http://www.taxidriversforchange.com/ (1 Viewer)

[Mormon Nailer]

Ha!

I was in a taxi last night where the driver went straight from talking about the recession to "So, what do you think about this Nigerian woman and all her lies and deception?" and generally talking like he'd swallowed a hundred copies of the Sun.

I explained FGM to him in graphic detail and asked him what he thinks of a world where 50% of the population of an entire country is so profoundly unsafe that they can, in fact, legitimately claim asylum, and that shut him up. Mostly I think he was not used to someone saying 'hacked-up vagina' quite calmly in the back of his car. I just was not gonna listen to his rant. Then I realised I'd had him before and he'd been at the Nigerians then, too. So as pleased as I was for shutting him up without getting angry, I'm sure he learned exactly nothing.

If they want to act like self-employed people but be treated like salaried workers, then why don't we offer to apply the standards of a normal workplace to their taxis? That way, they could root out the racists and thin the herd by at least 30% (because I do think the racist ranting has at least diffused in the last few years, with lots of people taking up licences).

I nominate Mormon to go smoke the bigots out.

Oh, but BTW, freelance journos have a union, although it's more for bargaining power when people aren't being paid, or paid fairly or whatever. I understand self-employed people in particular industries getting together to try to make things work more smoothly and fairly, but only a fuckin' idiot would suggest a strike. You choose self-employment, and it means no holiday pay or sick pay, and that's shit, but it also means you can take a sunny Friday off and go play with puppies on the beach.

I know I'm stepping on my own point bit here, but the worst experience I ever had in a cab was a big set to I had with a Nigerian taxi driver in Chicago.

He drove around lost for about 20 minutes, stopped at a random hotel, got out, went and asked for directions; then when he finally fund my hotel, tried to charge me the full amount on the meter, plus 50% for weekend.

When I told him to cop on he told me I should fuck off back to London, which impressed me not at all.

It ended with both of us sitting in the cab threatening to call the cops on each other.

 

[Froog]

I know I'm stepping on my own point bit here, but the worst experience I ever had in a cab was a big set to I had with a Nigerian taxi driver in Chicago.

He drove around lost for about 20 minutes, stopped at a random hotel, got out, went and asked for directions; then when he finally fund my hotel, tried to charge me the full amount on the meter, plus 50% for weekend.

When I told him to cop on he told me I should fuck off back to London, which impressed me not at all.

It ended with both of us sitting in the cab threatening to call the cops on each other.

why do you hate the blacks nailer?

 

[Mormon Nailer]

why do you hate the blacks nailer?

800 years.

 

[Anthony]

Whenever you get a taxi in future, time how long it takes for a racist discussion to begin. I wonder how low it could go? I reckon it can get any lower than 30 - 40 seconds. I could be wrong, what do you think?

 

[Mormon Nailer]

Whenever you get a taxi in future, time how long it takes for a racist discussion to begin. I wonder how low it could go? I reckon it can get any lower than 30 - 40 seconds. I could be wrong, what do you think?

I had it in less. The cab in front, driven by a black man, didn't pull away quickly enough for this guy and he started into his spiel. 10 seconds no more.

 

[Anthony]

wow

 

[jane]

I know I'm stepping on my own point bit here, but the worst experience I ever had in a cab was a big set to I had with a Nigerian taxi driver in Chicago.

He drove around lost for about 20 minutes, stopped at a random hotel, got out, went and asked for directions; then when he finally fund my hotel, tried to charge me the full amount on the meter, plus 50% for weekend.

When I told him to cop on he told me I should fuck off back to London, which impressed me not at all.

It ended with both of us sitting in the cab threatening to call the cops on each other.

I've had taxi drivers of all kinds who have had asshole-issues, so you're not really stepping on your own point. The guy was a prick.

Basically, what Ro said: some of these people should just stop being taxi drivers. It's stressful to be driving around all day, so you need nerves of steel because it's gonna bring out your bad side. One taxi driver being an asshole=an asshole taxi driver, no matter where he/she's from.

But that said, I'm constantly surprised at the number of calm, friendly drivers who are great at the aul chatter and don't get phased. It's probably just over half, which, I dunno, considering the reputation of the drivers, and how stressful it can be as a job, is still not half bad. I've had some fucking awesome taxi drivers.

Some of them are well up for conversation and are really good at it, and, like a lot of good conversationalists, will look for common ground or a point of common interest, and you'll have a whale of a journey. When you get a good chat in a taxi, that's when Dublin's kinda at its best. A bad one, and it can be like the city's at its worst. You go to other cities and forget that it's not necessarily the 'done thing' to talk to the driver.

Still, nothing will make me empathise with their ridiculous protest. Tried to get freelance journos and designers out protesting, but the designers all sleep til 3 and the journos like to be in the pub by lunchtime, so we couldn't coordinate our timetables. Besides, some journo wanted to do all the placards in comic sans, and the designers were raging.

 

[Ferox13]

I must say I had a very cool driver the otherday.

That website and the the Raheny Media one is priceless...

 

[krystal]

I work from home; have to go to millions of meetings in hotels in town and I can't drive. I take a lot of cabs. I've had it with the whole, 'ah here please. I don't want to listen to this' thing so now what I do is, get out my Blackberry the second I get in and pretend to be Incredibly Busy and Important answering emails etc. This, incredibly, works.

 

[wild_cat]

I should really get back to work. If this fella is earning money then I'll be minted.

We were going to ask him to make an animated tractor gif but then he would have known that we were taking the piss. Being the nerds we are, we went through the code on his own website laughing at it.....

 

[nooleen]

I know I'm stepping on my own point bit here, but the worst experience I ever had in a cab was a big set to I had with a Nigerian taxi driver in Chicago.

He drove around lost for about 20 minutes, stopped at a random hotel, got out, went and asked for directions; then when he finally fund my hotel, tried to charge me the full amount on the meter, plus 50% for weekend.

When I told him to cop on he told me I should fuck off back to London, which impressed me not at all.

It ended with both of us sitting in the cab threatening to call the cops on each other.

fuckin' blacks.

 

[FiFi_LaRue]

I work from home; have to go to millions of meetings in hotels in town and I can't drive. I take a lot of cabs. I've had it with the whole, 'ah here please. I don't want to listen to this' thing so now what I do is, get out my Blackberry the second I get in and pretend to be Incredibly Busy and Important answering emails etc. This, incredibly, works.

Aye, definitely the best thing to do alright.

 

[plug]

before you get into the cab, simply ask: "are you a racist?". could work.

 

[krystal]

before you get into the cab, simply ask: "are you a racist?". could work.

there's room for deception with this approach.

 

[CinnamonBoy]

This guy is insane. I can't stop looking at his stuff.

http://www.drumcondrahouse.com/

"On Major Bus Routes"

That's the FIRST thing he mentions!!

The music in the video sounds like someone died horrifically there.
http://www.drumcondrahouse.com/rooms.htm

 

[ann post]

so what do ya's think the animal in his logo is?? its sorta like a really compassionate looking deer that got goat horns for christmas and wears them constantly.

 

[wild_cat]

so what do ya's think the animal in his logo is?? its sorta like a really compassionate looking deer that got goat horns for christmas and wears them constantly.

It looks like a ram with microsoft works clip art cum all over his face.