Black Cabs

[CheeseSlice]

I sodding hate black cabs

I avoid them whenever possible but tonight I had to get in one because the OH was ill and needed to get home pronto.
I don't think I have ever met an honest black cab driver. Every time they take me down most ridiculous route home, down whatever obtuse 'back roads' or speed-bump ridden 'short cuts' they think they can get away with.

Tonight was no exception. I purposely caught this black cab from a spot in town where they can U-turn back to the ring road and hit the gas straight out of town. This chancer decided he would drive into the centre of town around the one-way system through red-light after red-light. I pointed this out to him, asking if the other road was closed, but his response was that this was the quickest way and the other way would have cost more (LIES!! ). I replied with a very sarcastic and unimpressed "Oh really?", so that our cabby knew he had been busted.

When we got home he was looking kind of embarrassed at the sum on his meter, and admitted he would accept a lower fee.

[OwlHoot]

A year or two ago some black cabbie screeched to a halt as I was walking along and asked if I wanted a lift.

"Nah sorry guv" I replied "I'm on my way home".

Couldn't resist, as I've had the same line so often from them over the years, and to his credit he laughed.

[TimberWolf]

All the cab drivers I see locally look like past or future offenders.

[Moscow Mule]

Not all of them are *****. But I reckon its about 0.00001 percent.

[Gonzo]

It is much better to take a cab than try and get a Night-Bus home.

It took a while, but I did learn the right place to stand to flag down a cab out of the City to where I lived. They would have their lights off but the ones that lived in south Essex would stop and ask where I was going and because they were going past anyway so would take me.

I did get one on the rank at Waterloo station who wouldn't take me though.

Gonzo: Take us to Canary Wharf please.

Cabbie: I don't know where that is mate.

Gonzo: Well you just want to cross the bridge, go down the Embankment then take the A13 out.

Cabbie: I don't know where that is mate.



I suppose that he just didn't want to go north of the river.

[MrMark]

Not all of them are *****. But I reckon its about 0.00001 percent.

I've been very fortunate with black cabbies. Surprisingly so, as I've a northern accent and I would have thought I'd be prime game for the cockney bankers. But no, always been treated fairly and in fact, on one occasion taken an extra couple of miles when my money was out.
Funny thing is though, now I live in central London, I never use the blighters. If a place isn't either in walking or tube/train distance, I don't need to go there! (if there was such a place it'd be cheaper to hire a car for the day!)

[norrahe]

Stopped getting them as I got fed up at the roundabout route they constantly took to St Pancras from the city, especially since the station redevelopment. Some great claims about the imaginary one way system they had to take just to get a few quid out of you.

[Paddy]

After being ripped off a few times on the continent, I decided to sit in the front seat next to the driver with my Sat-Nav. That seemed to solve the problem. Strangely I find the ‘Gipsy Cabs’ (just flag down any old car) in Moscow to be the cheapest and best as you negotiate the fare before you get in. If you disagree, just stab the driver.