Taxi Driver Online

Living and working in the Swansea area, I passed my test aout a month ago and have been "out there" half a dozen or so times.

Any advice for a Euro 7 driver newbie?

Problems encounted so far include:

1. Not knowing all the locations, specific roads etc.
2. Queue jumpers on busy Friday & Satruday nights?
3. And runners (non payers).

Cheers

Sharky

Be streetwise get to know whos partying and where the events are and be there.

Always be ready to identify the successfull Failures, they give themselves away, they use words like leech, and always have tales of woe, read this site to practice and sift em out.

What do you mean by que jumpers? if its punters dont concern yourself, if its other cabbies how do they do that?

And Runners, how do you get runners from a euro 7? lock em in until you get paid man!

Most important though is your safety, let in your cab only those you like the look of, that cuts down the runners if others wont take them learn by thier experiences you have to earn a crust, but if you are likely to be not paid anyway save your fuel and time.

In this buisnesses there are earners and non earners.

Earners
1) Do thier shift and are not diverted.
2) Remember this is your job, dont do freebies for friends and family, if you start you will be expected to do it for ever>
3)Keep a list broken by hour of your earnings, this will be your guide in the future to the hours of work, the braktimes and days off.
4)Set yourself targets and work to them treat yourself on hitting targets.
5) Make a mental or even written note of good areas for you and bad areas.
6)Where you are asked to go to a bad area get money up front, if the answer is no, dont worry you aint lost a job but gained freetime and some fuel.
7) Talk to your customers without being intrusive, you will be asked if you are having a good night, the answer is always not particularly, therwise one day you will be treat like a mobile bank.
STEER clear of those selling insurance, websites and the like, if you want these products you go to them and buy them.
9) Keep a professional outlook, and behave profesionaly, if you see a dustbin driving a taxi take the platenumber and report to the police immidatly.
10) Resist chatting up customers and sexual advances to you, it takes time and time is money, and will in the longrun cost you your euro 7

We get these requests from time to time for tips and they always suprise me, the advice should be asked for b4 you get in the trade, that way you avoid the biggest mistake of all entering the trade.

Do not believe anything you hear by rumour, and dont repeat any information you hear in the cab. dont tell anyone who was in your cab last night or who they were with.

and dont take goods in liew of a fare, the police will not believe you.

Wharfie

Sharky.
how are you managing to eat if you have only been out half a dozen times in a month since you got a license?

how many times will you be out next month?

do you know its christmas the cabbies busiest time?

Sharky,

Wharfie missed the biggest sin,

NEVER, EVER boast about your earnings, or you will find youself parted from them and laid up in hospital.

Thanks Warfie, some very useful advice there. (Why is there no handbook for newbies? - I'd pay for one!)

I've only been out a dozen or so times as I only have access to the cab on Friday, Sat and Sun nights - and that suits me fine.

I work part time in the day with another (unrelated) job.

I don't really start proper until Jan, but the few occassions I have been out so far are to test the waters - so to speak.

So far - so good. I've not had a runner (yet), although I have been told to expect this. Although I do take your point Warfie about keeping them locked in the back until they pay. Sadly I can't do anything about a runner if they sit up front. There's so little space on the front passenger side that most have to get out of the cab to reach their pockets etc.

The biggest problem I have encountered so far is customers who jump the rank queues. I could be standing at some lights about 10 yards from the rank and some no-mark will attempt to blatantly jump in. You could argue that a fare is a fare, but I don't think this portrays the profession in a good light when folk have been queuing in the cold for over an hour. I'm a right to adopt this approach?

Aside from that, all is well. I'm learning more specific roads all the time.

The driver's space in the Euro 7 leaves a lot to be desired though

If you don't like the look of them, then either money up front or don't pick them up. If they moan, just say it's company policy, and you boss will sack you if he finds out.

I learnt long ago that there will always be another job.

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IDFIMH

Sharky

You are supposed to ply for hire and pick up in the street as well, your first and overiding duty is to youself and your family.

if those que jumpers as you call them are decent then yes take them it saves vital time, and while the passenger is in and the wheels are turning you are earning!

Yes those back at the rank are cold and have waited long, not your responsibility, your job is to clear the streets and earn money safely.

if there isnt enough taxis in Swansea to clear the streets its the council not doing the job properly not you.

Wharfie

I know it's frustrating, but really it's not your place to police the streets or the ranks. Scum don't care about others, and that includes you.

If you try to do the decent thing and boot them out, the only thing that will get booted is you.

Just smile, pick them up, take them home.

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IDFIMH

Fair comment... thanks again for the advice.

I know it a pain, it's not as if you can put the seat back.

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IDFIMH

Not sure how relevant my advice will be to you Sharky. Apparently I live on another planet.

My advice would be to remember these points

You might have reached your target by Thursday this week, but keep going cos you might not reach it at all next week.

Months like November and December are the bonanza months, put 25% of the takings aside to make up your takings in January, Feb and August.

Are you prepared for any contingency? Save up 5K as soon as you can and put it away for the disaster that hits you just when you don't need it. Don't be tempted to touch it.

Put your tax money away each week, get an accountant to ensure you have the knowledge and practices in place now. Don't wait a year to find out you will have a tax bill that must be paid tomorrow.

Don't go on holiday when holidays are cheap, that is when takings are best, go when the work is quiet even if the holiday costs a few hundred more. It works out best in the long run.

Be flexible, if you work a circuit it is the flexible guys who always seem to do best, can't work out why

Good advice from all, but maybe the best bit is 'don't let the buggers get you down'.

Alex

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ʎɐqǝ uo pɹɐoqʎǝʞ ɐ ʎnq ı ǝɯıʇ ʇsɐן ǝɥʇ sı sıɥʇ

Simply the best taxi forum in the whole wide world. www.taxi-driver.co.uk

I always go when holidays are cheap, January tenerrife nice hot sunshine
just after christmas.

Tom is worth noting been in the industry a long time

Don't do it. If you really want to do it get one of these http://www.stoppa.co.uk/acatalog/Batons.html

And Sharky if you feel the need to listen to Nidge then walk away.

I totally disagree with the idea of a driver needing to 'defend' himself in such a manner. That sort of action should be thoroughly condemned, it brings far greater dangers.

I feel Nidge's postings on this and other forums demonstrate that he has a very low 'antagonism' threshold. His inability to control himself and respond with barbed insults on forums is almost certainly mirrored in the way he reacts to customers. Thus his number of 'incidents'.

It is no coincidence that it is the same drivers who seem to have the trouble each Saturday evening. Training how to deal with drunks/druggies is a crucial part of Driver training with our company.

Never meet aggresion with aggresion.