Can't win

On Monday night I dropped a fare outside the Coogee Bay Hotel thence parked the cab to return an overdue phone call. This was a mistake.

I killed the Vacant light, locked the doors and made the call just as a big heavy fella approached a vacant cab in front. He looked like a homeless guy, dishevelled and smoking a cigarette as he negotiated with the driver through the open door. Generally the grifters look for ‘spare change’, going from cab to cab with limited success.

He then approached my cab and attempted to open the door before reefing at the handle and bellowing something indecipherable. So I dropped the window a little and called, “Mate, I’m not vacant.” “If you don’t take me,” he wheezed, “I’m going to report you.” Whatever, I thought, and continued chatting on the phone as he disappeared into the hotel.

After a couple of minutes I rang off, turned the Vacant light on and hopped out to look for the bloke. The doorman told me he was in the lobby and went to fetch him. When he waddled out I said, “Ready to go, mate?” “Nah, bugger you,” he snarled, “I just reported you,” then climbed into the cab behind. Can’t win.

Comments

[Paul Pluta]

Adrian,
Don't worry about this fool.... he is still from the days when JOBS were hard to find......(probably the last time he was sober).

Do you really think this fool dobbed you in? For what?

Taxi company's at best would give this loser lip service and do nothing..... SIMPLE.

Don't worry - you have done nothing wrong......

Taxi drivers are in very very short supply - simple economics - SUPPLY AND DEMAND. Not many people can survive on $10- per hour...... and more importantly - NOT MANY PEOPLE WANT TO DEAL WITH TURDS LIKE THIS GUY FOR $10- AN HOUR!

[thomasr]

With a bit of luck, he would have gone through to someone like this guy:
http://blanktop.blogspot.com/

Ha!

Tom

[Roy]

Hardly a criminal offense to take a break, a mans gotta do, what a mans gotta do

[adrian]

Yeah, I'll probably get a call in the near future,

"You refused a passenger, why..?"
"He was drunk/smoking/obnoxious/dirty...I was on the phone/not Vacant."
"Okay, thanks."

[manly cabbie]

don't know where you drive a cab pluta but you make a lot more than $10 a hour driving a cab in sydney and shifts arn't that easy to find well not on the north side anyway.

[billy]

Well on a Monday night after a pay in/cab rent,my friend was making about $70 to $100 for a 12 hour shift.About average $8.00 an hour.
This was his profit after his rental and pay for gas,and he was working hard driving for 12 hours.
He says its "cut throat",they the cabbies jump in front of each other,etc and some nights they are desperate.Probaly........most nights !

[billy]

StraNGELY ENOUGH It seems San Fransico taxi drivers must earn a lot.i was just reading this American taxi driver website and read how this cab driver there has travelled to 33 countries.
Must be money in driving SF Cabs?
the website is http://www.taxi-library.org

[Goldstein]

Manly cabbie, It's true Sydney drivers can earn reasonable money -higher cost of living/rents, so higher pay is needed.. There must be 4-5 million people in Sinny now, lots of inner city types catching cabs..

But try Adelaide -only decent times are the run-up to Christmas, festival/car race times..

Otherwise, only decent nights are Friday and Saturday -you can go out on a Tuesday night for 12 hours and if you're on a 50% deal with the cab owner, pocketting $60-$80 is doing real well ($5 - $7 per hour..) -and if the roaming Parking Inspectors catch you double-parking picking up/letting off, there goes your WHOLE night's earnings..

Hence, I'd only bother with Fri/Sat nights, unless Xmas/special events time..

It really is a crappy job..

[manlycabbie]

the more that whinge that theres no money in driving cabs the better,get off the airport feeder rank and out of the coffee shops whineing to each other and hey presto money to be made.then again no stay there.

[Goldstein]

As I said, manlycabbie -you're in Sydney -it is not whingeing to state the reality as I experience it -Adelaide has too many cabs most of the year, too few at peak periods..

Even the best, most motivated drivers can't generate fares if there are none -if no-one is hailing, if the radio's quiet -what do you suggest? Drag the occasional jogger into the car??

I know the Sydney scene and I could be making a quid if I was back there, but, I'm in Adelshite, and in winter, weeknights, THERE ARE NO FARES...

It starts to liven up from now on up to New Year's Eve, then quiet as a grave for a while to the next festival or what-not..

And I never sit at the Airport -I drop off and get the hell out back to the city..

Stay in Sydney; down here you'd be the stony-faced geezer at the back of the Casino rank, whingeing about the "Industry"...

If you reckon there's "money" in driving cabs, you've obviously never had a proper job in a skilled trade or profession..

[Paul Pluta]

The only money in taxis is the 5 & 10 cent pieces behind the back seat.....
Taxi driving is a good between job.... nothing more - nothing less.
YOU DEAL WITH ABSOLUTE SHIT FOR 50% OF THE TIME. VERY LOW RENT.