Earlier today I was travelling along a major road in the town when I saw a young mother pushing a pram. She wanted to cross the road and was stood on the edge of the kerb waiting for a gap in the traffic. She was on the edge of the road and the pram was actually on the road.
I saw this and indicated to pull out into the middle of the road giving the pram a wide birth. She just stood there with her hand son the pram, fag in her mouth looking very much like "Waynetta Slob" from the Harry Enfield shows on the television.
You could see her nervously pushing the pram further into the road and then back again in a hope that traffic would stop to let her cross.
This isnt the first time I`ve seen this and it seems to be a thing with young mothers lately where they dont seem to put their childs safety first. Personally I don`t think some of them even care.
The crazy thing about this was that 20 yards down the road was a zebra crossing and she couldnt be bothered to walk towards it and use it.
Standing on the kerb with the pram in the road is a dangerous thing to do. I wish these idiots would think about the consequences of what damage could be done to their child.
Tuesday, September 29
Sunday, September 27
Lazy Boyfriend
Picked a fare up this week, a young lady around 25 to 30 years old who had a little boy with her aged around 10 years old. He didn't say much apart from saying goodbye at the end of the journey, However, his mum was totally different....
She proceeded to tell me how her boyfriend was a "lazy lump" who didn't work and wouldn't do any work around the house. He went out drinking and when he came home he would just fall asleep.
The conversation then turned to sex as she said that she was fed up with him not performing properly and all he wanted to do was fall asleep.
A little too much information was spoken from her mouth and from a taxi drivers point of view, we do get to hear all sorts of stuff but to talk about this in detail in front of her child.... well, no wonder he was quiet and going a deep shade of red. I asked her if she always discussed matters like this in front of him and her response.... "Well he`s got to learn sometime"
I was glad when the journey ended as I could see that poor boy going red and felt really sorry for him
She proceeded to tell me how her boyfriend was a "lazy lump" who didn't work and wouldn't do any work around the house. He went out drinking and when he came home he would just fall asleep.
The conversation then turned to sex as she said that she was fed up with him not performing properly and all he wanted to do was fall asleep.
A little too much information was spoken from her mouth and from a taxi drivers point of view, we do get to hear all sorts of stuff but to talk about this in detail in front of her child.... well, no wonder he was quiet and going a deep shade of red. I asked her if she always discussed matters like this in front of him and her response.... "Well he`s got to learn sometime"
I was glad when the journey ended as I could see that poor boy going red and felt really sorry for him
Thursday, September 24
Twos Company, (Threes a crowd)
Picked a fare up last weekend. A young couple. He sat in the front and she sat behind him in the back. She was very quiet and never once spoke. Not even to say Hello, Goodbye or Thank you except for one sentence which I will come to soon.
He was the opposite and spoke all the way on the short journey of around half a mile. He tells me how he wanted to win the lottery so that he could travel the world and do what he wanted to do.
I then asked him if he was taking anyone with him to which he replied and I quote. "I`d take the young nurse that I have been seeing for the last 4 months. Wouldnt take the wife as shes too boring".
At this point the girl in the back shouted some obscenity at him and exclaimed that they had been married to each other for 2 years and then a full scale argument starts in the car.
It turns out he had been going out at night saying he was with mates and all the time he was with this nurse. He`s only himself to blame as his reponse to her exclamation was "Oh Shit.... You were that quiet I forgot you were in the car. Sorry Luv.."
I was asked to stop the car while she got out, she insisted on walking home so he then paid the fare and walked off after her.
Not my fault I thought so best leave them to it and not get involved so I pulled away and just went onto my next job.
He was the opposite and spoke all the way on the short journey of around half a mile. He tells me how he wanted to win the lottery so that he could travel the world and do what he wanted to do.
I then asked him if he was taking anyone with him to which he replied and I quote. "I`d take the young nurse that I have been seeing for the last 4 months. Wouldnt take the wife as shes too boring".
At this point the girl in the back shouted some obscenity at him and exclaimed that they had been married to each other for 2 years and then a full scale argument starts in the car.
It turns out he had been going out at night saying he was with mates and all the time he was with this nurse. He`s only himself to blame as his reponse to her exclamation was "Oh Shit.... You were that quiet I forgot you were in the car. Sorry Luv.."
I was asked to stop the car while she got out, she insisted on walking home so he then paid the fare and walked off after her.
Not my fault I thought so best leave them to it and not get involved so I pulled away and just went onto my next job.
Sunday, September 20
Not a sporting chance
Why is it that quite a lot of passengers that get in the cab will start up a conversation about the Rugby or The Football or The Cricket or any other sport. They will say something and then ask what you thought of it.
I would frequently say to them "it doesn't interest me and after all, its only a game."
I`m entitled to my opinion and if they ask me what I think then I should be allowed to say what I do think and if that's my opinion then they should respect it, either that or keep their mouths shut in the first place and don't ask.
However, this one guy I picked up then went onto say that I must support some team as its the way of life. Everyone has to support a team and why do I not bother with it. He kept going on throughout the journey about me not supporting any team.
Why should I? If I`m not interested then why should I pretend to be. I`ve always adopted the attitude of speaking my mind. Sometimes I may have sailed a little too close to the wind but if I`m asked for my opinion and I give it then its their problem if they don't like what they hear.
This guy then went on to tell me what a great team he supported (I cant remember who it was as I wasn't really taking much notice) and tried his hardest to get me to support them. He just wouldn't shut up and was adamant that he would have me interested in his team before the journey ended.
Its a bit like religion isn't it? Imagine those religious people coming to your door to preach the gospels and try to convert you to their faith. He was trying to get me interested in something I couldn't be bothered with and why should I be.
I am a great believer that we are all unique individuals and should be allowed to believe in any religion we like, just like we should be able to support (or not bother) with any sport there is.
We have that choice and shouldn't be forced into something we don`t want so why do these people get in the cab and naturally assume that you are interested in the match or game and when you say that you don't follow it then they keep going in your face about it.
Eventually I did tell him who I supported.... I told him I supported all the other cabbies that throw idiots like him out the cab and if he didn't shut up then I would do the same with him and maybe I just might not stop the car when I do it.
Maybe I had opened my big gob again but he took no notice of me and carried on babbling on.
This was one fare I was glad to have out of the cab.
Its not much to ask is it. Don't shove your beliefs, football teams or any other crap in my face and just sit back and enjoy the ride home.
And the best bit.... This guy was on his own, stone cold sober and had just finished work so their was no excuse for his attitude.
I would frequently say to them "it doesn't interest me and after all, its only a game."
I`m entitled to my opinion and if they ask me what I think then I should be allowed to say what I do think and if that's my opinion then they should respect it, either that or keep their mouths shut in the first place and don't ask.
However, this one guy I picked up then went onto say that I must support some team as its the way of life. Everyone has to support a team and why do I not bother with it. He kept going on throughout the journey about me not supporting any team.
Why should I? If I`m not interested then why should I pretend to be. I`ve always adopted the attitude of speaking my mind. Sometimes I may have sailed a little too close to the wind but if I`m asked for my opinion and I give it then its their problem if they don't like what they hear.
This guy then went on to tell me what a great team he supported (I cant remember who it was as I wasn't really taking much notice) and tried his hardest to get me to support them. He just wouldn't shut up and was adamant that he would have me interested in his team before the journey ended.
Its a bit like religion isn't it? Imagine those religious people coming to your door to preach the gospels and try to convert you to their faith. He was trying to get me interested in something I couldn't be bothered with and why should I be.
I am a great believer that we are all unique individuals and should be allowed to believe in any religion we like, just like we should be able to support (or not bother) with any sport there is.
We have that choice and shouldn't be forced into something we don`t want so why do these people get in the cab and naturally assume that you are interested in the match or game and when you say that you don't follow it then they keep going in your face about it.
Eventually I did tell him who I supported.... I told him I supported all the other cabbies that throw idiots like him out the cab and if he didn't shut up then I would do the same with him and maybe I just might not stop the car when I do it.
Maybe I had opened my big gob again but he took no notice of me and carried on babbling on.
This was one fare I was glad to have out of the cab.
Its not much to ask is it. Don't shove your beliefs, football teams or any other crap in my face and just sit back and enjoy the ride home.
And the best bit.... This guy was on his own, stone cold sober and had just finished work so their was no excuse for his attitude.
Thursday, September 17
Under the influence....
This week I picked up two young girls aged around 20 maybe 22 years old and they were chatting amongst themselves and the usual girly conversation was about parties they had been to, and then one of the girls said to the other girl , and I quote,
"Your Dad was lucky he didnt get caught drink driving when he came back up the motorway".
Her mates reply was "I was sh**ting myself as he was all over the three lanes at 80 miles per hour."
Did you know he was drunk? came the response from the first girl.
Second girl replies. "Yeah but we had to get back home and didnt want to leave the car overnight"
Some people seem to think that it is socially acceptable to drink and drive, not only putting their own lives at risk but also other people as well. As for the girl who travelled in the car with her drunken dad behind the wheel then I have no sympathy. They are both as bad as each other. Her for knowingly allowing herself to be put in this danger and him for being a complete idiot.
Lets face it, what sort of decent father would put his daughters life at risk allowing them to be carried in a vehicle where the driver is drunk.
I was going to do what I normally do and open my big mouth and tell them what I thought of them but on this occasion I just kept my mouth shut and didnt say a word.
Just as the girls were about to pay the fare and get out the car one of them said to me, "You didnt hear that conversation about my dad did you?". I just shook my head and ignored her. It wasnt even worth me having a go at her about it as experience says that people like that never listen and never learn.
"Your Dad was lucky he didnt get caught drink driving when he came back up the motorway".
Her mates reply was "I was sh**ting myself as he was all over the three lanes at 80 miles per hour."
Did you know he was drunk? came the response from the first girl.
Second girl replies. "Yeah but we had to get back home and didnt want to leave the car overnight"
Some people seem to think that it is socially acceptable to drink and drive, not only putting their own lives at risk but also other people as well. As for the girl who travelled in the car with her drunken dad behind the wheel then I have no sympathy. They are both as bad as each other. Her for knowingly allowing herself to be put in this danger and him for being a complete idiot.
Lets face it, what sort of decent father would put his daughters life at risk allowing them to be carried in a vehicle where the driver is drunk.
I was going to do what I normally do and open my big mouth and tell them what I thought of them but on this occasion I just kept my mouth shut and didnt say a word.
Just as the girls were about to pay the fare and get out the car one of them said to me, "You didnt hear that conversation about my dad did you?". I just shook my head and ignored her. It wasnt even worth me having a go at her about it as experience says that people like that never listen and never learn.
Friday, September 11
Tea for Two
Picked an elderly lady up on her own this Sunday just gone and she asked me to take her to a place in town that served meals as she wasn't cooking for one and she normally goes out for a meal with her friend every Sunday but her friend couldn't make it so she went on her own.
When we got to the destination she realised that she had left her money at home and couldn't pay the taxi fare but she did have her credit card with her. She was panicking about how she could pay for her meal and the taxi as she had no cash and I suggested she used her card to pay for the meal but she couldn't pay the taxi with a card as we are not yet geared up for it.
She was a regular fare and she felt awkward that she couldnt pay me at the time but I wasnt too bothered as I know I could knock on her door at a later date and collect the fare but she felt bad about it and suggested that I go and have a meal with her and she will pay for it instead of the taxi fare.
I was feeling a little hungry and thought about this and succumbed to temptation. It meant 30 minutes off work but I got a free carvery out of it and the elderly lady shared my company and it really made her day.
After we had eaten she asked me to drop her off home where she would pay me the fare for the journey home. I took her home and she went in the house to get her money and came out with a £10 note and told me to keep the change as I had been very understanding to her and she didn't have to eat on her own and she didnt want me losing out.
A good day all around, a £10 fare including a tip and a carvery. Cant go wroing with that one.
When we got to the destination she realised that she had left her money at home and couldn't pay the taxi fare but she did have her credit card with her. She was panicking about how she could pay for her meal and the taxi as she had no cash and I suggested she used her card to pay for the meal but she couldn't pay the taxi with a card as we are not yet geared up for it.
She was a regular fare and she felt awkward that she couldnt pay me at the time but I wasnt too bothered as I know I could knock on her door at a later date and collect the fare but she felt bad about it and suggested that I go and have a meal with her and she will pay for it instead of the taxi fare.
I was feeling a little hungry and thought about this and succumbed to temptation. It meant 30 minutes off work but I got a free carvery out of it and the elderly lady shared my company and it really made her day.
After we had eaten she asked me to drop her off home where she would pay me the fare for the journey home. I took her home and she went in the house to get her money and came out with a £10 note and told me to keep the change as I had been very understanding to her and she didn't have to eat on her own and she didnt want me losing out.
A good day all around, a £10 fare including a tip and a carvery. Cant go wroing with that one.
Sunday, September 6
Thursday, August 27
In The Air Tonight
As in the Phil Collins song "Can you feel it coming in the air tonight".
There I was with 4 passengers on board driving into town when one of them farted and it really stunk so down come the windows and no one would admit to it so at the end of the journey the fare was £3.80p on the meter and so I asked for £4.80p.
Obviously they asked me why I wanted £4.80p to which I replied that the extra pound is for an air freshener.
I expected them to not pay it and personally I wants bothered if they didn't as I was just having a laugh with them but they took me seriously and paid me the extra pound and apologised.
This got me thinking,. Maybe if I could fine everyone who didnt behave in the cab then I could be rich within a week.
There I was with 4 passengers on board driving into town when one of them farted and it really stunk so down come the windows and no one would admit to it so at the end of the journey the fare was £3.80p on the meter and so I asked for £4.80p.
Obviously they asked me why I wanted £4.80p to which I replied that the extra pound is for an air freshener.
I expected them to not pay it and personally I wants bothered if they didn't as I was just having a laugh with them but they took me seriously and paid me the extra pound and apologised.
This got me thinking,. Maybe if I could fine everyone who didnt behave in the cab then I could be rich within a week.
Tuesday, August 25
RESPECT...... Wots that?
Is it just me or every cabbie that this happens to. Why does a mother get in the back of the car with a young child around 2 or 3 years old and allow the child to put their dirty shoes on the seats and allow them to put their grubby little hands everywhere making marks on the furnishings.
I will not drive off until a child has a seatbelt on as its a safety issue and its the law so the mother puts the seatbelt on the child only after I had told her too and within travelling about 500 yards the child had undone the belt and was trying to stand up on the seat putting his sticky hands all over my window whilst the mother didnt do a thing. I stopped the car and told him to get his feet off the seats and get his belt back on. He looked at me and quietly did as I told him but I shouldnt have to do this.
Its not my job to tell mothers to make sure their kids behave and then she had the cheek to ask me why I shouted at him to sit down to which I replied to her. "You weren't gonna do anything so I had to". She said that he wasn't doing any harm and was just inquisitive. She obviously didn't care what her little darling was doing in the taxi and didn't seem to mind that he was stood up on the seat with his moody shoes.
Maybe its the usual attitude of "Its not my property so I don`t care "
How would she like it if my previous passenger had done the same and then I went to pick her up. Would she sit in the same seat with dirt all over it.
Have respect for other peoples property. Its not too much to ask...
I will not drive off until a child has a seatbelt on as its a safety issue and its the law so the mother puts the seatbelt on the child only after I had told her too and within travelling about 500 yards the child had undone the belt and was trying to stand up on the seat putting his sticky hands all over my window whilst the mother didnt do a thing. I stopped the car and told him to get his feet off the seats and get his belt back on. He looked at me and quietly did as I told him but I shouldnt have to do this.
Its not my job to tell mothers to make sure their kids behave and then she had the cheek to ask me why I shouted at him to sit down to which I replied to her. "You weren't gonna do anything so I had to". She said that he wasn't doing any harm and was just inquisitive. She obviously didn't care what her little darling was doing in the taxi and didn't seem to mind that he was stood up on the seat with his moody shoes.
Maybe its the usual attitude of "Its not my property so I don`t care "
How would she like it if my previous passenger had done the same and then I went to pick her up. Would she sit in the same seat with dirt all over it.
Have respect for other peoples property. Its not too much to ask...
Sunday, August 23
Is it a bird?.. Is it a plane?...
No..... Its low flying furniture.
about a week ago I got a call to an address in the flats on Barrow Island so off I trundles over the bridge and onto the Island thinking no more about this until I had to go through the one way system which meant driving down a street where objects were being hurled everywhere. A TV set came crashing down in front of me. There was already what looked like the remains of a wardrobe or bedside cabinet on the road all smashed up along with a few electrical appliances.
As I manoeuvred round the falling TV set I heard another crash on the floor behind me and a look through my mirror noticed that I had narrowly missed being hit by a low flying guitar, a lamp and a microwave oven.
Being a warm day I had the window down and could hear shouting and screaming between a male and female. It was a domestic and hard to say who was throwing the property but it was a stupid thing to do as its the school summer holidays, kids are normally playing there, traffic has to pass through the one way system and someone could have seriously got hurt.
It was pointless me getting out the car to try and calm the situation as I just needed to get the car out the way of any other low flying debris. At this point it was a quick phone call to the local police and I left it at that as it wasnt my problem, I didnt want to get involved and I had a fare to pick up and I`d rather be making money than trying to sort someone else's mess and lose money.
It got me thinking though.. Maybe time to change the highway code...
If you want to cross the road, look right.... look left..... and look up...
about a week ago I got a call to an address in the flats on Barrow Island so off I trundles over the bridge and onto the Island thinking no more about this until I had to go through the one way system which meant driving down a street where objects were being hurled everywhere. A TV set came crashing down in front of me. There was already what looked like the remains of a wardrobe or bedside cabinet on the road all smashed up along with a few electrical appliances.
As I manoeuvred round the falling TV set I heard another crash on the floor behind me and a look through my mirror noticed that I had narrowly missed being hit by a low flying guitar, a lamp and a microwave oven.
Being a warm day I had the window down and could hear shouting and screaming between a male and female. It was a domestic and hard to say who was throwing the property but it was a stupid thing to do as its the school summer holidays, kids are normally playing there, traffic has to pass through the one way system and someone could have seriously got hurt.
It was pointless me getting out the car to try and calm the situation as I just needed to get the car out the way of any other low flying debris. At this point it was a quick phone call to the local police and I left it at that as it wasnt my problem, I didnt want to get involved and I had a fare to pick up and I`d rather be making money than trying to sort someone else's mess and lose money.
It got me thinking though.. Maybe time to change the highway code...
If you want to cross the road, look right.... look left..... and look up...
Saturday, August 15
Incapable
I got a call to pick up a fare from a flat in Ormsgill only to find when I got there that the woman was so drunk that she could hardly stand up. I dont think there was a risk of her being sick but I did think that I would struggle to get her out the car at the other end and get the fare.
Her mate that was with her was more sober and so I explained to her that I could not take her friend as a matter of health and safety as we do have a policy of reserving the right to refuse to take any passenger who is at risk of causing a hazard to the vehicle whilst being driven. Her mate explained that she had to get her home and so I got to thinking....
Hmmm..... If I take her and I cant get her out at the other end then I will need help. This takes time. I may not get the fare and so the police maybe involved so I said to the more sober one that I would take her if she travelled in the back with her and I would bring her back home.
She said she couldn't afford the fare back so thinking that more time would be wasted getting the police or any other help I decided to take the two women, bring one back and only charge the fare that it would have been to her house.
In a way I lost out by about £1.20 but at the same time it saved the hassle and saved more time if I did have problems at the other end.
I do recall reading somewhere and it may not be Barrow Councils rules. It may have been in a taxi magazine but there is a law somewhere to protect drivers along the lines of
Not sure of the exact wording but its a catch 22. If we refused to take any drunken person then we wouldn't make any money but you have to draw the line somewhere.
Her mate that was with her was more sober and so I explained to her that I could not take her friend as a matter of health and safety as we do have a policy of reserving the right to refuse to take any passenger who is at risk of causing a hazard to the vehicle whilst being driven. Her mate explained that she had to get her home and so I got to thinking....
Hmmm..... If I take her and I cant get her out at the other end then I will need help. This takes time. I may not get the fare and so the police maybe involved so I said to the more sober one that I would take her if she travelled in the back with her and I would bring her back home.
She said she couldn't afford the fare back so thinking that more time would be wasted getting the police or any other help I decided to take the two women, bring one back and only charge the fare that it would have been to her house.
In a way I lost out by about £1.20 but at the same time it saved the hassle and saved more time if I did have problems at the other end.
I do recall reading somewhere and it may not be Barrow Councils rules. It may have been in a taxi magazine but there is a law somewhere to protect drivers along the lines of
- "The driver reserves the right to refuse to take any passenger who in his or her opinion may cause a danger to the vehicle, the motion of the vehicle or other passengers".
Not sure of the exact wording but its a catch 22. If we refused to take any drunken person then we wouldn't make any money but you have to draw the line somewhere.
Wednesday, August 12
Calm Down
Last weekend Bob (The owner of this blog) was parked up on Holker Street in Barrow when he witnessed an altercation between a man and his wife. I`m not sure of the circumstances but Bob was telling me over the radio what was going on and I could hear it in the background and mid sentence Bob went quiet and I couldn't raise him on the radio.
This got alarm bells going in my head and so I raced off to Bobs location to check he was OK. Bob was fine. I got there after it had all calmed down. it turned out that there was a bit of trouble and Bob had politely told the guy to calm down a bit but then the guy got aggressive with Bob.
It wasn't even Bobs problem. he was an innocent by-stander who just tried to calm the situation.
Whats the world coming to when aggressive cretins like this have a go at innocent people for no reason at all.
This got alarm bells going in my head and so I raced off to Bobs location to check he was OK. Bob was fine. I got there after it had all calmed down. it turned out that there was a bit of trouble and Bob had politely told the guy to calm down a bit but then the guy got aggressive with Bob.
It wasn't even Bobs problem. he was an innocent by-stander who just tried to calm the situation.
Whats the world coming to when aggressive cretins like this have a go at innocent people for no reason at all.
Saturday, August 8
Red Lights mean I`m home
This weekend I picked up a rather drunken young man who fell into the taxi and told me that he wanted to go to Hawcoat Village. He even paid me £10 up front and we agreed he can have the change from what's on the meter when we get there so off we go. Nice easy fare me thinks as I`ve been paid up front.
Alls well til we get to the first set of traffic lights which were on red. As soon as the car stopped he opened the door and tried to get out. Realising he wasn't at home he apologised and shut the door.
The next two sets of lights were on green but the next set was red and the exact same thing happened again. Unfortunately there were 3 more sets of lights to go through and they were all on red.
You guessed it, at each one when the car stopped, he opened the door, tried to get out and got back in. When I did get him to his destination and I stopped the car, he got out, told me to keep the change and staggered into his house.
No explanation for why he kept trying to get out when I stopped at red lights and yet although drunk, he was sober enough to apologise and made his way into his house ok.
Alls well til we get to the first set of traffic lights which were on red. As soon as the car stopped he opened the door and tried to get out. Realising he wasn't at home he apologised and shut the door.
The next two sets of lights were on green but the next set was red and the exact same thing happened again. Unfortunately there were 3 more sets of lights to go through and they were all on red.
You guessed it, at each one when the car stopped, he opened the door, tried to get out and got back in. When I did get him to his destination and I stopped the car, he got out, told me to keep the change and staggered into his house.
No explanation for why he kept trying to get out when I stopped at red lights and yet although drunk, he was sober enough to apologise and made his way into his house ok.
Monday, August 3
Drunk and in love
Picked a fare up from the rank this weekend and took her and a mate of hers to two seperate addresses in the same area. The first person (30ish years old) who wanted dropping off was reasonably sober but the second one (about 18 years old) was well drunk.She was talking gibberish and saying that she didn't weant to go home as her boyfriend would beat her up.
I asked her Why this is likely to happen and she said that he doesnt like her going out and always beats her up everytime so I said to her "Why dont you leave him if he beats you up? and her reply.......
The classic..... "Cos I Love Him"..
For gods sake why stay in a violent relationship just because you love someone. She asked my advice and I gave it to her but she was having none of it and just wanted to go home to her man even of it meant getting a beating.
I will never understand women that stay with a violent man just because they love him or sometimes theres the other excuse, "I only stay with him cos of the kids" Anyway, she was very drunk and didnt look capable of anything and I didnt fancy dropping her off last so I told the other passenger that I would do her a deal on the fare and drop the drunk woman off first and only charge the fare to that address. It didnt bother me as I had to go past the other womans house to get back to town.
At the first woman's address it seemed to take forever whilst she got out of the car and fell into a bush in her garden. She managed to rummage up 45p for the fare.
After she got out the car I took the other woman home and asked for £7.20p which was on the meter. After rummaging through her purse she managed to come up with £6.21p and said I would have to go back for the rest tomorrow.
Not worth it for 99p so I just wrote it off and took the £6.21p ... I was just glad to have them both out the cab.
Sometimes you have to right things off otherwise you lose out more trying to fioght for your money. Its not worth the hassle... I just had horrible thoughts of dropping the drunken one off last and not getting paid at all dso £6.21p is better than nothing.
I asked her Why this is likely to happen and she said that he doesnt like her going out and always beats her up everytime so I said to her "Why dont you leave him if he beats you up? and her reply.......
The classic..... "Cos I Love Him"..
For gods sake why stay in a violent relationship just because you love someone. She asked my advice and I gave it to her but she was having none of it and just wanted to go home to her man even of it meant getting a beating.
I will never understand women that stay with a violent man just because they love him or sometimes theres the other excuse, "I only stay with him cos of the kids" Anyway, she was very drunk and didnt look capable of anything and I didnt fancy dropping her off last so I told the other passenger that I would do her a deal on the fare and drop the drunk woman off first and only charge the fare to that address. It didnt bother me as I had to go past the other womans house to get back to town.
At the first woman's address it seemed to take forever whilst she got out of the car and fell into a bush in her garden. She managed to rummage up 45p for the fare.
After she got out the car I took the other woman home and asked for £7.20p which was on the meter. After rummaging through her purse she managed to come up with £6.21p and said I would have to go back for the rest tomorrow.
Not worth it for 99p so I just wrote it off and took the £6.21p ... I was just glad to have them both out the cab.
Sometimes you have to right things off otherwise you lose out more trying to fioght for your money. Its not worth the hassle... I just had horrible thoughts of dropping the drunken one off last and not getting paid at all dso £6.21p is better than nothing.
Friday, July 31
EGGstremely Dangerous
This week has been a very distressing week for some of our drivers. For no apparent reason one driver had his vehicle door kicked in by some drunken yob who thought it was funny and a good laugh just to jump up at it and kick it.
His excuse would probably be that he was drunk and didn't know what he was doing but the next lot of idiots weren't drunk so what would their excuse be.
These idiots were driving round in a car. Speeding round and screeching the brakes as boy racers tend to do without showing any respect for other road users. The passenger in the car had eggs with him and was throwing them at passing vehicles.
One egg hit our drivers windscreen and you can imagine the force. If our driver is travelling at 25mph and the idiots in the other car throwing eggs were going at 40mph in the other direction then thats a combined force of 65mph when the egg hits the windscreen and splatters all over it blocking our drivers view and therefore potentially leading to an accident.
The police dont seem to do anything about it and cars remain damaged and egged and these idiots get away with it. What sort of a kick do they get from it.
End of Rant....
His excuse would probably be that he was drunk and didn't know what he was doing but the next lot of idiots weren't drunk so what would their excuse be.
These idiots were driving round in a car. Speeding round and screeching the brakes as boy racers tend to do without showing any respect for other road users. The passenger in the car had eggs with him and was throwing them at passing vehicles.
One egg hit our drivers windscreen and you can imagine the force. If our driver is travelling at 25mph and the idiots in the other car throwing eggs were going at 40mph in the other direction then thats a combined force of 65mph when the egg hits the windscreen and splatters all over it blocking our drivers view and therefore potentially leading to an accident.
The police dont seem to do anything about it and cars remain damaged and egged and these idiots get away with it. What sort of a kick do they get from it.
End of Rant....
Tuesday, July 28
Split Personalities
This week I picked up a guy who was really very loud mouthed, drunk and stunk of stale cigarette smoke. He told me all about how he had got into a fight as he had been causing some trouble and how he made it out that it wasnt his fault. Anyway, I took the guy to his home address and dropped him off and thought no more about it.
Lets move forward about 36 hours.. I get a call to go to an address to pick a fare up. The same address I dropped this obnoxious lout off at 2 nights ago. Out he comes and gets into the car. Very smartly dressed in suit and tie and asked me to take him to his place of work. This same man was of a different character. He was polite and even gave a tip on the fare. He tells me he works for a local bank and has a wife and 2 children and that his wifes been ill. I couldnt believe it was the same person I picked up a couple of days ago.
I then brought the subject up of his night out and what an idiot he was acting. He went a deep shade of red and apologised to me for his behaviour but lets face it. We don't expect this sort of behaviour from someone in such a high stranding trustworthy job.
There are a lot of Jekyll and Hyde type characters out there and we meet them all the time. At night after having a few beers they pluck up the courage to start trouble but during the day they wouldn't say a word.
Lets move forward about 36 hours.. I get a call to go to an address to pick a fare up. The same address I dropped this obnoxious lout off at 2 nights ago. Out he comes and gets into the car. Very smartly dressed in suit and tie and asked me to take him to his place of work. This same man was of a different character. He was polite and even gave a tip on the fare. He tells me he works for a local bank and has a wife and 2 children and that his wifes been ill. I couldnt believe it was the same person I picked up a couple of days ago.
I then brought the subject up of his night out and what an idiot he was acting. He went a deep shade of red and apologised to me for his behaviour but lets face it. We don't expect this sort of behaviour from someone in such a high stranding trustworthy job.
There are a lot of Jekyll and Hyde type characters out there and we meet them all the time. At night after having a few beers they pluck up the courage to start trouble but during the day they wouldn't say a word.
Saturday, July 25
Voicemail Gadget
Picked as fare up earlier this week and he proceeded to tell me all about his mobile phone and how the voicemail on it no longer works. Before I could say anything, he then went on to tell me that he had dropped the phone and the voicemail hasn't worked since and do I think that he may have broke his voicemail.
Are some people really this thick. I did suggest to him to take his phone to pieces and give it a shake and see if there was a small chip in there that spoke when he touched it and if there was then he has to take it to the local phone shop and ask them to put his voicemail back in his phone as it had fell out.
Wonder if the idiot really did go to a mobile phone shop.
Whilst on the journey he asked me what I knew about CD players as all his CDs were jumping. I suggested he needed a new stylus for it (like they used to have for playing records). I wonder what the store staff will think when he asks for a needle for a CD player.
Maybe I shouldnt wind the passengers up but some really do ask for it.
Are some people really this thick. I did suggest to him to take his phone to pieces and give it a shake and see if there was a small chip in there that spoke when he touched it and if there was then he has to take it to the local phone shop and ask them to put his voicemail back in his phone as it had fell out.
Wonder if the idiot really did go to a mobile phone shop.
Whilst on the journey he asked me what I knew about CD players as all his CDs were jumping. I suggested he needed a new stylus for it (like they used to have for playing records). I wonder what the store staff will think when he asks for a needle for a CD player.
Maybe I shouldnt wind the passengers up but some really do ask for it.
Thursday, July 23
Compensation
You may remember a story about an aggressive taxi fare on Boxing Day last year where the passenger was arrested and charged. Full details HERE.
The incident happened on Boxing Day, The court case was 13th January 2009 and the outcome was a 4 month curfew and £100 compensation payable to me.
6 months down the line and I still havnt received a penny of it so today I telephoned the magistrates court and was told that this person has a lot of previous convictions and is paying off previous fines and compensation. The courts have confrimed that his last fine was paid off last week and they have now sent him a "means Test" form. This will allow the magistrates to assess how much compensation a week he can pay me.
Its just so annoying to be a victim of crime and be left out of pocket all this time. What is the point of compensation being awarded if the defendant cant pay and even if paid then getting a few quid per week isnt beneficial.
This sends out the wroing message to the criminal as they know that any fine they get can be paid weekly or monthly and they probably wont miss it. What sort of deterrent is that?
The incident happened on Boxing Day, The court case was 13th January 2009 and the outcome was a 4 month curfew and £100 compensation payable to me.
6 months down the line and I still havnt received a penny of it so today I telephoned the magistrates court and was told that this person has a lot of previous convictions and is paying off previous fines and compensation. The courts have confrimed that his last fine was paid off last week and they have now sent him a "means Test" form. This will allow the magistrates to assess how much compensation a week he can pay me.
Its just so annoying to be a victim of crime and be left out of pocket all this time. What is the point of compensation being awarded if the defendant cant pay and even if paid then getting a few quid per week isnt beneficial.
This sends out the wroing message to the criminal as they know that any fine they get can be paid weekly or monthly and they probably wont miss it. What sort of deterrent is that?
Tuesday, July 14
Taxi for one person
Part of the job description being a taxi driver is having to put up with the drunks and other idiots that we get in the cab but this week I just couldn't believe it when a passenger got in the cab and told me where he wanted to go. Seeing the meter start on £1.50p on tariff 4 he thought I was ripping him off and told me that the meter said I was charging him for 4 people. I did try to explain that the number 4 was the tariff number and not the amount of people in the cab.
He insisted that I turn the meter off and set it to number 1 for 1 person. (Tariff 1 is more expensive than tariff 4) but he's the customer and the customer is always right (do they still say that).
I put the meter on number 1 as he requested. It started at £2.00p and he never queried the extra 50 pence difference. He was just quite happy to see the number 1 on the meter thinking it meant one person.
At the end of the short half mile or so journey he paid the fare of £2.20p, gave me a £5 note and told me to keep the change.
You just cant understand how some peoples brains function.
He insisted that I turn the meter off and set it to number 1 for 1 person. (Tariff 1 is more expensive than tariff 4) but he's the customer and the customer is always right (do they still say that).
I put the meter on number 1 as he requested. It started at £2.00p and he never queried the extra 50 pence difference. He was just quite happy to see the number 1 on the meter thinking it meant one person.
At the end of the short half mile or so journey he paid the fare of £2.20p, gave me a £5 note and told me to keep the change.
You just cant understand how some peoples brains function.
Saturday, July 11
Bingo!!!!!
Bingo must be a very popular game among both old and young as we pick up all walks of life from the sad pathetic chavs to the old age pensioners that like to while away a few hours of the day playing their favorite game.
Some people go to pass a few hours during the day for a little fun. Others take it more seriously and go to gamble their money with a chance of winning and others virtually live in the bingo halls spending money day and night.
After the game of bingo, the taxi driver will wait to pick the fare up and the fare on most occasions will see the taxi driver waiting and keep us waiting whilst they feed the rest of their money into slot machines hoping to make a big win.
The chances are they will come out and get in the cab and say they didnt win and have a moan about why they bother going and that theu`ve spent all their money and so this leads to a situation earlier this week when I picked up a young chav from the bingo. She saw me waiting but kept feeding more and more coins into a rather hungry looking slot machine and shouting abuse at it. Shortly after she came out and attempted to light up what seemed the end of a cigarette, took 2 puffs then threw it down on the floor and then got in my car.
In true Jeremy Kyle chav style she said "Didnt win again, dunno why I bother, its good fun though innit, i need a drink, sort of... take me to the Barrow Arms innit"
After translating this I made the journey of less than half a mile and she was telling me how good she was at playing bingo and hardly ever lost. Its a game of skill she said, you have to have an idea of what numbers are going to come up..
Game of SKILL..... Its balls coming out of a machine at Random.. She wasnt happy when i told her this. I went on to say that there's no skill in bingo. Its numbers at random being drawn and marked off on a card. How can that be skilful.
She wasn't happy when I pointed out that bingo was just like the lottery. Its a gamble. You pay your money and you either win or lose. There's no skill.
At the end of the short journey she had the cheek to say that the taxis are too expensive and take up all her money. This sad pathetic whimp of a chav had just spent a fair few quid in the bingo, is now off to the pub to spend probably a lot more and she whinges about the taxi fare.
Think I`ll put the lottery on tonight. If I do it a set way, maybe I will win... I think not. Its all totally RANDOM.
Now lets see how many bingo players I`ve upset.
Some people go to pass a few hours during the day for a little fun. Others take it more seriously and go to gamble their money with a chance of winning and others virtually live in the bingo halls spending money day and night.
After the game of bingo, the taxi driver will wait to pick the fare up and the fare on most occasions will see the taxi driver waiting and keep us waiting whilst they feed the rest of their money into slot machines hoping to make a big win.
The chances are they will come out and get in the cab and say they didnt win and have a moan about why they bother going and that theu`ve spent all their money and so this leads to a situation earlier this week when I picked up a young chav from the bingo. She saw me waiting but kept feeding more and more coins into a rather hungry looking slot machine and shouting abuse at it. Shortly after she came out and attempted to light up what seemed the end of a cigarette, took 2 puffs then threw it down on the floor and then got in my car.
In true Jeremy Kyle chav style she said "Didnt win again, dunno why I bother, its good fun though innit, i need a drink, sort of... take me to the Barrow Arms innit"
After translating this I made the journey of less than half a mile and she was telling me how good she was at playing bingo and hardly ever lost. Its a game of skill she said, you have to have an idea of what numbers are going to come up..
Game of SKILL..... Its balls coming out of a machine at Random.. She wasnt happy when i told her this. I went on to say that there's no skill in bingo. Its numbers at random being drawn and marked off on a card. How can that be skilful.
She wasn't happy when I pointed out that bingo was just like the lottery. Its a gamble. You pay your money and you either win or lose. There's no skill.
At the end of the short journey she had the cheek to say that the taxis are too expensive and take up all her money. This sad pathetic whimp of a chav had just spent a fair few quid in the bingo, is now off to the pub to spend probably a lot more and she whinges about the taxi fare.
Think I`ll put the lottery on tonight. If I do it a set way, maybe I will win... I think not. Its all totally RANDOM.
Now lets see how many bingo players I`ve upset.
Monday, July 6
Found Property
First fare of the day and I picked up a young girl and took her to an address on Walney Island. She duly paid the fare and got out of the cab and I drove off.
Shortly after, the office called me on the radio and asked if I had found anything on the back seat as the girl I had dropped off had lost something. I wasnt aware of what it was that she lost til I turned round and had a look. Maybe its just me but at a very quick glance it looked like a long haired rat and so I dived out of the car and was about to shut the door when the office radio'd to me saying it was a hair extension.
I suppose I should have looked more carefully rather than just glance but its made me more wary of what goods people carry in the cab.
Go on, laugh at my expense. looking at it, it looks nothing like a rat but at the time I thought it was something sinister and you never know if there`s teeth hiding under any hairy thing that could jump up and bite....... :)
Tuesday, June 30
A Trip to the beach
The weather lately has been extremely hot and today I picked up 2 American Ladies and an English Lady. The Americans were staying with her and they wanted me to take them to the beach so they could take photographs.
When I got to the beach they asked if I could leave the meter running and walk with them on the beach and take photos. What a great time. we had a walk and took some photos and spent a good 20 minutes there. The cuistomers bought me an Icecream and then off we went to another beach whjere we spent around 10 minutes before heading in the opposite direction towards Furness Abbey for even more pictures.
If only I could get customers like this all the time. I get to enjoy myself on the beach and get paid for it at the same time as well as making the most of this fantastic heatwave
When I got to the beach they asked if I could leave the meter running and walk with them on the beach and take photos. What a great time. we had a walk and took some photos and spent a good 20 minutes there. The cuistomers bought me an Icecream and then off we went to another beach whjere we spent around 10 minutes before heading in the opposite direction towards Furness Abbey for even more pictures.
If only I could get customers like this all the time. I get to enjoy myself on the beach and get paid for it at the same time as well as making the most of this fantastic heatwave
Sunday, June 21
RESPECT
RESPECT..... Wheres it gone...
This weekend, last job of the night around 4am I picked a young chav up and took him to an address in the town centre. On the journey into town he was ok and very quiet, you know the type, not very talkative but there again chavs do have a limited vocabulary.
On arriving at his destination he didnt have enough to pay the fare and got out the cab and knocked on a door to get it. After getting no response he kicked the door and shouted words to the effect of "Open this F****ng door now. A woman answered the door and he became very abusive with her. "Pay the taxi now you slag" was what he said to her.
5 minutes went by whilst he went in the house with her and then she shouted through the partly open front door for me to get the police. Just then, the young chav came out and paid me the fare using money given to him by the woman. At this point I learnt that the woman was his mother as he told me that his mother gave him the money.
I then notice his mother at the door with blood all over her nose and mouth. The young chav grabbed his mobile phone from me and flew towards his mother who immediately slammed the door and locked him out.
I`ve now been paid and am on my way but as I moved off down the street I could hear this young thug banging and kicking the door and shouting obscenities at the top of his voice. I did call the police for fear of his mothers safety and judging by the noise he was making then I`m guessing most the neighbours would have also called the Police
Maybe its me, maybe its the way I`ve been brought up but I was always taught to respect my elders and I never ever would have treated my mother like this. Whats the world come to???
The best of it is that this violent chav didnt seem drunk or high on drugs and yet he was violent towards his mother and had total disregard for his mothers neighbours.
This weekend, last job of the night around 4am I picked a young chav up and took him to an address in the town centre. On the journey into town he was ok and very quiet, you know the type, not very talkative but there again chavs do have a limited vocabulary.
On arriving at his destination he didnt have enough to pay the fare and got out the cab and knocked on a door to get it. After getting no response he kicked the door and shouted words to the effect of "Open this F****ng door now. A woman answered the door and he became very abusive with her. "Pay the taxi now you slag" was what he said to her.
5 minutes went by whilst he went in the house with her and then she shouted through the partly open front door for me to get the police. Just then, the young chav came out and paid me the fare using money given to him by the woman. At this point I learnt that the woman was his mother as he told me that his mother gave him the money.
I then notice his mother at the door with blood all over her nose and mouth. The young chav grabbed his mobile phone from me and flew towards his mother who immediately slammed the door and locked him out.
I`ve now been paid and am on my way but as I moved off down the street I could hear this young thug banging and kicking the door and shouting obscenities at the top of his voice. I did call the police for fear of his mothers safety and judging by the noise he was making then I`m guessing most the neighbours would have also called the Police
Maybe its me, maybe its the way I`ve been brought up but I was always taught to respect my elders and I never ever would have treated my mother like this. Whats the world come to???
The best of it is that this violent chav didnt seem drunk or high on drugs and yet he was violent towards his mother and had total disregard for his mothers neighbours.
Friday, June 19
Wheres That Then?
I picked 3 females up this week and the conversation in the cab between them was along the lines of a new taxi company not knowing where streets and places were and how the service is of no good.
My ears pricked up so I could try and find out which company they were on about.
One girl says that when she rang for a cab she wanted to be picked up from the Cemetery Cottages Club only to be asked by the taxi office - "Wheres That Then". Up the road from the Tally Ho was the answer. Tally Ho???? Never heard of that one. What area is that...... Our young passenger said "Near Asda". The reply from the cab compnay was "Which Asda". Our girl says "Theres only one asda, got in a stroppy mood and told them that they were all a bunch of useless $£*&$ and hung up.
So the other girl in the car asks her mate which company she rang and she said she didnt know as she had used her other mates phone and it just said TAXI on the phone.
Her other mate (the 3rd girl in the car) who had been quiet upto now started laughing. At this point I found out her mate lived in Manchester ( about 90 miles away) and was visiting our local town and so the cab company in question was a Manchester company. No wonder they were confused,
My ears pricked up so I could try and find out which company they were on about.
One girl says that when she rang for a cab she wanted to be picked up from the Cemetery Cottages Club only to be asked by the taxi office - "Wheres That Then". Up the road from the Tally Ho was the answer. Tally Ho???? Never heard of that one. What area is that...... Our young passenger said "Near Asda". The reply from the cab compnay was "Which Asda". Our girl says "Theres only one asda, got in a stroppy mood and told them that they were all a bunch of useless $£*&$ and hung up.
So the other girl in the car asks her mate which company she rang and she said she didnt know as she had used her other mates phone and it just said TAXI on the phone.
Her other mate (the 3rd girl in the car) who had been quiet upto now started laughing. At this point I found out her mate lived in Manchester ( about 90 miles away) and was visiting our local town and so the cab company in question was a Manchester company. No wonder they were confused,
Tuesday, June 16
Priorities and Liberties
It was early evening when I got a call to pick a young girl up from the local chinese. She got in the car with 2 carrier bags. One had her chinese meal in it and the other was full of tins of beer.
During the journey she asks me if £2.10p would get her home. I knew it wouldnt but there again wouldnt be too far off and under normal circumstances, a young girl on her own I would have took her home so to make sure she got home safely but some people just take it for granted that as they pay for a taxi at the end of the journey that they can get away with a little bit more than they would if buying goods in a shop.
Now look at the scenario. She`s got in the cab with chinese and beer and then expects a cheap cab home. Would she have expected cheap beer or food. So when the meter got to £2.10p I stopped tha cab. She then said she could pay when she gets home and I started getting a little suspicious about it. I took her home. Fare was £2.50p. She then asked me if I could come back for the other 40p nbext Tuesday then had the cheek to say that if I`m coming back next Tuesday she will keep the money she has and pay me it all next week.
I was having none of it. I took the £2.10p and also said that I required payment of the balance there and then. She offered me 2 cans of larger as payment. So I took them.
At least when I finished a long shift I had a drink to relax with.
It just annoys me that customers take liberties this way. Their priorities are all wrong.
During the journey she asks me if £2.10p would get her home. I knew it wouldnt but there again wouldnt be too far off and under normal circumstances, a young girl on her own I would have took her home so to make sure she got home safely but some people just take it for granted that as they pay for a taxi at the end of the journey that they can get away with a little bit more than they would if buying goods in a shop.
Now look at the scenario. She`s got in the cab with chinese and beer and then expects a cheap cab home. Would she have expected cheap beer or food. So when the meter got to £2.10p I stopped tha cab. She then said she could pay when she gets home and I started getting a little suspicious about it. I took her home. Fare was £2.50p. She then asked me if I could come back for the other 40p nbext Tuesday then had the cheek to say that if I`m coming back next Tuesday she will keep the money she has and pay me it all next week.
I was having none of it. I took the £2.10p and also said that I required payment of the balance there and then. She offered me 2 cans of larger as payment. So I took them.
At least when I finished a long shift I had a drink to relax with.
It just annoys me that customers take liberties this way. Their priorities are all wrong.
Sunday, June 14
Country Roads - Take Me Home
Maybe its a title of a song but this week it was reality for us drivers as a small section of road was closed off due to a serious accident which left the road closed for a few hours.
This meant a good mile and half or more detour to get from Barrow In Furness to the next town of Dalton In Furness. The options were a detour along the bypass or depending on where you wanted to be in Dalton using country roads via our local tourist attraction Furness Abbey.
Around this area we are used to a wide variety of different styles of roads but the narrow country lanes and the backroads were kept busy as everyone was using them and travelling in oppsite directions meant a tight squeeze at some places to get through.
The passengers didn't mind as they understood the road was closed and seemed to enjoy the alternate scenic route but it makes you think.....
How much we miss a small section of road that is closed. A quarter of a mile section of road caused a mile to 2 mile detour.
This meant a good mile and half or more detour to get from Barrow In Furness to the next town of Dalton In Furness. The options were a detour along the bypass or depending on where you wanted to be in Dalton using country roads via our local tourist attraction Furness Abbey.
Around this area we are used to a wide variety of different styles of roads but the narrow country lanes and the backroads were kept busy as everyone was using them and travelling in oppsite directions meant a tight squeeze at some places to get through.
The passengers didn't mind as they understood the road was closed and seemed to enjoy the alternate scenic route but it makes you think.....
How much we miss a small section of road that is closed. A quarter of a mile section of road caused a mile to 2 mile detour.
Friday, June 12
The Cover of a mobile phone
Earlier this week I picked a fare up and took her home, dropped her off. She paid the fare got out the cab and I carried on to my next job. Nothing wrong with that.... Lets move forward 3 days....
3 days later..... She rings the office saying she may have left her phone in my cab. Now at this point I have probably picked up a lot of fares in the last few days and if it wasnt in the cab then its possible anyone could have taken it. As it happens a quick search of the cab revealed a lump down the back of the rear seat. Having to get my hand down and wriggle it around under the seat I managed to grab what felt like a mobile phone and slowly pull it from under the back of the seat.
When I got the phone out and looked at it the cover that holds the battery in place was missing so I guessed it had come off whilst trapped underneath the seat.
It took near on 20 minutes for me to get my tools out and start removing the rear seat so that I could find this persons phone cover. What I did find was about 8 pennies, a train ticket and a receipt for something but no phone cover.
I decided not to hang about any more on this, put the seat back in the car and went to deliver the phone to the lady who had lost it and explained that it was stuck solid down the back of the seat and I couldnt find the missing cover.
Her reply....... Oh that... I knows its missing, I lost it a while ago.
Meanwhile I had been looking for a part that wasnt there.
The things we do for customers. If only she had explained this to our telephonists when she rang up about it in the first place...
Bah....
3 days later..... She rings the office saying she may have left her phone in my cab. Now at this point I have probably picked up a lot of fares in the last few days and if it wasnt in the cab then its possible anyone could have taken it. As it happens a quick search of the cab revealed a lump down the back of the rear seat. Having to get my hand down and wriggle it around under the seat I managed to grab what felt like a mobile phone and slowly pull it from under the back of the seat.
When I got the phone out and looked at it the cover that holds the battery in place was missing so I guessed it had come off whilst trapped underneath the seat.
It took near on 20 minutes for me to get my tools out and start removing the rear seat so that I could find this persons phone cover. What I did find was about 8 pennies, a train ticket and a receipt for something but no phone cover.
I decided not to hang about any more on this, put the seat back in the car and went to deliver the phone to the lady who had lost it and explained that it was stuck solid down the back of the seat and I couldnt find the missing cover.
Her reply....... Oh that... I knows its missing, I lost it a while ago.
Meanwhile I had been looking for a part that wasnt there.
The things we do for customers. If only she had explained this to our telephonists when she rang up about it in the first place...
Bah....
Tuesday, June 9
The Paratrooper
What a way to end a shift. The guy I picked up from one of the towns main nightclubs was well drunk. He clambered into the back of the cab, couldn't remember where he was going and after telling me he wanted to go to the nearby Isle of Walney I then set off.
He decided to lean forward, then sideways and did a few funny manoeuvres in the rear seat before finally falling asleep. I thought nothing of this as its quite usual for drunks to fall asleep on their way home but what did startle me was that part way through the journey he suddenly, woke up, sat up as straight as he could, mumbled something, opened the door and jumped out of the car.
I stopped to make sure he was ok after he decided to jump out of a moving car and after a bit of sorting out it transpires he thought he was in an aeroplane and was ready to parachute out.
He was very lucky not to sustain any injuries apart from ripped clothing and a few grazes and it was a good job I was going slow as I was in an area with speed ramps.
Strange thing is, he seemed to sober up pretty quick, realised what had happened, apologised and paid the fare before walking off up the road.
He decided to lean forward, then sideways and did a few funny manoeuvres in the rear seat before finally falling asleep. I thought nothing of this as its quite usual for drunks to fall asleep on their way home but what did startle me was that part way through the journey he suddenly, woke up, sat up as straight as he could, mumbled something, opened the door and jumped out of the car.
I stopped to make sure he was ok after he decided to jump out of a moving car and after a bit of sorting out it transpires he thought he was in an aeroplane and was ready to parachute out.
He was very lucky not to sustain any injuries apart from ripped clothing and a few grazes and it was a good job I was going slow as I was in an area with speed ramps.
Strange thing is, he seemed to sober up pretty quick, realised what had happened, apologised and paid the fare before walking off up the road.
Sunday, June 7
Taxi drivers grumpy workers?
A recent report shows that London Taxi drivers are Britain's grumpiest workers, according to a survey on Monday, while secretaries are the happiest.
The gloomy prospect of ferrying around strangers every day makes taxi-drivers laugh less than any other profession, according to the survey of 4 000 workers.
Drivers cited traffic jams, the rising cost of petrol, drunken passengers and frisky couples as reasons not to be cheerful.
Fitness instructors could lighten up too, with just 0.9% of them saying they enjoy a giggle in the gym.
Those in recruitment could also do with a good dose of humour, the survey said, as just 3.8% laughed regularly during the working day.
By contrast, 53.5% of secretaries said they laughed on a regular basis during a working day, with a quarter of those surveyed confessing that most of their amusement comes from watching the stressful lives of their disgruntled bosses.
Other workers scoring high on the laughter scale were, perhaps surprisingly, accountants - many of whom said they regularly played pranks or wound up their workmates to alleviate the daily grind - and teachers.
The results of the survey, conducted for comedy TV channel G.O.L.D. also revealed a correlation between laughter at work and days off taken sick.
The more we laugh, it seems, the less we skive.
The gloomy prospect of ferrying around strangers every day makes taxi-drivers laugh less than any other profession, according to the survey of 4 000 workers.
Drivers cited traffic jams, the rising cost of petrol, drunken passengers and frisky couples as reasons not to be cheerful.
Fitness instructors could lighten up too, with just 0.9% of them saying they enjoy a giggle in the gym.
Those in recruitment could also do with a good dose of humour, the survey said, as just 3.8% laughed regularly during the working day.
By contrast, 53.5% of secretaries said they laughed on a regular basis during a working day, with a quarter of those surveyed confessing that most of their amusement comes from watching the stressful lives of their disgruntled bosses.
Other workers scoring high on the laughter scale were, perhaps surprisingly, accountants - many of whom said they regularly played pranks or wound up their workmates to alleviate the daily grind - and teachers.
The results of the survey, conducted for comedy TV channel G.O.L.D. also revealed a correlation between laughter at work and days off taken sick.
The more we laugh, it seems, the less we skive.
Friday, June 5
Heroin courier taxi driver jailed
You never know what could be lurking in your cab. Customers leave all sorts of stuff and some of it is never claimed such as the taser gun that Bob found in his cab a while ago. If you missed that story then click HERE to read it on the blog.
The chances are that you don't know exactly what goods your passengers are carrying and if a customer asked you to deliver a package to an address then would you just do it or question what is in the package.
Read the latest taxi news below and ask yourself. What would you do if given a package to deliver. This story is slightly different in view of the fact the idiotic driver knew what he was carrying.
Heres the story from the BBC News website
A taxi driver who admitted carrying £200,000 worth of heroin to Scotland has been jailed for 32 months.
John Arnold, 45, of George Street, Whitefield, Manchester, was driving north on the A74(M) when police stopped him for routine checks near Lockerbie.
Officers noticed he was nervous and carried out a drugs search of his taxi where they found four packs of heroin.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Lord Brailsford described it as an "act of gross folly and stupidity".
The court heard how police officers stopped him on the motorway in the south of Scotland in August last year.
They noticed Arnold appeared nervous and was vague and evasive when he spoke to them.
They also spotted a carrier bag sticking out from beneath the front passenger seat and detained him for a drugs search.
Police officers found four packages wrapped in brown paper each containing a half kilogramme of heroin.
The haul was worth a maximum of £200,000 if broken down into street deals.
Arnold told police he was being paid £300 to bring the package north from his home city.
He admitted being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug on 21 August last year.
Arnold had previously been granted bail to allow him to have a knee operation.
Judge Lord Brailsford said he now had no choice but to jail him.
He said: "I am prepared to accept that this offence is out of character.
"I have no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence."
'Strong suspicion'
The judge said he would have jailed him for four years, but the sentence would be reduced following his guilty plea.
Defence counsel Frances Connor said Arnold ran an amateur football team and through that contributed to youth training in his local area.
She said: "It is clear he has disappointed many people by his appearance here today."
Ms Connor said that for several months Arnold had been transporting a man on local journeys who came to be a valued customer.
He was asked by the man to run him to Glasgow where he had "some business" and was offered cash payment for the trip.
However, when Arnold went to pick up the passenger he was told he could not go and would like him to take a package to Glasgow.
The defence counsel said: "He knew something was wrong.
"He had a strong suspicion about what he was being asked to do."
The chances are that you don't know exactly what goods your passengers are carrying and if a customer asked you to deliver a package to an address then would you just do it or question what is in the package.
Read the latest taxi news below and ask yourself. What would you do if given a package to deliver. This story is slightly different in view of the fact the idiotic driver knew what he was carrying.
Heres the story from the BBC News website
A taxi driver who admitted carrying £200,000 worth of heroin to Scotland has been jailed for 32 months.
John Arnold, 45, of George Street, Whitefield, Manchester, was driving north on the A74(M) when police stopped him for routine checks near Lockerbie.
Officers noticed he was nervous and carried out a drugs search of his taxi where they found four packs of heroin.
At the High Court in Edinburgh, Judge Lord Brailsford described it as an "act of gross folly and stupidity".
The court heard how police officers stopped him on the motorway in the south of Scotland in August last year.
They noticed Arnold appeared nervous and was vague and evasive when he spoke to them.
They also spotted a carrier bag sticking out from beneath the front passenger seat and detained him for a drugs search.
Police officers found four packages wrapped in brown paper each containing a half kilogramme of heroin.
The haul was worth a maximum of £200,000 if broken down into street deals.
Arnold told police he was being paid £300 to bring the package north from his home city.
He admitted being concerned in the supply of the Class A drug on 21 August last year.
Arnold had previously been granted bail to allow him to have a knee operation.
Judge Lord Brailsford said he now had no choice but to jail him.
He said: "I am prepared to accept that this offence is out of character.
"I have no alternative but to impose a custodial sentence."
'Strong suspicion'
The judge said he would have jailed him for four years, but the sentence would be reduced following his guilty plea.
Defence counsel Frances Connor said Arnold ran an amateur football team and through that contributed to youth training in his local area.
She said: "It is clear he has disappointed many people by his appearance here today."
Ms Connor said that for several months Arnold had been transporting a man on local journeys who came to be a valued customer.
He was asked by the man to run him to Glasgow where he had "some business" and was offered cash payment for the trip.
However, when Arnold went to pick up the passenger he was told he could not go and would like him to take a package to Glasgow.
The defence counsel said: "He knew something was wrong.
"He had a strong suspicion about what he was being asked to do."
Thursday, June 4
Penny Pinching
The majority of fares will pay what is on the meter and usually give you a tip. Sometimes big, sometimes small. It works both ways as if its say for example £1.90p on the meter the chances are the customer will give you £2 and say keep the change. If it says £2.10p on the meter then I will often say to the customer just give us £2 but this week I got one customer who I had been told was a bit tight and I didn't know whether to believe it or not so off we set on a short journey that was to be £2.25p on the meter.
The customer paid me using a £2 coin, a 20p coin and 3 2p coins totalling £2.26p. I took the money and out it away expecting him to get out the car but he sat there. I had a feeling he was waiting for his penny change so when I rummaged through my loose change and gave him a penny he then thanked me and got out of the car.
Prior to picking this person up I could see him feeding coins into a slot machine and losing.
The customer paid me using a £2 coin, a 20p coin and 3 2p coins totalling £2.26p. I took the money and out it away expecting him to get out the car but he sat there. I had a feeling he was waiting for his penny change so when I rummaged through my loose change and gave him a penny he then thanked me and got out of the car.
Prior to picking this person up I could see him feeding coins into a slot machine and losing.
Tuesday, June 2
Red-faced police crack mystery
|A recent news story in Ireland. Nothing to do with taxis but made me laugh anyway
Irish police chasing a Polish driver who had apparently committed more then 50 motoring offences have discovered the embarrassing truth.
Officers had been puzzled how the mysterious 'Prawo Jazdy' had always produced his documents - but with a different address each time.
However, they have now discovered that 'Prawo Jazdy' is Polish for driving licence, reports Metro.
An internal Garda memo, reported in Irish papers, said officers taking details of Polish traffic offenders had been mistakenly using 'Prawo Jazdy', printed in the top right corner of the driving licence, as the holder's name.
"Prawo Jazdy is actually the Polish for driving licence and not the first and surname on the licence," the police memo said.
"It is quite embarrassing to see the system has created Prawo Jazdy as a person with over 50 identities."
A Garda spokesman declined to comment on the reports.
Irish police chasing a Polish driver who had apparently committed more then 50 motoring offences have discovered the embarrassing truth.
Officers had been puzzled how the mysterious 'Prawo Jazdy' had always produced his documents - but with a different address each time.
However, they have now discovered that 'Prawo Jazdy' is Polish for driving licence, reports Metro.
An internal Garda memo, reported in Irish papers, said officers taking details of Polish traffic offenders had been mistakenly using 'Prawo Jazdy', printed in the top right corner of the driving licence, as the holder's name.
"Prawo Jazdy is actually the Polish for driving licence and not the first and surname on the licence," the police memo said.
"It is quite embarrassing to see the system has created Prawo Jazdy as a person with over 50 identities."
A Garda spokesman declined to comment on the reports.
Saturday, May 30
Taxi-driver's own goal
A taxi driver unwittingly became the getaway driver for a thief who had just burgled his home.
Mr Shen, of Huainan city, picked up the passenger at a bus stop at around 3am, reports Xin'an Evening Post.
"He had a lot of home appliances, so I helped him put all of his things into the cab," he said.
"I noticed he had a fish without a tail, and I thought how much it looked like the fish in my freezer at home. But then I laughed at myself for even having the thought."
The passenger said he had just returned from a trip to his home town and had been dropped off by a long distance bus.
Mr Shen only realised the truth when he later returned home to find his house broken into and his possessions - including the tail-less fish - missing.
Police later arrested a 56-year-old man who faces charges of burglary and theft.
Mr Shen, of Huainan city, picked up the passenger at a bus stop at around 3am, reports Xin'an Evening Post.
"He had a lot of home appliances, so I helped him put all of his things into the cab," he said.
"I noticed he had a fish without a tail, and I thought how much it looked like the fish in my freezer at home. But then I laughed at myself for even having the thought."
The passenger said he had just returned from a trip to his home town and had been dropped off by a long distance bus.
Mr Shen only realised the truth when he later returned home to find his house broken into and his possessions - including the tail-less fish - missing.
Police later arrested a 56-year-old man who faces charges of burglary and theft.
Wednesday, May 27
Sleep
Why is it that when people are so relaxed in a car that they fall asleep on the journey. It usaully happens with kids on long journeys. Maybe its the drone of the engine or something along those lines.
Its a totally differnt thing when you pick up one of the towns visitors to the local hostelry's and they`ve had a little too much to drink and are tired. Its a common occurance late at night that they will invariably fall asleep during the journey and the hardest part is trying to wake them.
Whats the best way to wake them and get the fare off them. I usually just shout loud or give them a dig but sometimes it doesnt work.
One guy I picked up this week was so tired and drunk that he managed to tell me where he wanted to be before falling asleep. When I got to his house I woke him. This was a major fete in itself as he seemed totally out of it. A shout, a dig, a poke and a prod woke him then it was the usualy 5 minutes of him going through his pockets so he could pay me. First off he offers to pay by Barclaycard. I couldnt accept this payment as we are not geared up for it but I did take a look at his card and note down his name should I have needed it for anything. He then pulled out a condom and offered me that. This was followed by a load of loose change amounting to 27p and 4 lollies which he tried to sell me as part of the taxi fare.
At this point I wasnt sure what I was going to do with him when his wife/partner came out the house and paid the fare and dragged him out of the car.
I wouldnt have liked to be him the next morning.
Its a totally differnt thing when you pick up one of the towns visitors to the local hostelry's and they`ve had a little too much to drink and are tired. Its a common occurance late at night that they will invariably fall asleep during the journey and the hardest part is trying to wake them.
Whats the best way to wake them and get the fare off them. I usually just shout loud or give them a dig but sometimes it doesnt work.
One guy I picked up this week was so tired and drunk that he managed to tell me where he wanted to be before falling asleep. When I got to his house I woke him. This was a major fete in itself as he seemed totally out of it. A shout, a dig, a poke and a prod woke him then it was the usualy 5 minutes of him going through his pockets so he could pay me. First off he offers to pay by Barclaycard. I couldnt accept this payment as we are not geared up for it but I did take a look at his card and note down his name should I have needed it for anything. He then pulled out a condom and offered me that. This was followed by a load of loose change amounting to 27p and 4 lollies which he tried to sell me as part of the taxi fare.
At this point I wasnt sure what I was going to do with him when his wife/partner came out the house and paid the fare and dragged him out of the car.
I wouldnt have liked to be him the next morning.
Tuesday, May 26
Bank Holiday Cruising
Its been a busy bank holiday weekend with the usual mixed weather but this didnt stop thousands of holiday makers enjoying Barrow and The Lake District as "The Tahitian Princess" Cruise Liner docked and welcomed American holiday makers to the town.
This meant plenty of taxis at the docks waiting for the passengers and taking them on a daily tour of such areas as Coniston and The Lakes as well as local historic places like Furness Abbey and a drive round the coast.
A great day out for the passengers and the drivers and no one lost out as even the drivers who stayed locally to pick up our regular fares were more than happy as it meant there wern't as many cabs in the town and therefore more work for the local lads
This meant plenty of taxis at the docks waiting for the passengers and taking them on a daily tour of such areas as Coniston and The Lakes as well as local historic places like Furness Abbey and a drive round the coast.A great day out for the passengers and the drivers and no one lost out as even the drivers who stayed locally to pick up our regular fares were more than happy as it meant there wern't as many cabs in the town and therefore more work for the local lads
Sunday, May 24
Responsible Adult
She was a young girl with a baby in a travel seat who got into the car. She opened the rear door. put the baby seat in the car complete with baby in it and then went round to the other side and got in the back seat and told me where she wanted to go to.
I asked her if she was going to strap the baby in and she said that she never does and it will be ok. I told her that its not ok, its dangerous if I pull up quick and its illegal. She then proceeded to strap the baby seat into the car and hadn't the faintest idea what to do. She had the child facing forward and didnt know how the seat belt attached to the baby seat. I had to sort it all out for her.
During the journey I asked if it was her child and how old it was. Yes, it was her child and it was 7 months old. Makes you wonder how a young mum can have a child of 7 months and have no idea how to fasten the child into a car safely. She told me she normally travels in her boyfriends car and the baby is never fastened in as its easier to get in and out the car but since she split from her boyfriend she has to get taxis.
Laziness is what it is, she puts the "cant be bothered strapping baby in attitude" before her childs safety. What sort of a mother is this.? I told her this as well. I don`t think she valued my opinion but she won`t ever travel in my vehicle without her baby being properly strapped in.
I doubt she would ever travel in my car again as she would be scared I`d have another go at her over safety of children.
I asked her if she was going to strap the baby in and she said that she never does and it will be ok. I told her that its not ok, its dangerous if I pull up quick and its illegal. She then proceeded to strap the baby seat into the car and hadn't the faintest idea what to do. She had the child facing forward and didnt know how the seat belt attached to the baby seat. I had to sort it all out for her.
During the journey I asked if it was her child and how old it was. Yes, it was her child and it was 7 months old. Makes you wonder how a young mum can have a child of 7 months and have no idea how to fasten the child into a car safely. She told me she normally travels in her boyfriends car and the baby is never fastened in as its easier to get in and out the car but since she split from her boyfriend she has to get taxis.
Laziness is what it is, she puts the "cant be bothered strapping baby in attitude" before her childs safety. What sort of a mother is this.? I told her this as well. I don`t think she valued my opinion but she won`t ever travel in my vehicle without her baby being properly strapped in.
I doubt she would ever travel in my car again as she would be scared I`d have another go at her over safety of children.
Friday, May 22
Office staff safety
Its quite disturbing and quite common to hear of assaults on taxi drivers and very rare to hear of assaults on the taxi office staff but it does happen.
As a telephonist answering the phone to a customer, what would you do if they were abusive on the phone. As for me, I wouldnt send them a cab. If they are like that on the phone then what will they be like in the cab. Safety HAS to come first.
Here is one such story. [double click the image to view full size]
What do you think. Does the punishment fit the crime. We are trying to supply a public service. If it was a police officer that was assaulted then the culprit almost certainly would have been sent down so why not for this case. We are both serving the public.
As a telephonist answering the phone to a customer, what would you do if they were abusive on the phone. As for me, I wouldnt send them a cab. If they are like that on the phone then what will they be like in the cab. Safety HAS to come first.
Here is one such story. [double click the image to view full size]
What do you think. Does the punishment fit the crime. We are trying to supply a public service. If it was a police officer that was assaulted then the culprit almost certainly would have been sent down so why not for this case. We are both serving the public.
Monday, May 18
The Long and Winding Road
Last weekend saw the annual Keswick to Barrow Walk. Now if you've never heard of this, it is a gruelling 40 mile sponsored walk raising money for charities whilst taking in some of the Lake Districts breathtaking scenary.
For us taxi drivers, we had to go and pick a few people up from the finishing post as they were too lame to walk anymore but the problem with any event like this is the amount of road closures. Actually, not so much the closures but more the parking and waiting restrictions meaning complete chaos if we went to the designated pick up point and the customer was too tired to walk to it.
Even so, it would have been a great day out for many and thousands of pounds would have been raised for various charities so well done to everyone who took part. The walk was open to everyone including disabled people and its good to see so many taking part as all proceeds will be split between many local charities.
I`ve only ever done the Keswick to Barrow once..... and that was in the car... Ho Hum...
For us taxi drivers, we had to go and pick a few people up from the finishing post as they were too lame to walk anymore but the problem with any event like this is the amount of road closures. Actually, not so much the closures but more the parking and waiting restrictions meaning complete chaos if we went to the designated pick up point and the customer was too tired to walk to it.
Even so, it would have been a great day out for many and thousands of pounds would have been raised for various charities so well done to everyone who took part. The walk was open to everyone including disabled people and its good to see so many taking part as all proceeds will be split between many local charities.
I`ve only ever done the Keswick to Barrow once..... and that was in the car... Ho Hum...
Sunday, May 17
Smelly food and wind
It was a windy day, not too windy as I picked a fare up from one of the many local fast food chains. She got in the car with her food and young son and as you know, the smell of this stuff tends to linger so down goes the windows a little bit to let some fresh air in.
Kids, being kids and having to play about, the litle boy decided to put the back window down and the wind started blowing in the car. The female passenger (who had rather long hair) told the young boy to put the window up, exclaiming and I quote the following, "Put that window up now, I've got hair all over my face".
The young boy calmly turned round to her and said "Why don`t you get a shave then"
Kids seem to say the funniest things.... and in all innocence
Kids, being kids and having to play about, the litle boy decided to put the back window down and the wind started blowing in the car. The female passenger (who had rather long hair) told the young boy to put the window up, exclaiming and I quote the following, "Put that window up now, I've got hair all over my face".
The young boy calmly turned round to her and said "Why don`t you get a shave then"
Kids seem to say the funniest things.... and in all innocence
Friday, May 15
Wow!!! I`ve won car
This week or so the company has yet again excelled itself using advanced technology in a move up from the "Ringback" that we provided customers with. Instead of Ringback, our customers who call us using a mobile will get a "Textback".
So whats a Textback". In simple terms its a text telling the customer that their taxi is outside and the beauty of it is that the text also tells the customer what the make model colour and registration of the taxi is.
This has many benefits, It allows the customer to easily spot you, They and you know you have the right fare and car. The customer knows they are being picked up by the cab they ordered and not another one trying to steal the job.
On this one particular day, I picked a young girl up who told me that everytime she rang for a taxi she got sent a junk text message telling her she had won a car. She debated this with her boyfriend and each had thought the other had entered a competition and won a taxi cab.
I didnt realise people could be that thick. I wonder if she replied to the text to see if she really had won a prize.
Honestly. some people are only alive cos its illegal to shoot them. And its right what they say, "In every bunch of roses, theres always one prick".
So whats a Textback". In simple terms its a text telling the customer that their taxi is outside and the beauty of it is that the text also tells the customer what the make model colour and registration of the taxi is.
This has many benefits, It allows the customer to easily spot you, They and you know you have the right fare and car. The customer knows they are being picked up by the cab they ordered and not another one trying to steal the job.
On this one particular day, I picked a young girl up who told me that everytime she rang for a taxi she got sent a junk text message telling her she had won a car. She debated this with her boyfriend and each had thought the other had entered a competition and won a taxi cab.
I didnt realise people could be that thick. I wonder if she replied to the text to see if she really had won a prize.
Honestly. some people are only alive cos its illegal to shoot them. And its right what they say, "In every bunch of roses, theres always one prick".
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