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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to have only paid the taxi driver half the fare?

46 replies

dancingqueeen · 22/10/2009 20:42

I had to get a taxi home this evening, because the trains weren't running. Most of the journey is along a motorway, for almost all the motorway journey the driver was holding his mobile phone and talking into it, barely looking up at the road (and it was busy, dark and raining). I was really scared for my safety but didn't dare ask him to stop as something about his manner seemed really on edge and I thought it might make things worse.

I asked him to stop at a shop a few minutes from my house, and handed him half the fare and said as I got out that this was because for most of the journey he was driving illegally and was really scared!

he followed me into the shop and was very threatening, but then eventually walked away. but then the shop assistants spotted him waiting outside, so they let me leave by the back of the shop so he couldn't follow me.

was I being unreasonable to have only paid half the £20 fare? He seemed totally outraged that him driving illegally should have any impact on me paying him...

(I have also reported him to the police, but apparently they can only prosecute if a policeman sees the person talking into the phone, so that will come to nothing.)

OP posts:
dittany · 22/10/2009 20:44

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

6feetundertheGroundhogs · 23/10/2009 00:32

Contacting licencing authorities is a complete waste of time, they tell you to contact the Police. Been there, done that, wanted to report someone for really bad roadrage....

Police wouldn't do anything, so I wrote to the Taxi people anyway, it mad ME feel better...

StableButBeheaded · 23/10/2009 01:47

You'd have done better to ask him to stop using his phone. You say you were afraid it would make things worse, but only paying him half the fare probably annoyed him more than asking him to hang up would have. He might have stopped and apologised, you never know.

As it was, you let him carry on risking your life & then refused to pay the full fare. No, he shouldn't have been using the phone but he DID finish the journey so he was entitled to the fare.

sunnydelight · 23/10/2009 03:56

I'm not surprised he was outraged, he took you to where you wanted to go, he deserved to be paid for it. If you weren't happy with him talking on the phone (I wouldn't have been either) you should have said so and given him the chance to put things right, not used it as a justification for not paying him. You have now both acted illegally - don't try and make yourself feel good about it.

SofiaAmes · 23/10/2009 05:54

If it was a licensed taxi (vs. a minicab) reporting them to the licensing authority for the city you live in should absolutely have an effect. I have reported (with results) black cab drivers several times in London.

overmydeadbody · 23/10/2009 06:26

I agree with SOfia.

Definately still report him to the licencing authority as well.

YANBU

tinkerbellesmuse · 23/10/2009 06:31

YABU not to have paid. If you were so concerned about your safety you should have either asked him to stop talking on his phone or asked him to stop the taxi and got out paying watever was due.

To use his bad driving as justification for theft is disingenous in the extreme.

Tee2072 · 23/10/2009 06:47

You are lucky he didn't call the police on you for stealing from him. You should have asked him to stop using his phone. And you should report him.

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 23/10/2009 06:59

Yes, you were wrong to withold his fare, truly. He shouldn't have talked on his phone but he still got you there, used his petrol and his time, and you cheated him.

belgo · 23/10/2009 07:07

Agree with the other posters, you really should have paid him the full fare. If you report him, it may go against you that you didn't pay the full fare.

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 23/10/2009 07:34

she couldnt get out they were on a motorway
and he threatened her later! can imagine his manner in the car earlier wasn't the sort that invited "hang on old chap, that's not on now is it?"

girlsyearapart · 23/10/2009 07:38

Not sure witholding fare would be such a good idea but DH is a london cabbie and the Public Carriage office do definitely take reports seriously.

You should've asked him to get off the phone.

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 23/10/2009 07:47

He 'threatened' her because she didn't pay him! I don't think we can assume he was a terrifying presense in the cab, too scary to ask to stop talking on the phone

SHRIIIEEEKPoolingBearBlood · 23/10/2009 07:48

well in her op she says he seemed on edge, I assumed he didn't seem particularly approachable - could be wrong

tinkerbellesmuse · 23/10/2009 07:56

OP said he was "very threatening" from that I assumed he didn't explicitly threaten her, more that she didn't like his manner and frankly I'm not suprised - she stole from him!

And TBH if I didn't like someone's manner to the extent that I wasn't willing to ask them to stop risking my safety then I would certainly not risk angering them by not paying what they were owed.

thesockmonsterofdoom · 23/10/2009 08:25

thats what I thought, ir you were scared of him why on earth would you not pay him. sure fire way to nmake him angry and scary in my mind.

BarbaraBlacksheep · 23/10/2009 08:37

Am you think it was ok to not pay the full fare! You say you were too nervous to ask him to stop using the phone, yet you felt comfortable enough to only pay him half the agreed fare knowing this would cause confrontation? Doesn't make sense to me tbh.

ObsidianBlackbirdMcNight · 23/10/2009 08:46

Being 'on edge' could mean anything, and in the light of her experience after she is bound to remember his manner a certain way even if it wasn't actually like that.

Yeah, this wasn't ok.

Ewe · 23/10/2009 08:51

Was he actually holding his mobile or just talking on a hands free?

I use taxis quite frequently and they often chat on the phone, they are experience drives, I think you have to trust them to know if they are capable of driving and chatting.

YABU to only pay half the fare. Not paying because he made you feel a bit uncomfortable is ridiculous.

chopstheduck · 23/10/2009 09:01

I think yabu. You say that you were scared because he was talking on a mobile, but you weren't scared of his reaction when you underpaid him.

I don't personally think you should take any action now, because you were unreasonable underpaying him.

ChilloHippi · 23/10/2009 09:17

I actually think the OP was rather brave to only pay half the fare. It might make the driver think twice before he does it again.
Yes, he used him time and petrol to drive her, but what he did was illegal and dangerous. Surely he should offer an all-around service (that sounds dodgy but you know what I mean!) which includes feeling safe while he is driving.

Ivykaty44 · 23/10/2009 09:23

The driving was shodding - you were paying for a driver to take you home, fine pay him half fair as it was shoddy work.

You can do so legaly in a cafe - as long as you leave your name and address.

I got a taxi from the station in my home town - the driver took me on the long route home, when we arrived I told him that I didn't need the tour and handed him half the fair - I wasn't going to pay for him not knowing his way round the town (though I think he was trying it on?)

ChilloHippi · 23/10/2009 09:25

Good for you IvyKaty. I get so infruriated by drivers deliberately taking the long way around.

belgo · 23/10/2009 09:29

Tath is what surprises me - she was brave enough not to pay the full fare - but she wasn't brave enough to ask him to stop using his phone.

madamearcati · 23/10/2009 09:31

YABU .You should have paid him and then made a complaint if you thought it was justified.