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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To make the taxi wait?

19 replies

AarghTaxi · 15/08/2025 08:35

So for reference, our local taxi company let's you book on an app, you can track, cancel etc, which I did for today.
They ALWAYS turn up 5 mins before the booking which is fine because I'm usually waiting at that point and it seems like a perfectly reasonable time to arrive. Today they turned up 15mins early!
AIBU to make him wait until just before the pick up time?

OP posts:
Haggisfish3 · 15/08/2025 08:37

When do they start charging you from would be my question to them?

Original poster
AarghTaxi · 15/08/2025 08:38

Good question! Not one I thought of 😅

OP posts:
Dartmoorcheffy · 15/08/2025 08:38

If you aren't ready fair enough but if you are then what would be the point of being petty . Especially if you end up stuck in traffic.

MamaElephantMama · 15/08/2025 08:38

Is the metre running? They could be early because they know the person may not be ready and it boosts the fare.

youalright · 15/08/2025 08:42

I wouldn't the metre will be running

Original poster
AarghTaxi · 15/08/2025 08:43

Just checked and it holds the payment when you book so I'll see if it comes out more expensive.
Just needed the time to throw some make up at my face 😆

OP posts:
VaseofViolets · 15/08/2025 08:45

Meter….

youalright · 15/08/2025 08:52

VaseofViolets · 15/08/2025 08:45

Meter….

Is that the right spelling i wasn't sure so I copied pp

TheLivelyViper · 15/08/2025 08:57

It's fine to make them wait, it's just if they're close to where you are they'll just go straight there, I doubt they'd charge until the time you actually booked it for - after that when you're late, the meter would be running but not prior to the time you booked it for. Or at least that's what my df does as he's a taxi driver.

Moonnstars · 15/08/2025 08:58

I assume they do that as it's easier than just hanging around somewhere else and makes sure they are at your house at the booked time. As long as they aren't charging you until you get in or it's a set fee then I wouldn't worry about them waiting outside your house as they would only be waiting somewhere else.

BashfulClam · 15/08/2025 10:04

Taxi as it’s 10 minutes away. To there a train would take about an hour as we’d travel away from the airport first. Then have to get a bus link as Glasgow airport has no rail link. So taxi it is. When we lived further away it was parking at one of the long stay places or if we go from Edinburgh it’s long stay as well.

MamaElephantMama · 15/08/2025 10:10

VaseofViolets · 15/08/2025 08:45

Meter….

Let’s not be fussy.. it’s 10am on a Friday morning.

Coffeetime25 · 15/08/2025 10:19

used to work in a taxi office and customers liker you really wound me up and messed with the schedule there are other customers and customers like you fail to see this and think they are the only customer if you are tracking the taxi make sure you are ready when it turns up and don't be a selfish idiot

Jellycatspyjamas · 15/08/2025 10:25

Coffeetime25 · 15/08/2025 10:19

used to work in a taxi office and customers liker you really wound me up and messed with the schedule there are other customers and customers like you fail to see this and think they are the only customer if you are tracking the taxi make sure you are ready when it turns up and don't be a selfish idiot

I think that’s fair enough if you book a taxi as and when. If I book a taxi for a particular time it’s because that’s when I’ll be ready to go, if they arrive early they’ll need to wait and I don’t see anything wrong with that.

Original poster
AarghTaxi · 15/08/2025 12:30

If I book a taxi I book it to turn up when I need it - it's the whole point? Surely its not my problem if they choose to turn up early @Coffeetime25 ? For reference I pre-booked it yesterday with a company that sends the nearest car to the booking, so I'm not stopping him picking up someone else or refusing the job.
If he'd turned up around the time I had booked for I would be ready and waiting outside from about 5 mins beforehand, and keeping an eye on the tracker all the time just in case. What I didn't expect was to have the app tell me he was on his way to get to me 15 mins early!

Anyway...only charged for the journey, not the wait for those on the edge of their seat for an update...

OP posts:
Original poster
AarghTaxi · 15/08/2025 12:36

But yes...must be really annoying if ppl ring for a taxi for right away then take their time! That's just rude.

OP posts:
mindutopia · 15/08/2025 12:42

That’s fine. You booked it for when you need it. If you were booking it to bring you home from work, you can’t just clock out 15 minutes early and leave. You need to leave on time. If you booked it to take you home from the station and your train gets in at 7:02, they can’t be expecting you to be there at 6:47. I expect they get there early so that they aren’t late (and then you get angry) or because they just hope you’ll be ready earlier. I’d not expect the fare to begin until the booked time or when you get in, whichever happens first.

AgentJohnson · 15/08/2025 15:12

If you’re not ready, you’re not ready but making the driver waitfor the sake of waiting, just sounds petty and childish.

Peaceisenough · 15/08/2025 15:15

Do you have any firms who give a set price up front?

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