Why are taxi drivers so rude? Is it their job to rip people off as much as possible?

Question

Is it just me, or does anybody else HATE taxi drivers?

I used to live on college campus and had to take the taxis quite often, usually to the airport. I've had taxi drivers taken me to abandoned buildings and still made me pay the fare, I had a taxi driver that dumped my luggage in the middle of the street where it got runned over, I've had taxi drivers make me pay the fare before they would take me anywhere, I've had taxi drivers that drove so crazy the cops had to pull us over, another one that I was in drove so crazy I puked, I've had several that over-charged the fare by 10 bucks even though the metre said it was 30 bucks not 40. I've had so many that had bad body hygiene and farted in the cab. The only T.D.s that have ever been polite and courteous to me were Black. I'm glad I have a car now, and i swear i will never take another taxi in my life!

Oh and one more incident. I called for a taxi twice and it never came and I missed my flight back home! (because I called from a cell and thought it was a prank!)

Answer 1

they get treated like crap anyway, so they just overcharge everyone they can.they eat, and sleep and fart in the cab, its their home half the time.

Answer 2

Hey c'mon, try it first, They are not all rude, but try and imagine driving a car fro 13 hours a day or even worse at night, picking up between 50-100 fares and 10% of them run off without paying you, 1% bash you, 60% treat you like crap and and just dirty your car, as well as the odd vomitting accident, and the remaining 29% actually talk to you and expect you to be happy all day as if you were the only person you have seen in that day,they expect you to know every street and lane and in the country, some even think that you know where they live cos your supposed to remember them from two years ago, remember me??? Yes like everything some Taxi drivers are bad but so are members of every other occupation! I bet ya that there is someone out there somewhere that thinks your rude as well? Try it first, if you think they have it easy your in for a shock, you might treat them ok but for everyone of you there are 100 others that treat them like crap., I'm not a cabbie but I drove one years ago and know what its like and trust me I would never drive a cab again, for any money, cos most of the passengers you pick up are freaks, and when u get these people day after day, one tends to change a bit. I suggest you try it on a Friday or Saturday night when all the Freaks come out and the poor Taxi Drivers have to take them home and cop abuse all night. Peace.

Answer 3

I drive a cab and hope we never meet. From doing this job for many years, I am very perceptive about people before they get in my cab. If I saw you waving for a cab, I would bet that I would feel you are gonna be a problem. No offense. And I would probably keep going.

Look at many of the answers here. Very positive. You have had some bad experiences, and there are actually people whom had been hit by lighting 3 times. I watched 60 minutes one time where everytime a couple went on a vacation, there was either a tornado, hurracane, or earthquake,,,like 10 years in a row.

Answer 4

I drove taxi for several decades, as did my father. We did not go to college for the job. Hacks see the under-belly of society. We never know if the well dressed customer will put a gun to our head, or if the shabby man, will tip us 20 bucks. But we have to decide in an instant, who to trust. What if a total stranger asked you to take them to a dark, distant place, and then asked you if you had change for a 100 dollar bill?

Answer 5

not all are the same.
but there have been a few incidents in my locality which do show that they aren't polite any more.
this woman was actually slapped by the driver when she askd him to stop the taxi. he drove the taxi and took some turn instead of another. passers-by helped the woman but the cabbie escaped.
i rarely travel by the taxi.
there have been many rape cases in taxi's too.

Answer 6

It is not just Taxi drivers.
Many people look at people in the service industry as less then them, I have seen people that treay my employees like crap right from the start.
I have seen the same customer later in another store doing the same to another employee. I had to make a comment about his actions.
if people in general get treated like crap they will eventually lash out at everyone, a person can only take so much.

Answer 7

It all depends on where you are. I've taken rides in Santa Barbara, CA and various parts of Los Angeles and most of the time they are either fairly nice/easy to get along with or extremely nice and talkative. The guy in Santa Barbara got a little lost and he charged me like way less because of it. He was super nice!

Answer 8

Wow! You've had bad experiences with Taxi drivers...I guess it depends on what area you live at...but Ive never had anything like that happen to me...

Answer 9

You gotta defend yourself and dont let them rip you off. Be flat out b*tchy if you have too, Let them know whose the boss. And when they try to cheat you, then threaten to call the police or their dispatcher, they should have their identification posted on their windows so you can easily report them. I truly do know that they are the worse drivers on the road.

Answer 10

i usually take taxis when i travel.

i've never been cheated .

i'm glad you have your own car now and that the negative
experieces are behind you.

Answer 11

is not easy to be a cabdriver! They had to transport people in a specify time, watch for the road 360*... and finally they crack it! but that`s not an excuse!