Taxis refusing to pick me up!

[Evo20]

In the last few months I have on multiple occasions been refused licensed black cabs for… vague reasons.

Today three black cabs refused to take me (sober!), pouring rain, a couple of female friends with me. All three taxis claimed to be waiting for
other people. All drove off after id been waiting for ‘too long’ ie they could no longer justify not collecting me.

I have never had this issue until this year - and it is suddenly becoming a problem! Always alone or
with female friends - often they won’t even stop.

Am I unique in this problem? It is a real challenge in an environment where you rely on cabs, and frankly makes late evenings quite dangerous if drivers ignore you.

I must admit I've been using Uber for years and never had a problem in central London either.

Did you all look drunk? Its the only reason i can think they might not take you if they thought you'd be difficult/be sick. I've not had any issues with either black cabs or ubers in London recently.

Can someone explain why black cabs don't want to go south of the river. That's the only time I use black cabs really, but I book them through gett.
Feel a-bit sorry for the drivers now!
I have family living in North London who joke about south of the river and of course I know it's more affordable, but still crazy expensive!
Surely there's taxi trade from S London (I'm talking SW2) back into town if I've caught the cab from town to SW2?

There has got to be more to this.

There must be something about you or your group that concerns the drivers enough for them to refuse to take you.

I doubt they would willingly give up paying jobs just because you are a women.

It's a long running joke. Can work in your favour though, we flagged one down with a view to being dropped at a station, and it turned out he was coming off shift , he asked us where we were heading to and he lived close to us, so we did a deal re price and had a lovely chariot ride home for less than half price and a good chat as he was going that way anyway.

Doesn't everyone do this? It would be silly not to really.

I used to have this loads in London - live south of the river and used to have black cabs refuse to take me home all the time because of this but found it had pretty much stopped after Uber started taking over. Clearly it’s coming back.

It may be that your trying to pick up a yellow badge cab and they can only drive in certain areas, but if they’re a green badge holder unless they deem that it may be unsafe to take you, which it doesn’t sound like it would be, they legally should take you.

how far were you going maybe they ha a short window to take someone but your destination was too far

Neither have I.

I use Ubers in central London most weekends and never had a problem. I have only ever had an Uber cancel on me once and that was a Christmas night out a few years ago so ended up getting the bus home

Wouldn’t they be able to see that you were an all female group when you stuck your arm out to hail them? At the very least, they’d be able to see that you were a woman, even if they didn’t notice your friends.

So it sounds like they either don’t want to go to your destination, the driver thinks at least one of you is drunk enough to either mess him about or throw up in his cab, or you’ve been mistaken for someone who hasn’t paid and has done a runner.

I'm in London and use Uber/Bolt/FREENOW. I don’t know anyone who hails taxis. I thought that was now strictly the reserve of tourists.

I’m sorry if this happening to you. Fortunately, it’s easily avoided. Get cab apps and it don’t happen anymore.

I’ve had huge problems getting Ubers from central London when I’ve worked late (Mon to Fri) so I agree with OP that it’s a thing. I’ve switched to Bolt. Conversely, when I used to live in south London many moons ago, I didn’t have problems with Black Cabs but my sister did sometimes (and we lived in the same general area) so it seems very random.

But @Evo20 - I think that’s really shocking that they’re not taking you. Someone has posted about the 12-mile radius thing - perhaps worth mentioning that?

It's been a while, but last year I was using Uber for all my journeys through Central London very early hours of the morning. Never once had a problem either.

Black cabs are legally obliged to take on any job for journeys up to 12 miles or up to one-hour duration.

https://www.visitlondon.com/traveller-information/getting-around-london/london-taxis#:~:text=Black%20cabs%20are%20legally%20obliged,up%20to%20one%2Dhour%20duration.

So, if they refuse, ask for their licence number. No doubt they'll refuse to give it, so take a photo of the cab numberplate.

1. Get your phone camera ready as you approach the hailed cab. 2) If they refuse to take your fare, ask them for their licence number. 3) Assuming they won't, then be ready to take photo of the numberplate, and then report them to https://tfl.gov.uk/help-and-contact/contact-us-about-taxi-and-private-hire

Seconding the people who find Uber unusuable in London these days.

The only times it's worked for me recently was a long ride from Stoke Newington to Bow. Every other time I've tried I've ended up giving up. Either no drivers accept, or when they accept the wait time goes from 6 mins to 15+ minutes.

It's not my account/feedback as I have no issues outside London, and friends visiting find the same problem. I think it must be because I'm typically needing a short fast journey and London Uber drivers don't think it's worth it any more.

It’s a long shot but could it be because you are (a) women and the driver is male.
Maybe they are worried they’ll be accused of something.
Just a thought

They are legally obliged to take you unless they believe it is unsafe (eg you’re pissed) so you could take their license number and complain.

How late are we talking? Black cabs looking for a fare on their way home at the end of the night has always been a thing. It wasn’t uncommon late at night for a cab to pull over and make an excuse about having forgotten to turn off their light on their way home and they weren’t actually for hire but say they would take you if you were going whatever direction they were going. Maybe they are at the end of their shift and you are going in the wrong direction for them. Even worse if you live somewhere it will be hard for them to pick up a fare going back.

I guess the apps mean now they have a new ready made excuse that they are booked and thought you were their booked fare to stop anyone complaining that they refused a fare and it is easier to wait for an app booking to come in in the right direction.

Well doesn't it seem obvious that they were booked & thought you were thur booking? Then when they discovered you weren't, they said they couldn't take you.

The other option is you're still wearing your Halloween costume??

Yellows are only limited in where they are allowed to pick up passengers, there are no limits on destination. If they're stopping to pick the op it can't be a license problem.

I live in central London and get Ubers regularly. There’s loads of them.

Yes same. And Bolt. For black cabs I use Gett and Freenow. I only hail if I’m in a rush or near a big station (eg the taxi rank at Paddington).

Have you checked your rating, @OooPourUsACupLove? London Uber drivers seem to be stingy with ratings (Londoners have the worst ratings in the UK) but they are also the fussiest about who they will pick up 😂 Woe betide you if you have anything much less than a perfect 5 stars 😂