Is this sort of thing common in London taxis?

[unhappytraveller]

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?

@SillyMoomin

GEEpEe well seeing as the op has stated many times SHE’S NOT FROM LONDON, what an astounding observation hmm

She claimed that she used to live here and described the route in great detail.

It's all very I agree.

Black cab drivers are generally very good but have had a couple a bit like you describe (including getting very lost 🙄 then trying to charge extra for all his going to wrong places).

Definitely report.

If I were to go into London for one journey with my children I would probably get a cab too. It’s far easier than setting them up with Oyster cards, whether that’s normal ones of visitor ones, for one or two journeys. If I were on my own I would just use my debit card but as you’ll know, it’s not possible to use the same one for more than one person.

Op I would report him. The other guy sounded lovely and by reporting your driver it’ll help stop people like the other one from suffering abuse.

Oh. More pages. The app isn’t good for me. I’m glad you’ve reported it

Well done for reporting. It must have been an awful experience.

Someone was wondering why the police find it easy to pass the Knowledge. It's clearly because a knowledge of London streets is also a requirement for being a police officer - transferrable skills.

Weird thread questioning your motives.

Londoner born and bred, OP. I'm glad you reported this as it is completely out of order and not the norm. Sorry you had that experience.

And ignore the rude idiots questioning your journey or your motives. If you had chosen to make the journey on a unicorn it would be none of their business why you had chosen to do so.

longwayoff
Be thankful he wasn't yattering on about Brexit.

Why would he be yattering on about Brexit? The cab driver, "looked and spoke as if he was from India, or perhaps the Middle East or North Africa" - the other driver was "black."

Ive never had any issues with uber cabs. Have had several arsey black cab drivers and they are massively overpriced.

I have had plenty of über drivers complain to me about racist and aggressive black cabbies. Similarly when I drive in town they NEVER indicate or say thank you - very arrogant and dangerous.

Your point being Clavinova? Surely you can find something to cut and paste to 'prove' whatever you think it may be.

Your point being Clavinova?
You obviously didn't read the op properly - you assumed the cab driver was 'white' and therefore a 'racist' leave voter.

I've lived in London 15 years. I've never had an incident happen like that, so I think you were incredibly unlucky on this occasion. Do report him for his behaviour.

Most cabbies are great. I've had one not charge me when I was leaving Great Ormond St hospital in the pouring rain with my daughter. I had one the other week waive a £5 fair as a gesture of kindness.

Fair enough @ScarlettBlaize but it seems a very strange tale to invent.

I've done what seem like bonkers cab journeys instead of short tube ones. Normally if I need to be on the phone at the time. Perhaps that's the case.

Anyway, it's been reported. That's the main thing.

In the last rew years ive taken 100s of uber rides in London. One slightly dodgy one that banged on about politics a bit. In that time I've taken 10 or so black cabs. Most were fine, although all slightly arsey/not very friendly in comparison. Most of them banged on about Brexit and/or how bad Uber were. They all come across as chippy these days. I had one who was quite friendly and told me about his new electric cab. All were much more expensive than the equivalent Uber trip. All were relying on satnav, the same as Uber. Half of them got lost/couldn't find where I was going. One blamed me and made me look up my destination on google maps and direct him.

I'd much, much rather get an uber in all circumstances. They are generally friendlier and leave you alone if you dont want. to talk. You can track them and the journey via the app. You can pay upfront and if there is any bother you can sort it all out via the app. On the 3 occasions where I thought I'd been overcharged (waiting times) I queried it on the app and it was immediately refunded. Good luck doing that with a black cab driver.

Clavinova, the assumptions are all your own. Read more, assume less, it may help you. Although I see now why you rely so heavily on cutting and pasting the comments others have made.

I would 100% report .All cab drivers we have met on London trips have been polite and unfailingly helpful! On one occasion he even told us a short cut to walk back to the station! My DGP used to be a cab driver many years ago and this sort of thing would never be tolerated !

Black cabs all from the rank outside London Bridge station, assume those are standard licence black cabs, certainly looked like it. I too thought it was strange. They all had satnav. One in particular I remember didnt know that a part of the city was closed to cars and had been made buses only about 6m before. Another didnt k ow a road in the city was closed off due to roadworks. A third is the one o referred to who couldn't find a particular club I was going to and made me google it.

Do they still do the Knowledge? I had assumed it was now replaced by satnav like everyone else?

@Findumdum1 your post made me laugh out loud. Are you PR for Uber ? Hilarious post. I use black cabs a lot and I have never seen one using a Sat Nav. Maybe you need to do your research on Uber and their string of sexual assault cases. Good luck and hope you have a driver that is insured should you ever have an accident in one.

@Findumdum1

Do they still do the Knowledge? I had assumed it was now replaced by satnav like everyone else?

Er, no. They still spend three to four years studying to pass the difficult exam, as they have done since 1865.

tfl.gov.uk/info-for/taxis-and-private-hire/licensing/learn-the-knowledge-of-london

Like @justgorgeous , I find your claim that 'half of the black cab drivers you've had have got lost' to be frankly unbelievable.

longwayoff
Read more, assume less, it may help you.

That would be quite difficult - I answered your question - you didn't answer mine, "Why would he be yattering on about Brexit?"

@Justgorgeous Finally; someone with a bit of sense.

I find it astounding that people (women in particular) will happily get into an Uber, despite their horrific, ongoing track record.

And the usual retort is 'they're expensive, John Warboys, they use satnavs.'

The fares charged by black cabs are set by TfL, the drivers themselves have absolutely no say in what the meter starts at, nor the rate it ticks up.

John Warboys, whilst absolutely abhorrent, is the only argument anyone ever has when talking about the safety of black taxis. One in how many years?
Check Uber for the same statistic.

As for satnavs, the majority of accidents in London are caused by Uber drivers who are too busy staring at Waze to pay attention to where they're going.

And Uber as a company surge the fares during terrorist attacks and the like.

The way I've always put it?

Imagine if the company you worked for started hiring unqualified, inexperienced people to do your work because they're cheaper (eventually making you redundant.)
Would you be happy? Say it's great that they're with the times and your experience that you've worked hard to gain is irrelevant anyway because of technology?
Or would you be fuming and running straight to the nearest union rep?

What's up with @longwayoff and @Clavinova?
clavinova either misunderstood the comment or didn't realise leave voters are not only white? Nor are racists btw