A some what disturbing story from my taxi driver

[gumpy]

As for the refusal of short fares. Short fares are actually how taxis make most of their money. Everytime the meter is turned on bang $3.30 - to get that money from actually having a passenger in the car takes about 2 km or like 5 minutes of waiting. If I can cycle 20 short fares in an hour then I've got $66 for just turning up. The really money is in the turn over not the long fares. Any taxi driver who doesn't realise that doesn't know how to make money. Equally the public that thinks that think long fare are best also don't know what they are talking about.

But then this is news limited, just like for aviation, it seems that news limited are very poor at their job.

They hate short fares because long fares get the good money, I live 42km from the airport and on a good run it takes 45 mins... they get 120-130 from me. They'd prefer to land a 120 job with say a 30-40 mins break in between than constant small stuff and the small stuff don't just keep happening, they usually have to wait 15-20 mins between each short trip as well...

 

[gumpy]

not to mention that I always feel bad for asking for a short fare so I always pay more than the meter reads to compensate somewhat. But I have to agree, I think Melbourne taxi drivers are the worst in the country on average.

worse than sydney drivers?? syd drivers are pretty bad...

I got bad attitude once from a Perth driver... it was a 25 buck fare and she started to kick up a fuss...

 

[NYCguy]

worse than sydney drivers?? syd drivers are pretty bad...

I got bad attitude once from a Perth driver... it was a 25 buck fare and she started to kick up a fuss...

I've had Sydney cabbies get shirty because they didn't want the "short" trip to Point Piper. My method of dealing with them is to ensure that they get the exact fare down to the last 10c, i.e. no tip. Zilch. Nada. I then inform them that I am going to complain about their attitude, and follow-up accordingly.

One particularly memorable fellow at SYD was openly hostile, but was left wide-eyed and open-mouthed when I yelled at him to stop the cab, got my bags out of the boot, dressed him down in front of everybody waiting on the rank a few metres away (including the finger-pointing thing), finishing with "... And you've done yourself out of a big tip too, asshole!".

I was applauded by some of the other passengers on the rank. He got back in his cab and drove away without any fare at all. The next driver was happy to take me to Point Piper, and got a big tip.

I recommend withholding tips from hostile drivers, and then making a formal complaint about the bad attitude you have experienced. If someone really presses your buttons, get yourself and your bags out of the cab immediately, and complain angrily. Shame the b*stards in front of everyone. I am also told that the Passenger's Charter of Rights (at least in NSW) states that one may choose any cab off the rank, not only the first one.

 

[samiam]

But I have to agree, I think Melbourne taxi drivers are the worst in the country on average.

worse than sydney drivers?? syd drivers are pretty bad...

I got bad attitude once from a Perth driver...

Perth are the worst (IMHO). Sydney I can deal with. Melbourne I use a private taxi network.

 

[Flying Fox]

I heard a story (not sure if it was fact or fiction) from a friend who works with the 'whales' at Crown Casino. They have a person who was playing in a private room and spending lots of $. He wanted to play a bit longer so they called BA and they held the aircraft for him (travelling F of course).

Might be BS for all I know.

 

[jb747]

I've had a QF FA offer to delay an already-40-minutes-late flight 10 minutes so they could get my vegetarian meal that had been forgotten.

If they'll do it over a meal for a ****ty bronze frequent flyer, surely they'd do it for a Platinum or Chairman's Lounge member that was running late?

Or perhaps the FA was simply making you an offer that they didn't think you'd accept.

Delays like that need the approval of the Captain, and he most likely won't be giving it.

Actually, I'll call BS on most of these stories. As long as your luggage is not on the aircraft, I close the doors as soon as all checked in passengers are on board. If you arrive late, you won't be going. If you've checked in and aren't there at departure time, we immediately start looking for your luggage, and go when we either find it, or find you. If the luggage is easy to get access to, it can sometimes take only a few minutes to find a bag. Priority stuff is especially easy.

Delays that may seem slight to an individual can have great repercussions. You may miss your slot, or be pushed into a different weather forecast, or holding period, that you can't cover (and so you'll need the tanker back). Crew hours can become a limit. There are a vast number of permutations, and it's rare for there to be no knock on effects.

 

[anat0l]

If the luggage is easy to get access to, it can sometimes take only a few minutes to find a bag. Priority stuff is especially easy.

Gee, I wish it were that easy to get them first and put them out first when baggage handlers have to unload them at the other end.

Delays that may seem slight to an individual can have great repercussions. You may miss your slot, or be pushed into a different weather forecast, or holding period, that you can't cover (and so you'll need the tanker back). Crew hours can become a limit. There are a vast number of permutations, and it's rare for there to be no knock on effects.

How about something like QF31 that was delayed the other day until 3am departure from SIN? Unless that was a technical and not a wait for other connecting flights... or it was an unconditional order from the powers that be to wait for passengers rather than take off "on time"...

Don't forget that delays which are not technical/mechanical (and even ones that are) not only have impacts on the flight crew, but on passengers too (I'm not sure how many cases there would be of passengers who are happy to wait on a person who is holding up the plane's on-time departure...)

 

[hopes]

Delays like that need the approval of the Captain, and he most likely won't be giving it.

I travelled BA once (LHR to HK) and sat next to the relief pilot. He told me that the reason for the delay out of LHR was that the CEO of Virgin Airways had checked in and was sipping champers in the lounge and deliberately playing brinksmanship to delay. BA got extra staff on the job to root out his stuff in the hold but he just got on board before they were able to chuck it off. Was a focussed effort by the Captain (I warmed to BA after that). We missed our slot were delayed an hour. I thought about bounding downstairs (747) and bursting through the curtain to F (from J) and having it out with him/her but sense prevailed.

 

[medhead]

They hate short fares because long fares get the good money, I live 42km from the airport and on a good run it takes 45 mins... they get 120-130 from me. They'd prefer to land a 120 job with say a 30-40 mins break in between than constant small stuff and the small stuff don't just keep happening, they usually have to wait 15-20 mins between each short trip as well...

I won't waste too much OT time on this, but any driver who tells you they like the long fares is either a newbies, too stupid to realise how they make money or are having a lead of you (or possilbly are mid-shift looking for a break). In your case they are going to drive out into the middle of no where, and the reason they are sitting around for 30-40 minutes is because there is no work for them and they either sit or they drive 10-20 km without earning money to get work. That is no good.

As for the short jobs situation, I did mention that it has to be busy to be able to get the quick turn around. But on a night in Kings Cross where News limited is out there doing a story it is going to be busy. Driving a saturday night I could easily get a peak hour of 10 to 15 jobs. I started out driving Sunday Day shift, change over at 4am, that gave 60 to 90 minutes to get as many jobs as possible driving drunks home. Easily getting in 10 to 15 jobs and $100, and with the flag fall $30 of that was just from turning on the meter. Basically free money, no need to drive anywhere or buy petrol to get 30% of the takings. Of course, at 6 am I got to sit around for an hour or 2, Or I could go to the airport and sit there. IT is a complex business and it isn't as simple as just getting long jobs, you also need to consider your work flow and what you are going to do after the big job. Night shift, I hated the long jobs.
If that was being brief....

I recommend withholding tips from hostile drivers, and then making a formal complaint about the bad attitude you have experienced. If someone really presses your buttons, get yourself and your bags out of the cab immediately, and complain angrily. Shame the b*stards in front of everyone. I am also told that the Passenger's Charter of Rights (at least in NSW) states that one may choose any cab off the rank, not only the first one.

That's first rate advice, hit back via the tips - totally. As a driver, get the passenger on side and they do things like give you their remaining chips from the casino. Or just empty out their change pocket of the jeans for a tip ($30 in gold on that one plus silver)

Yes, also the passenger has the right to pick the car/driver of their choice. This is for the same reasons that driver can pick the passenger of their choice.

 

[jb747]

Actually, I rang the police once, whilst still in the cab, to complain about his dangerous driving.

 

[TonyHancock]

I won't waste too much OT time on this, but any driver who tells you they like the long fares is either a newbies, too stupid to realise how they make money or are having a lead of you (or possilbly are mid-shift looking for a break).

Is that true at the airport? I don't know how it all works but I see drivers queuing up to get fairs at the terminals and the queue seems awfully long. At Melbourne there seem to be two Taxi parks and vast numbers of cars. Surely they must be waiting for a long time?

Most drivers seem pretty happy when I tell them where i'm going. (about 70k's from the airport.) They maybe faking it of course. Like you say they maybe having a lead of me or looking for a break.

I genuinely don't know the answer but would be interested to find out.

 

[medhead]

Is that true at the airport? I don't know how it all works but I see drivers queuing up to get fairs at the terminals and the queue seems awfully long. At Melbourne there seem to be two Taxi parks and vast numbers of cars. Surely they must be waiting for a long time?

Most drivers seem pretty happy when I tell them where i'm going. (about 70k's from the airport.) They maybe faking it of course. Like you say they maybe having a lead of me or looking for a break.

I genuinely don't know the answer but would be interested to find out.

The airport is a different equation entirely. (my previous answers were more related to shorts jobs around town type of thing) As you say the airport can be a long wait so then, yes, you need a decent job, you don't want to wait 2 hours for a $10 job. Having said that you'd be surprised how quickly the airport ranks can move at times. I drove in Brisbane (I guess that is another caveat on what I'm saying) I think the longest wait I had was an hour or so on a Sunday morning. A couple of times I drove straight through the feeder. The airport feeder had about a 200 or 300 car capacity at that stage. But generally, I avoided the airport, so my experience is limited. Some drivers only worked the airport. :shock:

I'd image the Sydney Airport has a much bigger feeder, but I'd be surprised if the average wait time was much more than an hour.

 

[TonyHancock]

Some drivers only worked the airport. :shock:.

I suspect that would be hard.

I tend to be a decent tipper. (I lived in the US for a couple of years.) I reckon being a taxi driver is a tough gig all round though.

I use a taxi to and from the airport about 12 to 15 times a year and actually have some pretty interesting chats. It is either the start or end of some long journeys so it is all part of the travel experience. I can honestly say the experiences have been good for me in Melbourne.

 

[jb747]

How about something like QF31 that was delayed the other day until 3am departure from SIN? Unless that was a technical and not a wait for other connecting flights... or it was an unconditional order from the powers that be to wait for passengers rather than take off "on time"...

QF31 is most likely subject to two delays. Firstly will be mechanical. But the second, and it comes up every day, is the Bobcat time. This is an ATC restriction for your overflight of Afghanistan. Mostly they involve delays in the region of 30 minutes, but my last flight was a couple of weeks ago, and it was delayed by well over an hour. Miss that, as you might with even a small problem (whether it be technical or passenger related), and your next opportunity could well be a couple of hours away.

I've been doing this for 26 years, and whilst we may wait for other aircraft if they have a large number for us, I have never seen an order to wait for an individual. I think it mostly belongs in the area of myth and tall stories.

 

[oz_mark]

I know from my own experience that they will tell you that your delay relates to waiting for connecting passengers. Certainly, it was the reason given for delaying a SIN-PER flight recently (to wait for a pax from a late QF32).

Mind you it was even worse for the folk on QF32 - the delay meant they could not make the SYD curfew, so they had a real long stopover in SIN.

(SIN may be a bit unusual as there does seem to be lots of folk swapping planes through there)

 

[gumpy]

The airport is a different equation entirely. (my previous answers were more related to shorts jobs around town type of thing) As you say the airport can be a long wait so then, yes, you need a decent job, you don't want to wait 2 hours for a $10 job. Having said that you'd be surprised how quickly the airport ranks can move at times. I drove in Brisbane (I guess that is another caveat on what I'm saying) I think the longest wait I had was an hour or so on a Sunday morning. A couple of times I drove straight through the feeder. The airport feeder had about a 200 or 300 car capacity at that stage. But generally, I avoided the airport, so my experience is limited. Some drivers only worked the airport. :shock:

I'd image the Sydney Airport has a much bigger feeder, but I'd be surprised if the average wait time was much more than an hour.

Yeah I think most of us are talking about getting cabs from the airport and at times the taxi wait before picking up a fare is quite lengthy...

Yes constant back to back jobs from 10pm Friday night is fantastic... the problem is that it's basically only window where it happens... maybe Sat night as well. Getting a short fare from the airport at 6-8pm friday after waiting with all the other taxi's isn't really good for them.

 

[gumpy]

QF31 is most likely subject to two delays. Firstly will be mechanical. But the second, and it comes up every day, is the Bobcat time. This is an ATC restriction for your overflight of Afghanistan. Mostly they involve delays in the region of 30 minutes, but my last flight was a couple of weeks ago, and it was delayed by well over an hour. Miss that, as you might with even a small problem (whether it be technical or passenger related), and your next opportunity could well be a couple of hours away.

I've been doing this for 26 years, and whilst we may wait for other aircraft if they have a large number for us, I have never seen an order to wait for an individual. I think it mostly belongs in the area of myth and tall stories.

Yeah I don't want to believe this stuff either but the guy had no reason to make it up... if anything he was quite worked up about the lack of respect shown by his customer...

 

[JohnK]

Short taxi fares are a part of life and taxi drivers need to learn to deal with them. Don't see too many taxi drivers complaining in BNE late at night when it costs $6.80 to turn the meter on and the taxi fare for a ~5 minute trip is ~$10-12.

I remember a few years ago getting off at SYD airport and I was only going to Bardwell Valley. Taxi driver was complaining that it was a short fare. What should I do? Ask him to go via the Spit bridge to keep him happy? Anyway the fare was ~$25 and he was whinging that it was only going to be $15 or something similar.

I try to avoid taxis and taxi drivers as much as possible.

How about something like QF31 that was delayed the other day until 3am departure from SIN? Unless that was a technical and not a wait for other connecting flights... or it was an unconditional order from the powers that be to wait for passengers rather than take off "on time"...

A decision was made to delay QF031 that day as QF071 PER-SIN was ~300 minutes late and there were a lot of connecting passengers for QF009 and QF031. The flights for the next couple of days were full so QF would have had other issues.

 

[oz_mark]

A decision was made to delay QF031 that day as QF071 PER-SIN was ~300 minutes late and there were a lot of connecting passengers for QF009 and QF031. The flights for the next couple of days were full so QF would have had other issues.

Keep in mind that there is a crew change in Singapore, and it is likely that the decision to retime the flight was made before the new crew were anywhere near the airport (probably still back at their hotels.)

 

[docjames]

I've been doing this for 26 years, and whilst we may wait for other aircraft if they have a large number for us, I have never seen an order to wait for an individual. I think it mostly belongs in the area of myth and tall stories.

I dont doubt that it'd be rare.

However.......

I know first-hand of a CL flying F to LAX, who arrived at the F checkin in MEL (some years ago mind), at 10am for the 11am flight. As it turns out, it was a 10am flight. (How a CL who can be in QF top 20 FFs can get daylight savings wrong on his flight times is beyond me - but that's another story).

QF escorted him immediately through Immigration/Customs, straight onto the plane. All ok connection through to JFK.

Of course, the checked luggage arrived in NYC 2 days later. He recieved his bags, checked out of the hotel and went straight to JFK for the return flight (to LAX on AA connecting to QF). Only the AA flight was cancelled after some delay at the airport, so a last minute switch to UA (he got the last seat in F), which resulted in a similar experience to the MEL experience at LAX. Bags arrived delivered to home 2 days later.


Now i've no idea if the plane(s) were held (although that's how this CL describes it), or whether they were just late on "departure" anyway and he was just lucky (twice in a row).


BTW, the CL hasnt made the same mistake re: daylight savings since, although checkin 30mins pre-departure was not an uncommon occurrence (at least up until around the time the F Lounge opened! :mrgreen. He also didnt claim for expenses incurred for late luggage !

Perhaps the stars just aligned