**** em, ****s won't even do a U Turn to pick you up when you try to flag them down. Cheeky bastards even have the audacity to ASK for a Tip. Time to move with the erm...times.
It takes at least 2 years to learn and pass the knowledge of London, a good bit longer if you are working full time and have a family to support. Licensed London cabs might be expensive, but you're not gonna get ripped off, and you're not gonna end up half way to Epping Forest before you realise the Eritrean driver hasn't a ****ing clue where Ealing is, and the only English he knows is "yes boss" and "no problem". Of course, when working class people try to protect their hard won rights and privaliges, they are accused of standing in the way of progress, whilst when rich ****s do it, it's called exercising their freedom of choice. I hope central London is ****ing gridlocked on Weds. the only com[plaint I have against the black cabbies is that they were all busy filling their boots when the tube workers went out on strike.
I think cheaper taxis are good for working class people who may be struggling with other bills. They won't get ripped off and the drivers won't get lost as the GPS software manages the routes and the fare.
Working class people-in London anyway-only use taxis when they're drunk, or when their flight gets in to Stanstead at silly O'clock, so that doesn't really apply. As for not getting lost, try using a Sat-Nav in central London Mick. There's too much going on, you'll end up mounting the kerb at a bus stop and ploughing into a queue. And if the drivers aren't licensed, how do you know they haven't been up all night chewing ghatt? Anyway, what's wrong with taxi drivers protecting their hard won status? Enough people use them to suggest they're not offering bad value in the market, why should they allow themselves to be undercut by unlicensed cowboys?
Had a fantastic journey from the Commercial Road to Dagenham.My Asian driver looked about 12 and did a good part of the journey on the pavement.Havn't laughed so much in ages.Thin it was a "K" reg Nissan Sunny
Maybe the working class don't use taxis in London for the same reason they never used to be able to fly - it's bloody expensive (the working class do use taxis in Belfast, where they are much cheaper, or at least they did in my day). I haven't used Uber yet but I believe it does the whole Tripadvisor thing allowing people to leave reviews of the drivers, etc. Which means that it's actually better than the current cab system as there is a public history - and I'm sure there will be plenty of people willing to complain about any weirdo drivers, so the 'unlicensed cowboys' point is easily dismissed. There's nothing wrong with drivers trying to look after themselves - everyone would do it if they got the chance - but I'm not a taxi driver and I welcome lower prices, so what's wrong with me looking after myself, choosing with my own free will a cheaper alternative? What place has a government got in restricting my choice when it's clearly not for my own protection? - I've been doing my job for 12 years and put a lot of effort into it, if another bookmaker offers a better price than me I don't get to complain to the government, why should taxi drivers be protected by the state when I'm not? P.S. my dad was a cab driver for 25 years and half my family still are - I've been harping on for ages that their jobs are inevitably ****ed (although I didn't see Uber coming before Google cabs).
To be fair, you'd be a mopey **** if you had to work on Friday and Saturday nights driving pissed up ****s like me around.
You choose a job that deals with the public...deal with the public. Be pleasant, smile and be curtious...
I had a real nutter recently, told me his dad was a sociopath and then started going on about God! Still had to hand the mad **** near 30 bar
