Taxi Driver Online

Hi all, new member online, virtual beers at the bar for all etc...

I live in Bath, and I'm looking to get out of my current career. I've worked in a professional industry for 8 years, but for most of that time have hated it with a passion.

I've also been doing part-time work delivering pizzas (in a car) for just over a year, so I've got to know the local roads well and love the freedom of driving around Bath in the evenings. My uncle is a hack driver, and has convinced me to apply for my hack licence, give up pizza delivery and become a 2nd driver. Same hours - more money.

The licence is going through right now, and I intend to work as a 2nd driver on Friday nights for a few months to see how I get on. If I take to it, I'm really tempted to take a holiday from my office job and do a couple of weeks full-time to see if the job pays enough for me to leave my career and become a full-time cabbie.

If I do decide to go full-time, it'll be a major step, so I think I need to start getting as much info as possible as early as I can. My main concern will be getting myself a car - in Bath, cars must usually be less than 3 years old before first plating. Since I doubt I can afford to buy new, I'll probably be looking at a nearly-new vehicle on hire-purchase. Is this a good idea, or is it better to go for straight finance, or a bank loan?

Where are the best places to buy? In trade magazines I've seen adverts for ready-to-run 2nd hand taxis, but have heard on the grapevine that people have been stung by them. Who is recommended - main dealers, or used car supermarkets?

FYI I'm 26 years old, clean licence, been driving the streets of Bath for over a year and very happy with long distance / long hours motoring.

I'm currently working hard in my spare time as a fiction writer, as my ultimate ambition is to become a novelist, and I'm hoping that flexible taxi hours will mean I can have more daylight hours free for visiting libraries, museums, etc... for research. Currently I have to do this on weekends when it's really busy, as my 9-5 job gets in the way...

If anyone wants to welcome me to the trade, or warn me off, then feel free

Ax

Welcome AX, such enthusiasm.

Long may it continue?

Your place in the armpit of society waits for you AX

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

If its any help I am just about coming out of the taxi trade as I have had enough,its took me 32 years to decide I HAVE HAD ENOUGH

Commiserations... TBH I think you've had enough of any job after enough years.

Like me in the career I'm in now, I just kinda flopped randomly into it, and have never enjoyed it in the least, but it's a well-paid job in an industry that's very hard to get into, so I've always been reluctant to leave.

Finally decided that it's not for me. My ideal career would be a professional novelist, and I'm working dead hard to make that a reality, but it needs years of dedication and rejection before it goes anywhere. In the mean time, I want to do something that involves me.

The thought of talking to real people all day every day intrigues me, too, instead of all these imaginary people on the other side of the computer screen

Go for it, the taxi/PH trade is just fine.

You will earn what you need, but not always what you want.

And if you can't find an answer to any of your questions on here, then it's a daft question.

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IDFIMH

You been on those funny fags again Sussex?

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

I don't even smoke the non-funny version.

But I do think this is a great trade to be in, and would recommend it to anyone.

As long as they work elsewhere.

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IDFIMH

go for it mate.
Ive just started myself, about 3 weeks ago.
Give it a go , its the only way you will find out if you like it

Good luck, you will alway's have £50 in your pocket and a packet of fag's!

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stressed controller!!!

I think many people in the trade hate it with a passion as well, but to some extent it seems to be a case of 'familiarity breeds contempt', so if you are just looking at it as a stepping stone to that page turner, then you could well get out before the rot sets in

On the other hand, since the world is full of aspiring writers (as you'll well know) then if you get into the trade it may turn into something of a rut that you can't get out of again. But given the flexibility of the trade that you mention then to that extent you can start dong the job part-time instead of the pizza job, and that may give you a better idea before you take the plunge, although what may seem like a novelty and the freedom of the streets initially may well turn into drudgery, frustration and irritation in the long run, and it just takes one idiot customer to spoil your whole shift, and there often seems to be at least one idiot every shift.

As regards the car, since you would need to buy a plate to run a hackney, presumably you're thinking private hire if putting your own car on?

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I'm not 100% sure of the rules in Bath regarding plates, but I'll be speaking to some drivers once my licence has been processed. In Bath the licence for PH or Hackney is the same.

IIRC my uncle (who is getting me into all this) is a PH driver, but he's recommended I do part-time work on Friday and Saturday nights, so I imagine he'll find me a Hackney driver...

I'll see him sometime soon and see what more I can find out