Has anyone had a taxi refused to take you to hospital?

[Sastra]

I'm starting to ramp up my worry about how I'm going to get to hospital in labour as we dont have a car and there's no one we can ask for a lift.

I asked my midwife and she said call a taxi and just don't tell them you're in labour. Err, im pretty sure they could guess, and then I suppose they could refuse to take you? Then what would you do?!

I had my first 2 DCs in North London and I didn't even consider this! Driving was out of the question, the cost of parking (£8 an hour springs to mind) while I spent 3 days in labour would be pretty eye watering!

I got a cab both times, although I was only actually in labour the 2nd time. DH didn't mention it when they came to pick us up at 2am, but I only started making noise about halfway into the journey. I really should have sat on a towel thinking about it now.

We're inner city in Sydney now so will be getting a cab rather than parking this time too. I'd better find out what the policy is here!

Goodness - I live in Central London and hadn't even thought of this issue. For some reason I saw myself catching the bus?! Probably need to give this a bit more thought...

My sister lived in Clapham when she was due her first. she called her local minicab firm who took her straight to tooting hospital.

try minicabs!!

Station Cars Crystal Palace definitely will (and the man was lovely and sounded disappointed when I explained that I didn't want to go right now!).

Here's their number should anyone like it: 020 8778 3333

As will the Keen Group 020 8693 1000. Phew, seems I was worrying unnecessarily!

I don't know about sex discrimination - taxi drivers are, afaik, entitled to refuse to carry passengers who they think will make a big mess of their cab (usually drunks puking) - so I suppose they could classify waters breaking/labour mess as something they could refuse on health and hygiene reasons.

A taxi driver once told me how he has taken women in labour to hospital and on the way he plays the Casualty theme tune!

We have a car but parking is terrible at our hospital. There are drop-off spaces outside the maternity wing, so DH would have to take me upstairs, then go back down and look for a parking place. However, parking is atrocious at our hospital. At busy times you might as well park a 15 minute walk away. Husband is not a confident driver and very inexperienced. So he will be driving round (badly) looking for a parking space for ages, in a blind panic, while I am in labour on my own........Nightmare......So we'll get a taxi and then he can go home and collect the car when its time to bring us home.. Hospital is only 15 minutes away.

I called my usual company and didn't have any problem. We didn't mention it when we booked, but of course the driver noticed what was going on, as it was 2am, we were going to hospital, I was heavily pregnant, and I placed a big plastic bag on the seat (to avoid wetting everything in case my waters broke).

Why don't you check with the hospital which company they recommend for patients to go back home? If they are used to take patients from the hospital, it makes sense to me that they wouldn't have a problem taking patients to the hospital as well.

Goodness me, I live in central London and never occurred to me a taxi wouldn't take me! I was thinking of sending DP out to hail a black cab... thanks for all the numbers and links! Very handy! :)

i was in very established labour in my taxi, and wasn't at all quiet (gave birth 30 minutes later)! Taxi driver was fab. (although he did sound very worried!). I think they should be used to it in Central London as there is no parking at the hospitals.

Also it meant that dh could be with me from the start rather than driving round looking for a parking space - for my last labour he just had to dump the car outside as I was starting to push as we arrived at hospital..

I phoned a few places and southwest cars said they were happy to take women in labour. 02089465000. Not sure of the area they cover but they're based in earlsfield.