I've had black cab drivers insist that I can't use my card, and that I must get out.
I've had cab drivers refuse to drive me to certain parts of London because it's inconvenient for them.
They are also really expensive.
I've had cab drivers refuse to drive me to certain parts of London because it's inconvenient for them.
They are also really expensive.
1. When you need one at about 10pm in the City, and stand on the street corner for ages watching dozens of them go by with their lights off and no passengers.
2. When you are less than 1/2 a mile north of the Thames, and the cabbie refuses the ride because he 'doesn't go south of the river, mate'
3. Same as #2 but 'doesn't go north of the river, mate'
4. Same as #2 and #3 but for inside/outside the north/south circular ringroad.
5. Deliberately ignoring your route request, and then snarles the cab up in non-moving traffic all while the meter is still running (Black Cabs charge by time, not distance).
Sounds like you're exceptionally unlucky.
For me it is not 'let's grab an Uber', it is 'drat, missed the last train, where and when do I get the night bus?'
Because traffic is considerably lighter at night the bus goes at a good speed and during the day the bus has its own lane, one which Uber can't be in.
I appreciate that if you have some very important clients arriving then you want to book them a cab, plus there are plenty of other reasons to get a cab, however, TfL is putting together a transport system for everyone, not just people stuck in their apps.
that's incomplete.
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/taxis-and-minicabs/taxi-fares/tarif...
> The meter automatically adds a charge based on time for any part of a taxi journey when the speed drops below 10.4mph.
Basically, it comes down to lack of serious customer support and accountability system. Setting new rules from top to bottom in a legacy industry that has decades of industry malpractice under its belt cannot be effective if you aren't able to enforce those rules.
Report them, by taxi license number (displayed on a plate in the passenger area). Both those things are rare and taken seriously, but the authorities can't do anything if they aren't told.
I'm not paying money to increase it.
I improve services by voting with my wallet, which black cabs are trying to take away from the consumer.
A customer should not HAVE to report people for this shit. It should just work. And if it doesn't, then I am using a different service.
The last point I won't disagree with; Uber is definitely cheaper, qualitatively so, such that you'd consider it for trips that you'd never take a black cab for.