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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is this sort of thing common in London taxis?

172 replies

unhappytraveller · 02/02/2020 22:53

I've name changed for this because it is outing. We got into a cab today in Covent Garden. I asked the driver if he could take us to King's Cross, he didn't answer me. I asked him if he had heard me okay. I'm mentioning this because I thought he was miserable and rude at the start of the journey.

Up to now I've always been really lucky with the London cabs I've got into. The driver has been unfailingly polite and always got me where I needed to be in good time. I think it's quite a skill. I use them on trips to London about two or three times a year. I tried Uber and found them utter rubbish. I've never had the incident that happened today occur before.

The driver drove up Upper Woburn Place, you can't turn right onto Euston Road, you have to loop round. But he was in the left hand lane, as if to go straight ahead. Just after crossing Euston Road he swerved in front of the car behind as if he had forgotten where he needed to be (to enable him to turn right and back onto Euston Road). The driver behind toots his horn as if to say "you could have given me a bit of warning before you cut in front of me". Cab driver then refused to move forward, even though the traffic was moving forward; this was to piss off the driver behind for tooting at him. I was checking my phone for a few seconds then I looked up when the driver from behind pulls up on our cab driver's left. Cab driver winds his window down and the guy from behind said "what you doing man?" He wasn't too crazy or aggressive .. obviously just wanting to let the cab driver know he was out of order. The cab driver WAS aggressive and really sarcastic. One of the things he said to the driver was "Aw, what you gona do, take it to the African Embassy?". The cab driver looked and spoke as if he was from India, or perhaps the Middle East or North Africa (I didn't get a really good look at him). The other driver was black. The other driver did not respond, he just looked sad, really. I think, but I don't know, that the cab driver was taunting the other driver with a racist jibe. It was all pretty unpleasant. My kids were just looking into their lap, wondering how it was going to end. The whole business took about 5 or 6 minutes, and we were just sitting in the back of the cab wondering how long it would go on for, whether we should just get out there and then whilst the cab was stationary and the shouting was going on (although that would have been dangerous, obviously) or whether we should tell him to get a move on. As it happened it did cost us the train we had booked, we were cutting it fine for time.

It was all just a bit shit really .. I thought London cab drivers had to work hard to get and keep their licence, and had a fairly good reputation.

Is this sort of thing a common occurrence now and I'm being naive, or should it not have happened?

OP posts:
OlaEliza · 03/02/2020 00:40

😂😂😂

crustycrab · 03/02/2020 00:55

That's how it sounds 🤷🏽‍♀️😂

nettie434 · 03/02/2020 00:58

I get black cabs a lot and sometimes the drivers are really lovely, mostly they are just doing their job and occasionally they are not very helpful. Your experience sounds atypical unhappytraveller and it would be reasonable to report him.

And all those posters asking why the OP went by taxi rather than the tube, there are plenty of reasons why people might do that - claustrophobia, mobility problems, carrying heavy luggage, not being sure of the route (though I know this was not the case here as OP mentioned the distance from the Picadilly line to the rail station at King's Cross).

ShonaAndTheWaterHorse · 03/02/2020 01:07

Why would you get a taxi from Covent Garden to Kings Cross?

My thoughts too. Covent Garden to King's Cross is 3 steps on the Picadilly line and is always going to be faster than a taxi.

I've never had any London black cabbie be anything other than polite and helpful.

RilkeanHeart · 03/02/2020 01:50

Definitely report. I was very shaken when a black cab driver who was driving behind me took exception to me waiting at traffic lights for the turn right filter. At the next lights, he got out of his car and came and swore and shouted at me. I was a lone woman driver with two young kids in car seats and he left his passengers in his cab while he screamed at me in quite an intimidating way. I took his reg number, reported it and he got a final written warning for his behaviour. TFL won’t get involved re driving disputes which are a police matter but they do take

RilkeanHeart · 03/02/2020 01:51

Posted too soon... They do take things seriously

doubleshotespresso · 03/02/2020 01:52

I think @Ola or MrOla failed to pass the full knowledge tests

dontgobaconmyheart · 03/02/2020 02:03

Of course report it OP, racism is disgusting and regardless it sounds like the driver was shit.

What I don't get is why did you not get out of the taxi/terminate the fare if he was driving badly and being aggressive with your kids in the vehicle. I'd have leapt in at the embassy comment to say "that's quite enough of that, pull over the vehicle immediately please". No need to covertly take pictures when you could just have asked to see his ID before you got in vehicle with him.

Why do you imagine this would be normal for London specifically OP? It's not any different to anywhere else, surely.

TheGlitterFairy · 03/02/2020 06:51

To answer the OPs q - depends on the cab driver. Some are angels; others are idiots. Seems you had the latter. Good plan to report him as you have his details, as others have said.
Not really anyone’s business whether they got a cab or tube.

Original poster
unhappytraveller · 03/02/2020 07:47

Of course London is different to a provincial city. It’s so much bigger, more populated. Are you asking because you, again, think this is some sort of comment on Brexit? Confused
In my home city I drive or take the train so I have very little experience of cabs. On home turf I would have been altogether more sure of myself.
It was one of those situations where you think “it can’t go on much longer ..” but it did ..

OP posts:
ForalltheSaints · 03/02/2020 08:10

Please report it, there are thousands of black cab drivers, and if he is one of a minority who make racist remarks, this should not be accepted.

PearTreeParty · 03/02/2020 08:36

@OlaEliza why the lols? Are you 12? And even if you are, what's funny about me explaining my argument whist you spout shite with no evidence?

Sorry to derail OP.

OlaEliza · 03/02/2020 10:12

We aren't wannabe cab drivers 😂

Original poster
unhappytraveller · 03/02/2020 10:48

pear tree I don’t mind, it’s quite interesting.

The thing about AIBU is if I’d asked “who do I report this cab driver to?” Chances are people who would have piled on to say “why are you reporting him? This sort of thing happens all the time ..” etc etc

*Rilkeanheart” I’m sorry that happened to you. It must have been scary - and with your children in the back😮

OP posts:
WalkingDeadTrainee · 03/02/2020 11:03

why are you reporting him? This sort of thing happens all the time ..”

Whoever would pile onto you for reporting racism like that and dangerous driving on top, is frankly an idiot.

Have you reported him yet? I am completely with pickle here. These things must be dealt with and people should just report it without the need to ask for approval...

MyDcAreMarvel · 03/02/2020 11:08

I am not from London, and had to take my ds to a private doctor hospital app from my hotel in London. The black van driver refused to take the £15 fare from me. He was so lovely.

mauvaisereputation · 03/02/2020 11:26

I love the idea that the OP has to consult an internet forum to work out whether it's normal for a professional taxi driver to blank his fares, ignore the rules of the road and sling racist abuse at fellow roadusers.

Justgorgeous · 03/02/2020 11:50

@OlaEliza maybe you work for Uber, if so maybe refer your first message back to yourself. Anyone, I won’t feed the troll anymore.

CharmingB · 03/02/2020 11:54

Definitely report it. I know a few cabbies and their reputation is so important to them.

Black cabbies are amazing. It's not often shown on the news, but on Remembrance Day they're all lined up on Westminster Bridge waiting to transport veterans for free.

They'll often give away their first fare or last fare of the day away for free and some cabbies give people with particular professions for free too (nurses, etc).

This cab driver sounds like he deserves to get a warning at the very least. Hopefully the other drivers will have taken down his plate number too and made a complaint.

MyDcAreMarvel · 03/02/2020 11:55

*cab not van .

Crunchymum · 03/02/2020 12:00

I get a black taxi at least once a week (at least) as my DC3 is disabled and has a regular weekly appointment, plus all the ad hoc ones.

Never encountered anything like you describe OP.

Have to agree that is really doesn't warrant a thread. You know the driver was out of order, you have his license number, you could easily Google how to report him? Confused

SquareOnTheHypoteneuse · 03/02/2020 12:10

We’ve had black cab drivers in London trying to take us the long way round to our destination. I assumed it was because we have northern accents and they thought we didn’t know the route.
We always use Uber now.

PearTreeParty · 03/02/2020 12:12

I know @OlaEliza is goading me, and I'm biting, but it's the lack of sense that is winding me up. What in the actual fuck is she even talking about??

Your posts don't join up or make sense. But you are clearly doing something right, because I keep coming back here to see if you have made sense yet...

You haven't.

But keep cracking the 'LOL' emojis out and who know, someone from Nethuns will be here to welcome you across with open arms.

LochJessMonster · 03/02/2020 12:17

I love the idea that the OP has to consult an internet forum to work out whether it's normal for a professional taxi driver to blank his fares, ignore the rules of the road and sling racist abuse at fellow roadusers.

This

Original poster
unhappytraveller · 03/02/2020 12:46

I feel as if nothing I say now will be right, which is how it goes on here much of the time. But first of all some of us freeze in threatening situations. It took me time to take in what was being said, and the way it was meant. I was turning it round thinking “does he mean what I think he means?” Because I wasn’t sure if the taxi driver was North African himself I didn’t know whether I was missing something. I honestly didn’t know whether it was antagonistic immediately.

I’m going to report it now.

OP posts: