Taxi recommendations

[blueblueblue]

I've never used Uber, but it will be a sad day, if and when they take over the Black cabs of London. They're so iconic and part of our identity.

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

I've never used Uber, but it will be a sad day, if and when they take over the Black cabs of London. They're so iconic and part of our identity.

They'll never take over London's black cabs. Black cabs don't surge charge and Uber at more expensive at the moment

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Thanks Paul, not really one for us though. We only really do the longer runs now.


I disagree, taxis on meters still have their pre-set tariffs. This would be a metered job from anywhere locally.

Fair enough. I was wrong about that then.

 

[Benfleet A1]

Ordering a cab in Southend at the moment is a nightmare. The "5-10 minutes" they promise often turns into 20-25 minutes. Don't even bother ordering a cab on the apps... they only work if the driver wants to take the job apparently. There also seems to be a real scarcity of cars at the moment.

Personally, I cannot wait until Uber hits Southend... might give the firms operating in Southend a kick up the jacksy.

When I think of Uber I always remember a mate jumping in one to Fenchurch Street. He ended up in Finchley.

 

[SARF]

You get what you pay for. My mate used to go to shops, see what he wanted then bought it online for 5 per cent less. Funnily enough all the shops shut and became fast food crapholes. Then he moaned that his high street was ****.
I still buy my booze from the local offy. No cares if it’s 10pm-er cent more than a tesco super deal

 

[Cockle43]

Exactly. Of course, an Uber would be a different matter entirely, they will surge their prices as suits them.

Like they did during the Borough Market incident...

Black cabs flooded in and waived their fares to get people out of the area, Uber surged their rates...

 

[Cockle43]

Ordering a cab in Southend at the moment is a nightmare. The "5-10 minutes" they promise often turns into 20-25 minutes. Don't even bother ordering a cab on the apps... they only work if the driver wants to take the job apparently. There also seems to be a real scarcity of cars at the moment.

Personally, I cannot wait until Uber hits Southend... might give the firms operating in Southend a kick up the jacksy.

Yes, it is a problem getting cabs at the moment.

Quite a number of drivers left the business during the pandemic and became Just Eat and Deliveroo drivers, more sociable hours, no drunken idiots, regular money, less regulation on vehicles, etc. Or just found other jobs completely, very similar to what has happened to the airports who rather than furlough their staff took the opportunity to make them redundant and now are surprised that their staff aren't begging to come back to an very unsocial hours and very physical job at pay 15% less than they were previously on...
Taxi driving also doesn't look particularly attractive at the moment as it is very difficult to source new vehicles and a job that involves burning lots of ever increasingly expensive petrol or DERV doesn't exactly look a good move...

Deliveroo and Just Eat expanded massively during the lockdown and you can evidence how popular it has become just by watching the number of them illegally parking up at the Rusty Bucket McDonald's causing gridlock and absolute chaos.

Uber did operate in Southend for a while several years back using drivers with licences from a certain nearby London Borough which virtually gives licences away with boxes of cornflakes. After several were involved in accidents and got speeding fines from the cameras in Southend plus a couple of reports from passengers of a couple of Ubers going the wrong way down Clifftown Road towards the High Street Uber pulled out of operating here.

Taxi licencing was relaxed some years back to allow drivers with a licence to operate anywhere in the country pretty much so long as they are booked through an operator licenced to operate in the area for which they hold a licence. Due to the different licencing requirements by different Councils there is now a certain Council in the Midlands, IIRC, that almost has more licenced taxi drivers than there are vehicles registered in that area! Guess where a certain app based company is rumoured to be licenced...

Interestingly, Uber have never applied for an operators licence in Southend. Perhaps that's because the regulation in Southend is amongst some of the stricter outside of the London Hackney Carriage Office...

 

[WestStandBlue]

Exactly. Of course, an Uber would be a different matter entirely, they will surge their prices as suits them.

Be able to get one much quicker and easier tho

 

[WestStandBlue]

That's because so many cab drivers gave up during the pandemic and found other work because they couldn't survive on £10 or so a day, and have found that a regular pay packet and hours is preferable to the **** that they have to put up with day in and day out from users.

I'm glad you're looking forward to Uber coming to Southend, all those drivers from Barking and Dagenham that haven't got a clue where they're going, relying entirely on sat navs and with them come the inevitable abuse of single women passengers. Was talking to a black cab driver last week about this, so much is suppressed in the press! #Supportlocal

Cause black cabs never had a problem with lone women

 

[Mad Cyril]

Like they did during the Borough Market incident...

Black cabs flooded in and waived their fares to get people out of the area, Uber surged their rates...

I doubt the Uber surge algorithm knew what was going on any more than it knows there is a gig at the O2.

It sees an increase in demand and increases prices accordingly.

 

[WestStandBlue]

I doubt the Uber surge algorithm knew what was going on any more than it knows there is a gig at the O2.

It sees an increase in demand and increases prices accordingly.

It didn’t, and they refunded people afterwards

 

[Supa Shrimpa]

It didn’t, and they refunded people afterwards

Refunded people ? never seen Uber do that after a price surge, before !

 

[Grayson]

Uber did operate in Southend for a while several years back using drivers with licences from a certain nearby London Borough which virtually gives licences away with boxes of cornflakes. After several were involved in accidents and got speeding fines from the cameras in Southend plus a couple of reports from passengers of a couple of Ubers going the wrong way down Clifftown Road towards the High Street Uber pulled out of operating here.

Not due to this, then? https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/18196648.ex-council-leader-centre-bribery-probe-took-top-job/

Uber has suffered similar problems to taxis in London with losing drivers and Black Cabs are quite competitive with them now as they offer better availability. Uber drivers cancel jobs constantly in London now as they can't keep up with demand either.

The theory that many are delivering food instead of people now makes most sense.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Interestingly, I found out yesterday, that if you book a cab through our local company who have got in bed with them, your booked job will take a back seat to an Uber booking that comes in. Hideous.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Cause black cabs never had a problem with line women

What are "line" women?

I believe I said in a later post that some Hackney carriage drivers have also been "wrong uns", but the number of them is just nothing like the number of Uber drivers. There is also the matter, well known amongst cabbies, that the driver of the Uber car you may be in, will not always be the driver who is licensed, but a friend or family member. They are in more accidents than other taxis, and you are far, far safer all round in a traditional cab.

 

[Mad Cyril]

What are "line" women?

I believe I said in a later post that some Hackney carriage drivers have also been "wrong uns", but the number of them is just nothing like the number of Uber drivers. There is also the matter, well known amongst cabbies, that the driver of the Uber car you may be in, will not always be the driver who is licensed, but a friend or family member. They are in more accidents than other taxis, and you are far, far safer all round in a traditional cab.

That said I would rather take my chances with a bit of a kicking than pay £60 if I am sick in a taxi.

 

[OldBlueLady]

That said I would rather take my chances with a bit of a kicking than pay £60 if I am sick in a taxi.

Just don't be sick in a taxi, it's quite simple!

Most people who do are really genuinely sorry, it's often kids after a long flight home for instance, and it really doesn't affect the taxi much - most parents do their best to clean it up and it's usually fine with some spray and an airing so they don't get charged. It's those who try to conceal it, like the girlfriend of a now prominent estate agent in town a few years back - scumbags. Just accept the cost as that kind of vomit renders the vehicle unusable for a few hours at least meaning no earnings.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Just don't be sick in a taxi, it's quite simple!

Most people who do are really genuinely sorry.

But what if you have had a bad pint?

In my experience being genuinely sorry isn't enough and the driver is more than likely to refuse a request to stop off for a doner on the way home afterwards.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

What are "line" women?

I believe I said in a later post that some Hackney carriage drivers have also been "wrong uns", but the number of them is just nothing like the number of Uber drivers. There is also the matter, well known amongst cabbies, that the driver of the Uber car you may be in, will not always be the driver who is licensed, but a friend or family member. They are in more accidents than other taxis, and you are far, far safer all round in a traditional cab.

That’ll be a typo and they’d have meant lone.

 

[harveyoe]

That’ll be a typo and they’d have meant lone.

Thank you for that. I was also struggling with "line women" but didn't like to ask.

I had in mind a line of women waiting for taxis, but yes, "lone" makes much more sense.