Which to choose
 

I'm talking taxi drivers here, sorry Acyexplorer it's an adventure I had while drinking, (though I don't brag about it).

Now, I wanted to get home, for some reason the taxi office with happy drivers has been closed and not for owt illegal.

I walked to one I don't like, I was told, he's outside. Got into cab told him my destination, he should have turned left under the viaduct to take me home, instead he made a right hand turn even though the sign he was going against said no 'U' turn.

He should have turned left because otherwise he would be having to go past my place and eventually come back through Church traffic lights, He turned right ignoring the law and met a tirade of expletives from me.

I may be drunk, but, I rely on him getting me home safely, if he can't drive safely & legally I commented, pull over to the side of the road I'll walk the rest of the way.

He eventually did as he was told, I walked home from there.

Now, here's the question, do you blindly rely on the driver of a cab for safety?
Do you do as I did?
Perhaps we get the taxi drivers we deserve?

Re: Which to choose
 

after seeing the state taxis are allowed to operate in around hyndburn im reluctant to use any accy firm apart from a new one that has been set up by slinkys husband in ossy , old school private hire

and just incase someone thinks i should report bad taxis and their drivers if they bother me that much i have tried to in the past and the brunt of it was i am expected to do an illigal u-turn in the street and start a high speed persuit to get the exact registration and taxi badge number as the firm and the car are not enough

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Me & a friend got a taxi from bottom end clayton to asda. There was a lot of traffic and when we were on the hilly bit here the taxi driver didn't bother to apply the handbrake. He turned up his gangster rap CD of which was claiming to put caps in this nword and that nword, so loud we couldn't hear ourselves speak. He was revving the car so it was going forward and backward just a little bit(don't know what you call this, i don't drive) for quite sometime. He left it blasting all the way to the asda. Nuts

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the bit where the driver instead of engaging the handbrake and keeps moving forward then rolling back is called been a dick

next time this happens simply ask the driver to apply the handbrake and stop been a dick

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I'm originally from Manchester and know several taxi drivers, one being a very good mate who now lives in Haslingden. Being a mechanic I would often work on his cars to get them through there plate and you would not believe the things they fail on. Untidy boot. Dirty engine compartment. Ripped seats or unkempt interior and lots more. The cabs round here wouldn't stand a chance, and i doubt any of the local drivers would pass the test, not sure there is even a test round here!

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you have to trust the taxi firm to employ drivers that can drive safely and take your customers to where they want to go safely .. ive been in a position like that before I was scared and did actually make him pull over got out and walked the rest of the way even though it was 1am and I was on my own. I was less scared walking home at that time than being in that taxi. Monday morning I reported the taxi firm/driver to the council. didn't hear nowt else what action they took etc ...


Anyway heres grangemouth's idea of a taxi ... :p

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After a drink, or a bit of herb, getting a taxi often seems the easiest 'and safest' way of getting home.....But that convenience can come with a array of risks.

The police may be able weed out some of the dangerous taxi drivers and perhaps the odd unroadworthy passenger vehicle.... Yet i think it's perfectly legal for a convicted rapist or drug dealer with a driving licence and a battered old Toyota to proclaim themselves a taxi driver.

The answer to your question is, yes, folk "blindly" rely on taxis to be safe.

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The problem is, lack of regulation. I see many taxi's up and down in hyndburn, one collects my neighbour every day for work.
Late at night, what option do you have? We have no night bus.
Our wonderful council, could solve this in a heartbeat, make all Hackney carrages disabled access and no more than 5 years old and use a vehicle that is unmistakably a taxi, ie a London taxi. As to mini cabs.....well that would be seen as Racist to make any comment.

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Having just looked, briefly, at Hyndburns rules, it appears that no Taxi can be over 10 years old.

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didnt HBC give a taxi badge back to someone convicted of assault a few years back ?

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im sure it used to be 3 years maximum

i know some areas insist your car is no older than 3 years and im pretty sure accy used to be 3 years as well

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A friend of mine picked her daughter up from Healey's restaurant, where she works,late at night and did a U turn back under the arches to get to Hyndburn road.
The police were on the cinema car park and stopped her near ASDA.
She admitted doing an illegal turn and often did at night.
Reason being that when she is sat outside Healey's waiting for her daughter the Asian ( yes she said Asian) taxi aimers did it all the time so she thought it didn't matter anymore.
They sent her on her way without another word.
So , the taxi drivers are a good defence for misdemeanours on the highway.

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I will remember that if I ever get caught speeding.:D

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In this particular case, I'd say the driver should be reported at every level from the taxi firm to local licensing authority (perhaps one of the jobsworths at HBC will actually listen) and perhaps even the local plod.

Personally, If I passed a driver at the scene of a fatality they had caused I couldn't live with myself knowing I may well of been able to prevent it.

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Who will catch you at thirty thousand feet Si?