To complain about TAXI driver

[InspMorse]

Not sure whether to just drop it and seethe inwardly or make a fuss & complain.

Car in for service so I have just taken a taxi home. Short drive but still a £6 fare. There are two routes from taxi rank to home:

A) High street - 2 v. long roads, several mini roundabouts, very slow traffic. Almost standstill at times. A longer route both in time & distance.
I never use this route- it's notoriously bad.
B) Back route, 2 good long roads, barely any traffic - not a well known route by drivers out of the area but really quick.

Well, I got in the taxi and what did he do? He turned onto the high st.

I immediately said I thought it would be better if we went the 'back' way. He said he knew what he was doing (we had literally gone around the corner from the rank & were at the end of a long queue).
I said I thought it best if we went the other way and mentioned the traffic (long line of cars in front of us). He told me his way was a shorter and quicker route. I told him it wasn't (I drive round this town daily myself and NEVER go down the high street..

WIU to get out of the cab at this point & walk back to the taxi rank? (I got in another taxi & was home in 5 mins )
AIBU to report him for trying to get. £££ more out of what should be a quick journey? Or should I just accept that this is what some people do to make their money?

If this was a black cab or large minicab firm I’d definitely report. Small minicab firm probably not worthwhile.

Report

You should have been more assertive. By saying I think this way is better, or it will be quicker if you go this way, you leave yourself open to contraction. In future just tell them which way to go. If they try to argue tell them that you are the customer and that is the journey that you want to take and the only one you will be paying for. Well done for getting out.

Well in Liverpool there’s signs on most taxis saying if you have a preferred route please tell the driver before your journey begins.

Did you tell him you wanted to go the other way?

In taxis not on

I used to get taxis everywhere before I got a car (years ago). I assumed, because it's such a small place & taxi drivers know all the shortcuts, that I wouldn't need to.
I need to remember next time and tell them the route that won't sit us in traffic for 20 mins I prefer.
I just don't get it! Everyone knows to avoid the high st. Unless you are not from the area.

Good on you!

There was a taxi driver back in my younger days in a small village who would pick other fares up at the same time as me despite me booking him (limited taxi companies in the area after a certain time). He would ignore me when I said I wanted to just get straight home which was a 5 minute drive at the most, and we would spend a good half an hour driving around various drop offs first, everyone paying £1 each and by the time I eventually got near home last my fare was £5!!! He wouldn't even take me home, he would stop at the end of the road that led to the unlit and very long farm lane and I would be expected to walk the rest of the way in heels in the pitch black. Alone.

Funnily enough he never pulled that shit when my boyfriend ordered the taxi. It would be just us and we would take us right to the destination. (For the same £5 fare I might add!!!!!!)

God how I wish I had complained but as the only taxi driver after 11pm in the village I couldn't risk it.

Cheeky That's awful! I had a driving instructor that used to take me driving round to do his errands - I thought that was bad enough! CF!!

Report. He was intent on fleecing you.

Who are you going to report him to?

Migraleve The taxi operator.
Gov complaints procedure

'If you're unhappy with the fare, quality of vehicle, driving or behaviour of the driver or any other issue, make your complaint to the driver or the taxi operator.'
'Explain in detail what went wrong, stay calm, and stick to the facts.'
'A licensed taxi operator has a duty to record any complaints, including keeping details of actions taken following a complaint.'

Just managed to link Northern Ireland page but you get the idea!

Where I live the majority of drivers are the operators. They rent a radio from a taxi office if they choose to (some just do rank work) but they are self employed and hold both a taxi drivers license (to drive) and a taxi operators license (for getting the car plated)

In the U.K., each Borough council deals with its own complaints so you report to them.

I'm not going to - just won't use them again.

Migraleve Yes, same here. There are a few taxi operators in our town but you're right, they are either drivers themselves or tight knit.

There are forms to fill out on council websites - I've found ours. Good to know if anyone has a more serious complaint.

Just to add though, the 'operators' renting out radios are regulated.