards! I'm obviously living under a rock.

Ijustwantaquietlife · 04/10/2017 14:14

FFS. Why the actual fuck would I lie about it?

People exaggerate, cabbies especially.

I don't believe that they are paying a 25% transaction fee on a £4 charge. That's way above any of the fees I've seen.

He's welcome to buy the card reader I use, it cost £30 and took about 15 mins to setup and start receiving payments.

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