Snookered

PEAK-HOUR traffic on the west-bound lanes of Parramatta Road were in chaos late yesterday after a container truck became stuck at a rail overpass...

You know there’s a problem waiting in a long line of traffic, when the lights turn green and nobody moves. After a third ‘no-go’ green, cars up ahead start bailing out with awkward U-turns, so you finally bite the bullet and do the same, only to find Plan C even worse. You're well and truly stuffed...

Throw in evening peak-hour, intermittent rain, wet roads, fogging windows and three interstate businessmen in serious danger of missing their flights home. This after nearly losing the fare at the pick-up to a shark-cab, who'd already loaded them claiming he was the booked cab. Fortunately I arrived just in time to block his hurried exit and insist they honour my booking.

Once aboard I reassured the party they would make the airport in time for check-in and a 7pm flight. I figured we’d arrive with 10-15 minutes to spare. My big mistake was in killing the radio whilst they discussed business matters. This totally isolated me from traffic reports and the nightmare awaiting us.

Upon realising Plan C was buggered I really lost my cool. Livid in fact, to find myself totally snookered and out of options in a well-known area, the inner-west. Hitting the taxi-network radio I fired off an inquiry. ‘Have you got any traffic updates ?’, I asked, struggling to maintain composure. The operator hesitated, before responding, ‘No...why ?’. ‘Because the whole inner-west is grid-locked around Parramatta Road’. ‘Okay, I’ll get back to you’. But he never did, nor issued a general traffic warning.

By now my passengers were calling Qantas and rescheduling their flights to Melbourne and Brisbane, then notifying families they would be late arriving home. Business colleagues waiting at the Airport were also notified and meetings rearranged. Their easy chatting had long finished at the realisation they’d being driven into major grid-lock, by an embarrassed cabbie who felt every bit a total dumbass. The silence was humiliating.

Finally I delivered them to the Airport after one hour and sixty five dollars, for a trip which should have taken thirty minutes and forty dollars. So it was no surprise when they grunted at my pathetic apology and slammed the doors.

Why did it happen ? Because my radio network failed to issue traffic warnings of a major truck accident in peak-hour. Had I known of this accident in advance, evasive action could have avoided the worst of the trouble.

Yet during this ordeal the network managed to send three messages to it’s taxis - uniform shop hours; a cabbie’s picnic and changed office hours. Sydney’s largest cab network was asleep at the wheel whilst the inner-west went into gridlock. It was more frustrating than being ripped-off last Saturday night, and that's saying something.

Comments

[Paul]

Why get so concerned? The moment you start to get like that the game is over. As a fellow cab driver I never worry about things I can not control..... It is not your fault..... relax... they are probably tax inspectors OR businessmen designing a new nuclear power station! If they don't like it..... stay in Melbourne or Brisbane!

You tried your best and that is the best you can do. Nothing you did wrong! Relax.... don't be so hard on yourself!

[Turner Mitteron]

That's what happens when you work with THE most incompetent network in Sydney.
Their only interest is commercial success not customer service.
Why do you think that every independent network ceased their beureau arrangements with them?
The network that I used to work with in Sydney lost ALL it's major contracts within the first month of joining and couldn't wait until the contract expired to get out.

Most of Sydneys taxi woes can be sheeted home to their incompetence. The largest contract we had at the time was given to a trunk network because TCS (as they were known at the time) refused to service them in the manner the customer required and if you check up you will find that most of the major taxi clients have done the same thing.
Qantas, DVA to name two.

Thank christ I moved to the country where at least we are able to service the customer.

[kit.d.]

It would never occur to me to blame a cabbie for getting stuck in traffic, especially when there's a freak accident.

[Sanjay]

yes Adrian,
It does says soemthing:
Never trust TCS Network, all they care about is what suits them and their bottomline..if you are in danger...don't rely for help from your network..I gurantee you will be disappointed..

[huggies]

I don't know why people get upset about things beyond their control.

[David Crawford]

Wow, a traffic jam at rush-hour in a big city. Who would've ever thought such a thing was possible.

Yes, your cab company could've helped you out. But, anyone who lives in any decent sized city knows how fast rush-hour traffic can go tits-up. In Seattle all it takes is one stalled car on the freeway to totally screw up that night's rush-hour. You just build in extra time. If you get there early, oh well.

[adrian]

I guess what annoyed me most about this experience was the network's failure to issue traffic warnings, which they often do via text. Very rarely am I trapped by traffic chaos and pride myself in being able to sidestep such situations, often after being forewarned. Not in this case unfortunately.

[lg]

So, huggie, you're saying you never get upset over things beyond your control? You're in control of everything, is this what you're saying?

[Adam]

That's funny Adrian.

YOU SAID: I guess what annoyed me most about this experience was the network's failure to issue traffic warnings, which they often do via text.

And yet you have such negative comments to make about my service, namely www.roadspy.com.au, which does just that.

Maybe you need Road Spy yourself.

[adrian]

Adam, cab operators already pay the taxi networks for this service, which at times is less than proactive.

What they don't do is irresponsibly issue warnings of speed cameras, like Road Spy does. Hence my negative comments about Road Spy, which to date, you've failed to address...

[Adam]

Why do you think broadcasting police speed camera locations is irresponsible? If someone is advised of a speed camera on any particular road, its going to slow them down. Isn't that what you want?

Police speed cameras and LIDAR (laser) operations should be placed in known black spots, and high-risk areas. So by advising people of these locations, it helps slow them down in the areas most needed. Why do you think the WA and SA police issue speed camera locations to the public? Becuase they know, it slows people down, thats what they are supposed to be there for. Not catching people nor revenue raising, they are supposed to be there to slow people down.

In South Australia, daily speed camera locations are made available on the evening NEWS. Why? because it helps slow people down. And this is the police telling us where they are. I'm waiting for the time the other states follow.

Along with my other recent post in Book 'em, I hope this helps you to understand the benifets of broadcasting police speed enforcement activity.

[adrian]

Adam, I can think of a multitude of reasons why broadcasting speed camera locations is questionable. However after driving all night I haven't got the inclination or energy but intend posting on this issue in the near future.

[Aaron The Truck Driver]

We get warnings.
On the CB.
These warnings are allways exagerated. 4 inches of snow on the road is actually 1 inch. Traffic is only backed up 2 miles, not 8.
I think the best updates are the am radio traffic reports.

That truck driver sounds like he was having a fun day!