Taxi Driver Online

I think I might know why the rates in London are so low.

Have you ever made a claim against a London Cab insured with Tradex?

Mine was the following experience.

After six months they finally answer your letter, telling you that they now have five eye witnesses all saying it was your fault. And guess what all five are London Taxi drivers.

Funny how none had stopped at the scene and given their details at the time. And not one of the other independent witnesses remembers a black cab in the area of the accident.

Well, yes, I have.

But I was claiming against one of their clients (a shopkeeper who supplies alarms and Audio equipment) who had damaged my cab. Believe it or not they drove it straight into the wall and almost demolished their office and workshop. The cab was only a few weeks old and had to have a new front on it. Their premises had to be rebuilt as the cracks in the side wall went 20 ft back from the point where the cab was buried in it under their window. The shop phoned me to say that they had had an accident with my cab and had made a slight dent in it, but it was OK!. When I went there and saw the damge - it was unbelievable. Their idea of a slight dent is like saying the Titanic had a small leak at the front.

They tried to claim that the throttle had stuck under the driver's mat and had video'd it (without telling me) showing how this could happen and came out with all sorts of silly nonsense about how this was dangerous, yakkety yak. They never produced this so-called evidence until the details of my claim were produced.

They lost. And I used against them the fact that they were taxi insurers and should know that this model (TX11) had a fly-by-wire throttle and couldn't stick. There was obviously more to it than this and it becam quite involved, but I wiped the floor with their arguments and they were forced to pay up in full, including all my uninsured losses. I hope they feel sick. They tried to fob me off but came very badly unstuck. When my arguments were revealed and the statements made by the shop owner queried, Tradex caved in and paid up the following day, with no further argument.

In any event if they are supposedly that good in supplying witnesses for claims (even belatedly) you ought to take your business there, surely.

So they didn't get rent-a-witnesses on my claim did they?

How did you manage to have this accident then? Not one one from the list I gave yesterday was it?

Regards,

Cruisin' Cabby

I haven't got the latest figures, but I think the ratio of drivers has generally been around 1.2 to 1 in London recently? So for every 4 taxis singled there is one doubled, on average.

Therefore, I think that your claim that my statement was inaccurate isn't quite...er...accurate.

Of course, with fleet cars there may be many different drivers if they're not confined to one vehicle, which could distort the figures in that this means that there would be more doubled and tripled taxis than the overall ratio would seem to suggest.

But I think from the perspective of my original point then the overall ratio of cars to drivers is the more appropriate measure, because it's more indicative of the likelihood of accidents, again on the assumption that provincial and London drivers have the same accident rate per mile.

In my manor there are probaby around 3 drivers to each taxi, probably because it's so easy to get a badge, thus there are loads of part-time/occasional drivers, whereas in a place like Luton ther are around 4 drivers to each car, in this case probably because the number of taxi plates is extremely restricted.

Dusty

[/quote]

Hmmm. Ill considered eh? It WAS meant as a `humerous' remark.

Actually, I get into London quite a lot. And most of my experience of it is at an average speed of about 15 mph stuck in traffic.

As to the speed cameras, most of them are south of the river. Its all speed humps to the north - and I'd reckon they would be fun at 86 mph in a TXII, just as they are in my `boxy' Merc conversion.

But, you are correct in your assumption that I have not driven a TXII, the last London Cab I drove was an FX4, so I was surprised the TXII was governed to 86mph.

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.

I know you were being humorous in your posting, and I hoped you'd notice I tried to answer in the same vein. No offence was meant, but perhaps we London cabbies are just a bit too sensitive when someone talks about how we drive, even if it is done in Jest. I'll try and lighten up in future.

The speed cameras are everywhere these days, (the bane of our working lives) and are not largely south of the river. (I live south of the river - lovely place, can't understand why any cab driver would not want to get a job here?)

The speed bumps seem to be self-perpetuating in West London too.

The speed bumps are hardly fun to hit even at as low a speed as 15mph as the TX11 suspension is just not good enough to handle them very well. The jolt it suffers in the front suspension, if you do happen to hit one above a reasonable speed, especially in the dark is alarming. When the rear wheels go over them it is even worse and don't your passengers let you know it too, when they nearly hit the roof.

The speed governor is, I believe, a chip fitted to the fuel management system, but it is there, I assure you. Installed no doubt to protect us from ourselves or is it because they had no faith in the engine?

Regards,

Cruisin' Cabby

As do I, about 50 odd miles.

Dusty,

I've got the PCO figures somewhere. I'll look them up and let you know. If I am, ... er, ... inaccurate, you will get the true figures and a humble apology for saying something without checking first.

I'll be back!

Regards,

Cruisin' Cabby

I was unlucky not to get down your way on Thursday night. Two people came over to my cab at the corner of Piccadilly and Berkeley St, one walked straight past and went to the cab behind me and the other came up to me and asked me to take her to Sth Norwood (South London). Crystal Palace FC territory.

On the way to her destination she told me her boss, who got in the cab behind, was going to East Horsley. How do you feel? It just shows you - you never know what luck you can get, or don't get. If I'd got the job I might have passed you on the road somewhere and not even known it was you!

Regards,

Cruisin' Cabby

Could you have not done them both?

That's exactly what I said to my passenger, but by that time we had moved off in the traffic. It would have been the job of the night. It is just how things unfold, the East Horsley passenger could easily have come to my cab first, but it just didn't happen that way. That's cab driving I suppose.

But last night I left a couple of colleagues after our dinner break and pulled away first. Just a few hundred yards along the road I was hailed by a gentleman getting out of a very expensive looking car. He said would I mind going down the A3 to Oxshott? I thought to myself, "Don't ask silly questions." But actually said, "Not at all Sir, I'll be happy to", in my most diplomatic and obliging manner. He thought I was being most helpful by agreeing to take him so far out, without question.

Regards,

Cruisin' Cabby

Very nice job.

Good for you mate. But is Oxshott included in the "knowledge" area? You might have got lost!

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.

Dear Andy7,

Oxshott is 'out' as we say in London. I knew where it was (smartie pants!)without reference and went straight there. The gentleman had already given a clue by mentioning the A3. Even to the dumbest cab driver that should have made the task straight forward as most of us know that the A3 is the Portsmouth Road and begins at London Bridge (it says so on the sign). But, as I carry a variety of UK road maps, (like every conscientious London cab driver should) including the Motorway network, many and varied City plans around the UK the AA book and the A-Z of London, I feel confident of finding any destination in the UK with little or no problem.

That's my job and I carry the necessary tools, though not a Sat-Nav as yet. I haven't as yet justified the price of one. I've managed for more than 30 years and have always got my passengers to their destination with the minimum of fuss.

I'll bet you have too - with the possible exception perhaps, if you've come to an obscure place in London.

Regards,

Cruisin' Cabby

Too right there Cruisin. I'm OK in east London (I was brought up there), but what gets me is the changes (showing my age here). Leytonstone High Road caught me out the other night, in my day it was the main trunk route - now its a block-paved pedestrian precinct!!!! In a town the size of my one its easy, but to keep up with the one-ways and different zones in London must be a nightmare.

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.

I wonder how long it will be before LTI put sat nav in their vehicles.

One, two, three hundred years !!!!!

Most of the time, you run around with the SatNav off anyway, because it is irritating, just like that intelligent Taxi locking system. For the first week or so, its got novelty value. But then you put a switch in to isolate it !

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There is Significant Unmet Demand for my Opinion.