[Mr Brodie]

I use Max Cabs every time I venture out and due to the weather forecasted for last weekend I rang to see what the situation was likely to be. I spoke to a very polite man who informed me that if the weather got too bad then Max Cabs would close until it was deemed safe for the drivers to pick people up without fear of crashing. Armed with their advice I still went out into town and hoped that it wouldn't get too bad. (It did).
After a nice evening out I rang Max Cabs to see if I could get home and was told that due to safety reasons they were closed. Not to worry... I was warned... So, I went to Central Taxis on Burnley road and booked a taxi back to Ossy. The office said it would be £4 (which is more than I usually pay) but, because of the conditions I was very happy to pay the price.
Half way through the journey the driver started to complain about the conditions and that he hadn't earned any money etc etc... He then asked me for £8 ! I refused to pay him and asked for his badge number. He soon repealed his price back to the £4 I had originally been quoted and we parted company. Do NOT pay more than you have originally been quoted by a taxi company! If You have a mobile ring the office and speak to a an operator. They will tell the driver the price and that is what you will pay. Private Hire Drivers work under the banner of the taxi company and are all self employed and will try their hardest to get extra money from you. Don't give in, I rang Max Cabs a couple of times when I first started using them and the office told the driver straight away how much to charge. Once you get used to your fares and journeys then if you have the money ready you won't need to argue.
Do all these companies that carried on working in the icy conditions not realise that if they just charged the normal fare and looked after their customers then maybe they could grow and prosper as other taxi companies in town have?