I don't know whether it's my age, or are others also noticing the variations in taxi speeds depending on whether they have a fare or not? It seems to be getting worse and worse.
Taxi with no fare, and he'll zip along at 40 in a 30, cut you up, swerve in front, pull out on you, the lot.
Same taxi with a fare, and he'll do 20 in a 30, slow right down at zebras just in CASE that pedestrian might get near it in time, slow right down at green lights, willing them to go red, and generally faff about.
I assume it's becasue the longer the passenger is there the higher the fare, but I know if I were a passenger I'd be pretty grumpy about the ridicululously exaggerated "perfect" driving.
It's got to the stage where I won't let a taxi out in front of me just in case he has a passenger. I won't BLOCK him, but I'm not going to make any effort to allow him, that's a sure thing.
Sorry, grumpy this morning.
Edited by Dipstick on 28/10/2009 at 08:11
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I don't think a couple of extra minutes on the journey makes much difference to the fare, I think it has more to do with the fact that passengers are more likely to complain now than previously.
Remember if he gets rid of his fare more quickly then he can get on to the next one and hence make more money through the initial minimum fare.
I've been in taxis stuck in traffic and the meter barely moves, it's far more to do with mileage.
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Taxi with no fare and he'll zip along at 40 in a 30 cut you up swerve in front pull out on you the lot.
Ah, this doesn't just happen in Oxford then?
Same taxi with a fare and he'll do 20 in a 30 slow right down......
Not in Oxford. They still drive as if they've stolen the car.
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Same taxi with a fare and he'll do 20 in a 30 slow right down......
They also do that trick where they slow right down and crawl along a road when looking for a particular house number. Slower than walking pace, moving across from one side to the other and coming to a (temporary) stop in the middle of road when they aren't quite sure if they've found the right place. Then moving on again just as you go past them. Then stopping in the road and beeping their horn while they sit there and wait for the customer to come out of the house.
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"They also do that trick where they slow right down and crawl along... "
I actually don't mind that so much, because it's the nature of the beast, and I don't begrudge them making a living. Also, once they're doing that you can tell what they're up to and make allowances.
It's the interminable toodling interspersed with erratic and random slowings for "hazards" that don't exist that are a pain, taken in conjunction with the precise opposite when unladen.
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No such problem here - I've been in a taxi doing 60 in a 30 in the last couple of months. Terrifying.
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I've noticed this too, I might have mentioned it on here in the past.
If I get tailgated by a taxi, it's usually just got the driver in, but if I'm following a taxi it's usually got passengers!
I think the opposite might be true in central London, with the black cabs, though. Whenever I've ridden in one the driver really steps on it, but if they're empty, 'kerb-crawling' for fares as it were, there's no point in them hurrying!
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They are making a living so thats okay,its the rest of the fools who clog up the roads that
annoy me.
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