Some people would say that Taxi drivers are the worst drivers on the road and that they think they own the roads. Others would blame trucks, buses or white van drivers. Either way, these people are professional drivers as they use the roads for their business every day and therefore have more experience.
This doesnt stop an accident from happening but one momentary lapse of concentration could cause an accident as seen in the CCTV footage below taken from the forward facing camera in the taxicab.
We encounter various traffic scenarios every day on the roads and have to be alert all the time. This is one of the reasons why you have to take a special driving test to become a taxi driver and sho awareness at all times.
Look out for the car approaching from the left and driving straight into my path
A typical mothers day. Always guaranteed to be a busy one as I found out yesterday. I didn't get started til around 1pm due to a very late night the night before and I ran non stop all day as mothers from all walks of life were being taken out and treated for dinner.
It made a pleasant change than taking drunks home late at night and all in all it looks like everyone was having a lovely day with their familys.
Now, if only every Sunday could be as busy as this.
This leads me on to one elderly lady that I picked up with her daughter and son in law who went on to tell me how her family had always been there for her no matter what and as she is now 99 years old she feels she is a burden on them as they have to do everything for her but as her daughter explained to me that she didn't mind and that "mam was there for me when I was younger and now its my turn to be there for her and repay all that kindness over the years".
Good old family values, You don't see much of that these days
Quite often when one of our telephonists takes a phone call from a customer, they don't always hear the name correctly. This could be for a number of reasons such as loud noise in the callers background, An unusual to pronounce name, The callers too drunk to say their name properly as well as operator error where the telephonist hasn't listened properly or has hit the wrong keys on the keyboard and spelt it incorrectly.
Not too long ago I got sent for a job in the name of "Proudcock", When I did pick up the fare, it turned out the name was "Proudfoot". Makes you wonder what was going through the operators mind at the time of the call.
However, earlier on today was the best so far as the image shown on the PDA unit below shows.
The name was "BASTET". Now if I try to say this as its spelt then it can very easily be mistaken for the word "Bastard" and I thought that there's no chance of me risking having my face used as a punchbag by someone if I pulled up outside the pub and shouted "Is anyone a Bas**rd.
I double checked with the radio operator and it turns out the name was BASSET.
Has anyone else ever picked up passengers with strange names or given to you incorrectly by a radio operator
Is it me or are the public at large generally thick when it comes to using mobile phones.
Normally if you can't hear the person on the other end then you would turn up your volume a bit but a passenger in the car this afternoon was on a call and he couldn't hear what his mate was saying and demanded that his mate "Turn HIS volume up so that his mouth is louder". (His words, not mine)
When you turn the volume up on a phone you are increasing the level in the ear piece. Not the mouthpiece. He then went on to say to his mate that he couldnt hear him for all the music in the background. Wouldnt it have made sense if that person had left the room and moved somewhere quieter before attempting to make the phone call.
