Friends Opinion on My choosen taxi?

[Netcurtainnelly]

My friend and I had just come out of the station, and there were no other passengers—taxis were queued on the other side of the road, but we were the only ones there at the time. I got into the nearest taxi because I liked the car and the way the doors opened. My friend gave me the side-eye and said, “You’re supposed to take the first taxi in line—that’s how it works.” The driver didn’t say anything and there were no signs. Was I in the wrong?
No queue-just us.

Nobody is getting upset, just pointing out that taking the first taxi is the correct thing to do

I think unless there was an accessibility need and one taxi met that need better further along the rank then yes you should have taken the first taxi. I would also have expected the driver to have directed you to the first taxi but again if you say the doors were different maybe he assumed you needed that in some way and didn't want to be rude.

of course your friend is right, you don’t just pick your taxi as you like the way the doors open. You get in the first one. Sure she was suitably embarrassed.

Well you can, of course. But that’s bad etiquette/manners.

There's literally a name for this "the cab rank rule" that is used as a metaphor for other scenarios. It means the next person in line gets the job and they can't pick and choose the fares they want.

Nooooo! You always take the taxi at the front of the queue in the rank. If they can't take you - eg you need a larger or accessible cab then the driver will say so and direct you to go to another cab in the queue.

This.

Whenever there is a queue of taxis and no one else waiting I always walk down the rank and try all the doors and then choose the one with the nicest opening doors. Failing that I base my decision on the brand of tyres.

More importantly what was so special about the way the taxi's doors opened?

Come on, if you saw this at the end of the taxi queue you can’t tell me you’d follow the cab rank rule!

I can't believe people exaggerate so much

Neither ops friends not anyone on this thread has said anything to suggest they find the scenario 'upsetting'

Just incorrect.

While I agree that the OP is in the wrong, that seems a bit low.

Ooh what a clown 🤡
yes you get the first one in the queue so yes you were in the wrong. A couple of times I’ve gone to the driver at the front and they’ve told me they’ve been booked and directed me to the next car but the default taxi to get into is the one at the front of the queue who has been waiting the longest.

I want the time I spent reading this back.

It’s bad manners on you and on the taxi driver for taking you. I’m surprised you weren’t told to get out.

There is a queue for a reason, even if the queue is for taxi drivers and not people waiting to use a taxi.

🤣🤣

Who tf chooses a taxi because they like the way the doors open?!

That’s weird!

More to the point, surely there are only three ways car doors open and I doubt the taxi was a high performance sports car which narrows it down to opening outward or sliding.

My knees would cry if I got into this and I sure as hell couldn't get back out again in any manner that could be remotely described as stylish 🤣🤣

Seems reasonable, I also base my decision on the colour of the drivers jumper

personally I like to stick my head into each cab and take a good sniff, then go in the one that has the nicest smelling air freshener.

Could be something like a Vauxhall Meriva that has "suicide doors" at the back (they open the opposite way to the front doors, with the handle nearest the front seat and the hinge nearer the boot). Some people find these easier to get into and out of so maybe the driver thought OP had some sort of infirmity/disability.

That could be his excuse when he gets back to the rank.

Like this

Well, you just go and make up the rules then. For future fun, try throwing a half-eaten takeaway on the footpath because you like the way it feels leaving your hand, or skip the queue at the post office because you like looking at yourself in the perspex screens, and AI told you it's 'a little outdated' to queue.