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bpman



Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
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2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
Taxi ride warning
A tip I came across the other day:

If you take a taxi - if the driver is banging on about long hours etc ask yourself, has he/she had enough rest to be able to drive you safely, if not - GET OUT
Post #115828 16th Jan 2012 8:56am
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Surrey Rover



Member Since: 20 Dec 2010
Location: Surrey
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What happens if you really need him to take you to hospital. You have to take a chance.

When you arrive at hospital the Doctor who see's you is on hour 18 of a double shift!. You get up and leave only to be collected by another taxi driver who hasn't done long hours but has a new baby son who's kept him up all night and he's only had 3 hours sleep.

You could constantly stay indoors if you fretted about all the variables life can throw at you. Nick

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Post #115838 16th Jan 2012 9:28am
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pom



Member Since: 01 Jun 2010
Location: Worcester
Posts: 1343

you do make an interesting point, a goods driver by law has to have a tacho for carrying carboard boxes but a driver having human cargo needs Censored all!

Seems a bit on its head really.

Pom
Post #115840 16th Jan 2012 9:34am
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Surrey Rover



Member Since: 20 Dec 2010
Location: Surrey
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I bet half the people driving on any given Monday morning probably shouldn't be due to tiredness etc.

One life, get on with it. Nick

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Post #115841 16th Jan 2012 9:37am
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racer111



Member Since: 06 Jan 2012
Location: Hamburg
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I agree, the same goes for bus drivers and train drivers, and even yourself or your mates. You never know when someone is too tired, but at least taxi drivers know the roads and have (obviously) had lots of driving experience.
Post #115851 16th Jan 2012 10:28am
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leeds



Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8578

United Kingdom 
racer111 wrote:
You never know when someone is too tired, but at least taxi drivers know the roads and have (obviously) had lots of driving experience.


Do they? Have they?

OK proper official 'Taxi' drivers might have full driving licences, full insurance, full CRB etc etc

Private Hire car drivers?

In this part of West Yorkshire I would doubt it. The number of times I see reports on private hire drivers being taken off the road due to wrong licence etc. 8 have recently been taken off road in the Calderdale area, how long for I ask?

Police in Leeds used to hate private hire car drivers as they assisted house breakers!

A stupid, dangerous driving manourve in Leeds, 80% of time its mainly private hire driver with a mix of take away drivers.

Private hire car drivers are often in a rush to get to the next job and so will take unnecessary risks by driving fast. Have they passed advanced driving tests like police drivers? Look at my previous comments about licences!


Hospital junior doctors hours are now regulated, am not sure what the maximum is now, but still believe it is a high figure.

Brendan
Post #115855 16th Jan 2012 10:57am
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robpenrose



Member Since: 15 Jan 2011
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and boat skippers etc

I work offshore on boats, not as a skipper, but as a Surveyor. Try sleeping when its rough.

We all often go days without a proper sleep, although we are still ok to work as we have our 12 hours off shift, apparently..... Big Cry Current:D4 HSE
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Post #115856 16th Jan 2012 10:57am
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BigMike



Member Since: 13 Jul 2010
Location: Lancashire
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Surrey Rover wrote:
What happens if you really need him to take you to hospital. You have to take a chance.

When you arrive at hospital the Doctor who see's you is on hour 18 of a double shift!. You get up and leave only to be collected by another taxi driver who hasn't done long hours but has a new baby son who's kept him up all night and he's only had 3 hours sleep.

You could constantly stay indoors if you fretted about all the variables life can throw at you.


Agreed. You would never take a bus, train, plane, taxi etc. In fact you'd never go out. Then you'd trip over and fall down your stairs, or get electrocuted by a dodgy fire, or cut an artery whilst chopping an onion. It goes on.
Post #115857 16th Jan 2012 10:59am
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Surrey Rover



Member Since: 20 Dec 2010
Location: Surrey
Posts: 360

robpenrose wrote:
and boat skippers etc

I work offshore on boats, not as a skipper, but as a Surveyor. Try sleeping when its rough.

We all often go days without a proper sleep, although we are still ok to work as we have our 12 hours off shift, apparently..... Big Cry


I did a year out on a semi with an attached super tanker in the North Sea, when it was rough I always raised a smile of thanks that I wasn't out on the support vessel!! Nick

2.2 110 Tipper
Post #115858 16th Jan 2012 11:00am
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Zagato
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Member Since: 08 Jan 2011
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Had a ride through London in the early hours once and the driver just kept nodding off, I had to keep nudging him and talknig to him to keep him awake - he was drving half asleep, quite something to see Shocked

One of them tried to overcharge me once getting to Putney. I wasn't having it and tried to do a runner but was pretty p?ssed. He grab hold of me but I punched him and got little further away but was too drunk to walk anywhere so I threw myself into a bush whilst other Taxi drivers he had called drove around looking for me. I got away with it. Certain taxis drivers Whistle around here are a pain in the backside, they have their own rules of the road, it's like being in Bombay Evil or Very Mad
Post #115880 16th Jan 2012 12:50pm
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bpman



Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
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2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black
I'd like to add another point, if it's dark, check it has headlights too... flippin airport run minibusses up and down the M3 with a headlight out Twisted Evil (rant over)

(You would not want your family in one)
Post #115975 16th Jan 2012 8:10pm
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noworries4x4



Member Since: 24 Dec 2010
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England 
If you all want to get worried about something, i would give very large mobile cranes running at night a wide birth they weigh in excess of 80 tons and pound to a pinch of Censored the driver has been operating on site all day and driving to the next job over night catching a few hours nap in the back of a support van in the early hours then on to the next day, these boys regularly dont go home for weeks at a time. Their support ballast and jib trucks run tachos and swap drivers all the time but the crane drivers are in a world of their own. If everything is under control you are not going fast enough.

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Post #115988 16th Jan 2012 8:47pm
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BigRuss



Member Since: 15 May 2010
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United Kingdom 2010 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black
bpman wrote:
I'd like to add another point, if it's dark, check it has headlights too... flippin airport run minibusses up and down the M3 with a headlight out Twisted Evil (rant over)

(You would not want your family in one)


I was over taken on my way to yours Sunday morning by an airport taxi with all it's brake lights stuck on! Russell
2011MY 110 XS USW Black
Post #115991 16th Jan 2012 8:50pm
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IanW



Member Since: 12 Jun 2011
Location: Gloucestershire
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United Kingdom 2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 CSW Zambezi Silver
In Bristol private hire drivers are subject to a CRB check, knowledge test, enhanced DSA test, and communication skills. Hackney drivers too, but with a higher mark on the knowledge test. Out of three private hire vehicles checked on one day last week we took two off the road with illegal tyres, although on Saturday night 21 out of 22 vehicles [both catregories] were ok.

Bear in mind that there is no Council control over private hire fares, so always ask before the journey starts. The contract is with the private hire operator rather than the driver. If you flag down a private hire car the driver will not be insured or licensed to carry you - you need to book with a licensed operator.

If you take a ride in a hackney the driver can only charge at the taximeter rate, provided the journey starts and ends within his local council area. He is allowed to negotiate a fare outside the council area where the car is registered. Beware of the 'fixed fare' scam - reiterate that a journey within a council area can only be charged at the meter rate, also the refusal to make a short journey - a hackney driver must carry you unless he feels threatened.

Hope this sheds some light. Ian One wife - livid
Post #115993 16th Jan 2012 9:00pm
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leeds



Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
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Sounds like we have a boy in blue here Ian Thumbs Up

Communication skills test? Rolling with laughter Rolling with laughter I wonder what standards are acceptable in Bristol? Now if that was aplied nation wide I can see a few private hire drivers getting upset

Speaking to police in Leeds a few years ago, they mention if they pulled a private hire car, they would wait for the traffic police to arrive, who had more specialised knowledge. Apparently if need be the traffic cops would basically 'remove the plate' from the private hire car.

Brendan
Post #116005 16th Jan 2012 9:26pm
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