Page 2 | AIBU regarding the complaint about the taxi driver?

ytgahja · 2026-03-18T19:38:52+00:00

I live a 5 minute walk from my daughters school. At the weekend I tripped while walking the dog and have fractured my ankle. Unfortunately my husband passed away 3 years ago so it is just me and my 5 year old. Now I can't really walk understandably. My foot hurts but my entire body hurts. I have some really cool bruises Anyway I tried hopping my daughter to school but it took over 40 minutes. Even setting off early, nobody else can bring her as they go to breakfast club and that has to be pre booked for the term so I can't let her go I rang our local taxi firm and explained as I have to you and emphasised that it was a very short journey twice a day to take and collect her from school. I spoke to the manager and we agreed on 10 pounds a day. Honestly it's a price I'd be willing to pay because hopping isn't for me Taxi driver this morning shouted at me for wasting his time and that to come here for a 2 minute drive is ridiculous, that I'm lazy and I need to walk. As we got out I asked him to put my daughters side of the car onto the path and he refused so I had to lift her over me to get her onto the pavement which jarred my ankle and then I struggled to get out and he told us to get out and stop wasting his time So would I be wrong to make a complaint?

CheeseWisely · 22/03/2026 22:32

I’d complain OP. Some taxi drivers are just dickheads. I live a 20 minute walk / 4 minute drive from our town centre but the last half of the walk is through or round an unlit park, so if I’m out late at night without DH I get a taxi from the rank. I’ve also been told I should walk as it’s not worth their time, however (steeled by wine) I’ve always told them what’s what. I must add that other drivers have assured me that getting people home safe is what they’re there for, so it’s NATD.

ChickpeaCauliflowerSalad · 22/03/2026 22:33

latetothefisting · 22/03/2026 18:18

Meh, he might have still been pissed off and rude to a man but i agree with the other poster probably not in the exact same way - not necessarily even because he might respect men more (although that could also be the case) but solely out of cowardice that shouting at a man might get himself thumped.

Op this has brought back memories of being told the same thing when I was a student getting a lift to the club! Which, yes was a short distance but I doubt the driver has ever walked half a mile in stilettos! Who do they think they are - better any fare than sitting about twiddling their thumbs.

£10 is a decent payment for a very short, easy, and most importantly repeated/regular (at least short term) run, I doubt there's a huge call for drivers at that time of the morning, and even if there is, if he'd just taken you quickly instead of twatting about arguing he could have been free again in 5 minutes to do a longer one.

Absolutely complain, and unless the head office is suitably apologetic I'd be splashing it all over Google reviews and, their social media pages as well. We've finally managed to get my gran to give up her car and encoyrage her to take taxis whenever she wants to go anywhere as although famiky see her very regularly none of us live in the same town (she's late 80s so not far, we're talking to a mile or two to church or the shops) - if a taxi driver spoke to her like that it would really upset her and stop her going out. I imagine the same might apply to some one with mh difficulties or whatever.

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who do they think get are

What? How rude!

they are people trying to pay their bills, not run a charity.

No, any fare is not better than no fare, a job that costs you money to do is clearly not better than not doing it.

It's a very busy time of day for taxi drivers.

ChickpeaCauliflowerSalad · 22/03/2026 22:37

CheeseWisely · 22/03/2026 22:32

I’d complain OP. Some taxi drivers are just dickheads. I live a 20 minute walk / 4 minute drive from our town centre but the last half of the walk is through or round an unlit park, so if I’m out late at night without DH I get a taxi from the rank. I’ve also been told I should walk as it’s not worth their time, however (steeled by wine) I’ve always told them what’s what. I must add that other drivers have assured me that getting people home safe is what they’re there for, so it’s NATD.

While you're busy 'telling them what's what' 🙄🙇🏻‍♀️, ask yourself if you'd like to spend a few hours in a queue of taxis waiting for your turn, to end up with a £3.70 job and then having to return to the back of the queue.

CheeseWisely · 22/03/2026 22:43

@ChickpeaCauliflowerSalad I would, if not for the fact it’s me that’s been waiting in the queue for 45 minutes because demand for taxis here far outstrips supply, and the fare for the 4 minute drive is typically circa £12.

grumpygrape · 23/03/2026 09:59

ChickpeaCauliflowerSalad · 22/03/2026 22:27

He shouldn't have spoken to you like that. Absolutely not.

but what many people don't seem to understand is the way most taxi companies work. Drivers are contracted to take jobs they get assigned, irrespective of whether they're financially viable or not. Being tied into a school run twice a day for £10 is going to prevent the driver taking jobs that are actually profitable, not done at a loss.

You see, this is exactly the opposite of what happens here in that all the drivers are able to pick or ignore the rides shown on the app.

Of course, the drivers don't know how much their customers are paying for their trip, just what they will get.

I guess it depends what sort of system there is locally to the OP or other posters.

pinkdelight · 23/03/2026 10:29

grumpygrape · 23/03/2026 09:59

You see, this is exactly the opposite of what happens here in that all the drivers are able to pick or ignore the rides shown on the app.

Of course, the drivers don't know how much their customers are paying for their trip, just what they will get.

I guess it depends what sort of system there is locally to the OP or other posters.

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I think it's pretty clear it's system described by @ChickpeaCauliflowerSalad or he would've ignored the job or only had himself to blame if it was the system you're describing. If he'd actively chosen to take the job, it would have been no surprise to him. The waste of his time angle means he could've used the time for a more profitable job in the school run slot if he hadn't been assigned this fare. Again, that's the manager's fault not the OP's, but I can see why it's galling for the driver.

BillieWiper · 23/03/2026 10:41

I'd have said 'I've got a broken ankle'. Are you not on crutches? He sounds like an arsehole.
Definitely complain.

Do you not have Uber near you?

grumpygrape · 23/03/2026 12:32

pinkdelight · 23/03/2026 10:29

I think it's pretty clear it's system described by @ChickpeaCauliflowerSalad or he would've ignored the job or only had himself to blame if it was the system you're describing. If he'd actively chosen to take the job, it would have been no surprise to him. The waste of his time angle means he could've used the time for a more profitable job in the school run slot if he hadn't been assigned this fare. Again, that's the manager's fault not the OP's, but I can see why it's galling for the driver.

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Sorry, I didn’t realise under this system drivers were obliged to take whatever fares they were given despite not knowing the journey or what they would be paid beforehand.

I know taxi employment is complicated but unless he has ‘employee’ status in which case he would be assigned to jobs to fit his contract, he would be ‘self-employed’ and would usually be able to assess whether he wanted to take the fare.

Whichever it was he was in the wrong to be rude to a fare.

latetothefisting · 23/03/2026 21:01

ChickpeaCauliflowerSalad · 22/03/2026 22:33

who do they think get are

What? How rude!

they are people trying to pay their bills, not run a charity.

No, any fare is not better than no fare, a job that costs you money to do is clearly not better than not doing it.

It's a very busy time of day for taxi drivers.

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you think that criticising someone in a public facing job for being bullying and aggressive towards a paying customer is rude, but not the actual shouting at a woman on crutches and a 5 year old? Priorities!

Busy time of day or not - OP's journey takes 5 minutes to walk, so, what 1-2 mins to drive, so didn't stop him from taking multiple other fares before, or after hers. Be logical. How on earth would a 1 minute journey cost the driver more than £10? It's a huge mark up, if anything!

But either way that misses the point - if he didn't want to take the fare, he could have just said so like an adult professional. His response was completely inappropriate and arrogant so, yes, fully deserves criticism.

ChickpeaCauliflowerSalad · 23/03/2026 21:23

grumpygrape · 23/03/2026 09:59

You see, this is exactly the opposite of what happens here in that all the drivers are able to pick or ignore the rides shown on the app.

Of course, the drivers don't know how much their customers are paying for their trip, just what they will get.

I guess it depends what sort of system there is locally to the OP or other posters.

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Yes it does. Either way he shouldn't have spoken to her like that, but many people seem to think taxi drivers should just be grateful for any fare, even ones that cost them to do.

and asking 'who do they think they are' SO rude.

ChickpeaCauliflowerSalad · 23/03/2026 21:35

latetothefisting · 23/03/2026 21:01

you think that criticising someone in a public facing job for being bullying and aggressive towards a paying customer is rude, but not the actual shouting at a woman on crutches and a 5 year old? Priorities!

Busy time of day or not - OP's journey takes 5 minutes to walk, so, what 1-2 mins to drive, so didn't stop him from taking multiple other fares before, or after hers. Be logical. How on earth would a 1 minute journey cost the driver more than £10? It's a huge mark up, if anything!

But either way that misses the point - if he didn't want to take the fare, he could have just said so like an adult professional. His response was completely inappropriate and arrogant so, yes, fully deserves criticism.

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Your comprehension skills seem to have left the room.

I was calling YOU rude asking 'who do they think they are' not the OP as you well know AND I said the driver shouldn't have spoken to her like that.

so, do you think a driver doesn't use any time or fuel getting to the OP's house or to the next job? Do you think the next customer is going to be waiting where the OP finishes her journey? Running a taxi is expensive, it's not just the cost of petrol.

in many cases, no he couldn't refuse the job because many taxi drivers are contracted to do whatever job is sent to them. They don't get to pick & choose.

I have already said he shouldn't have spoken to her like that 🙄🙄

Mischance · 23/03/2026 21:41

SeaToSki · 21/03/2026 23:03

Have you seen the knee scooters…they are fantastic. If you get one, try and find the off road ones as they have a wider base and are more stable

I was going to suggest this - I hired one.

ChickpeaCauliflowerSalad · 23/03/2026 21:47

grumpygrape · 23/03/2026 12:32

Sorry, I didn’t realise under this system drivers were obliged to take whatever fares they were given despite not knowing the journey or what they would be paid beforehand.

I know taxi employment is complicated but unless he has ‘employee’ status in which case he would be assigned to jobs to fit his contract, he would be ‘self-employed’ and would usually be able to assess whether he wanted to take the fare.

Whichever it was he was in the wrong to be rude to a fare.

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Yes, whatever way he works he shouldn't have spoken to her like that & if reported to our council he'd get points on his taxi licence & would soon lose it.

a lot of the drivers around here work for a couple of taxi companies. They are contracted to do whatever jobs are called through to them, end of.

the owners of these companies undercut independent drivers because they still get their %age.

ours is one of the strictest boroughs re the cars, (year, presentation etc) & driver behaviour. I imagine some are rather lax, but if this was reported he'd get it explained that it's NOT acceptable! At the very least.