"Mike Hughes" wrote in message
...
There is no legal requirement for a taxi driver to provide a receipt for
a taxi journey.
I didn't know that - I had always assumed there was.
Did you give the driver a tip? If not then it's quite
possible that the driver won't give a receipt as this costs him money
and he *may* have got a little upset at someone using his time without
payment. As you are getting the money back it won't cost you anything to
give him something extra.
Not a very big one - fare was £11.10 and I gave him £12. I'd normally give
£13 for that kind of fare, but (a) he had the doors locked until after I
told him where I wanted to go (isn't he supposed to go where I tell him and
not choose whether to take that fare?) and (b) I didn't have any more change
anyway.
If you've got blank receipts you could take these with you, fill it in
yourself and then ask the driver to sign it. There is, however, no legal
requirement for him to do so.
I have a stack of them - I just prefer not to use them. I'll just have to
make one up myself.
From January 2005 all London taxis presented for re-plating are required
to have meters with printers attached so that receipts can be printed
showing the amount on the meter. Trouble is no one has specified the
exact format that they must have. Will they only have to show the amount
on the meter, plus extras for Heathrow pickups / radio jobs, etc. Is
there going to be some method of adding gratuities to the receipt, etc.?
I can see great competition at work with people trying to get cabs which
don't have these machines. Already everyone refuses to use thooe Zingo cabs
which print receipts. The paper ones, due to their expense account abuse
qualities are considered handy amongst the masses at work. Personally, I
would not like to get fired for something as trivial as falsifying a taxi
receipt, but nobody has ever got caught as far as I know so it is rife.
Why is it that you seem to find so many drivers who've run out of
receipts. Try giving them something extra and see if that works - it
doesn't cost you anything personally as your work will refund it.
Because I make an enormous amount of journeys by black cab - could be up to
5 or 6 a day sometimes. Just a law of averages. I do always make sure to
tip - even if only a quid or so. Quite often drivers will accept the tip but
write the receipt for the meter amount. Doesn't really bother me, as it's
not an awful lot of cash ... and there's always a stash of blanks at home
anyway since a lot of the time when I ask for a receipt I just get given a
blank one.
On the subject of tipping, why is it that most Australians *never* give
a tip, even after the driver has gone out of his way to be helpful?
Probably because they are travelling and have no cash, and are surprised
about the expense of a black cab in the first place. I'm not complaining -
I'm not British and have only lived here a few years - but I have found
Black Cab drivers to be the best in the world for short journeys around town
and worth every penny. But I've got to say that a trip to the airport in a
Black Cab isn't worth the expense - a more comfortable and quicker journey
can be had for a cheaper price.
Or perhaps it's just because they're a bunch of scallies!
I'm not excusing bad attitude by taxi drivers but there are times when
the 'travelling public' really make your blood boil - and you're
supposed tojust swallow it all the time.
And there are times when a cab driver can make your blood boil, and you
still have to stump up the cash even if he's taken a convoluted route home!
Now if you want a taxi driver to take you to and from Gatwick or
Heathrow who will turn up at the promised time and will be dressed in
shirt and tie and not shorts and T shirt, and give you a receipt, let me
know - but it *may* cost you :-) (please note the smileys)
That's when I book with Tristar. (
http://www.tristarworldwide.com ) I don't
find a Black Cab comfortable for a journey out to Gatwick and they're not
quick enough on the motorway. A friend of mine recently drove to Morocco
from London in a Black Cab for a rally and came second last every leg (to a
Winnebago!)
David.