A'holes

After stating recently that there were no arseholes around to warrant posting stories, up pops two last night to prove me wrong. The first was a passenger and the second, a crazed pedestrian.

The passenger boarded in the city with his missus around midnight. They were both aged around 40, relaxed and well dressed with him wearing a suit. After requesting the northern beaches he duly fell asleep on her lap and the journey proceeded without incidence or conversation.

Upon arrival he awoke and handed over a debit card as they didn’t have enough cash for the $52 fare. Yet when I handed over the EFTPOS terminal for the pin number he queried the fare. “Why is it showing an extra five bucks?”

This surprised me as usually it is only kids who are unaware of the 10% surcharge on EFTPOS payment, which I explained to him.

He snarled, “I’m not paying you a surcharge” “It’s doesn’t go to me,” I told him, “Cabcharge gets it.” “Well, I’m not paying it. Here’s forty five in cash and I’ll go and get some coins.”

As we were outside a three storey unit block experience told me this would take some five minutes. “Okay,” I said, “but the meter’s ticking.” “What!?” “Waiting time,” I said, pointing to the fare label on the window.

This was gruffly rebuffed and he sauntered off into the unit block. I restarted the meter, just to see how long he took and his embarrassed wife waited nervously outside the cab.

After an extra $3.50 had clicked over he reappeared and handed over the coins, for the original fare only. So I challenged him, “How do you feel about short-changing a cabbie?” He leaned in the window, smirked and calmly pronounced, “I_feel_ no_ guilt.” And as he turned away I couldn’t help but retort, “Then you’re an arsehole.”

Yes, it was weak to react to such provocation but it did feel good calling out the thieving prick. Until, that is, when the very next passenger tipped me $3.60. Sheesh, I immediately felt like a mug.

The second a’hole encounter occurred shortly after in Harbord whilst dropping off a fare. Waiting for payment I noticed a young bloke about 20 metres away squatting on the footpath. He was naked except for an open shirt and it looked like he was taking a crap. Just then two young women appeared and started yelling at him.

He rose to reveal a full erection which he started stroking whilst leering at the girls, clearly goading them. Though it was obvious he was not a stranger to them.

I remarked to my passenger how the idiot had probably taken too many pills. “No,” he replied, “that’s more than just pills, that’s got to be ice.”

One of the girls grabbed a rolled-up newspaper off the ground and furiously attacked his genitals and bum, forcing him onto the roadway where passing cars braked and veered around him, narrowly avoiding a collision. A’hole.

Comments

[Epskee]

Hmm, nthn beaches and harbord you say? Yet its us folks out here in the west who cant get a cab, and when on occassion we get one, we are asked for a deposit up front to prove we have the cash for the trip? Westie scum indeed. Ive never short changed anyone or been an asshole. Or exposed my genitals either for that matter, although perhaps that would help us get a ride? lol! And folks ask why I dont want to live in the city!

[surry hills]

Works on the "other foot too".I called a cab last saturday from Surry Hills to broadway shopping centre.
On arriving at the traffic lights to turn right into mountain street the fare was $9.00,on arriving at the shopping centre the fare was 14.30,but........he added the booking fee to this in which he had already added but he tried it again.The real fare with the booking fee was 14.30 but he decided to add another booking fee.

Another one lat sunday morning from the corner of Riley street and oxford to corner of elizabeth and liverpool,fare was 9.90?
The driver said this is a different tariff,but 9.90?

[Boy on a bike]

The first guy - what a prick. When you get in a cab, you accept the terms of service and payment. They're all posted clearly right in front of you.

[adrian]

Surry hills, sounds like the driver had a meter which, with press of a button, adds the booking fee when stopped. Then he verbally added the booking fee, double-dipping. Unfortunately this trick works when passenger is not monitoring the meter. Hope you challenged him.

Also your second trip should only be $3.20 flag fall+$1.93 per km. Add 20% of km rate for night tariff: 10pm-6am.

[boy on a bike]

Re your second story - the use of a rolled up newspaper is an interesting way to "counsel" someone.

[Rainer the cabbie]

Epskee
Don't know what you are talking about mate, every time I go to Balmain or Drummoyne there seem to be stacks of vacant cabs about.

[Walter]

that second guy sounded just insane. The kind you never make eye contact with on the street (even if they have pants on).

[AustinExBrisCabby27]

Man. Once again attitude of the driver determines the whhollle experience. Not that I know the full story -but in my honest opinion (Which is just an OPINION) you explained the 10% in an awful way. If you take sides with him straight away and explain the fkn banks tax the 10% showing the same emotional frustration as they do; rarely will you hear them refuse to pay card. However maybe suggesting he pays the majority on cash so its only $1.50 extra or so for eftpos (in a nice way) will avoid the arduous process of them going upstairs to fish out coins.

Here's where the drama started tho. You just landed a sweet $52 fare -for maybe 23-25 minutes of driving! -even if it takes you 30 more mins to get back to town and find more work (which it shouldn't!) thats still a decent hour. Why be an "A'hole" and suddenly demand MORE cash for an already expensive fare just because of a pissy five extra minutes of waiting time. WHO CARES!?

While im perched on my high horse tho I'll say this: If you establish a good report with your customers within the very first second of them entering you cab. 99% of any situations can be easily avoided or defused on the other end.

[crjc]

Our POS machines were costing $200 a month in cellular bills alone, and the surcharge was upsetting customers. We sent ours back. Cash only. I make a point of saying so early on longer fares, in case we need to stop at an ATM. They aren't worth the hassle.