I just got home late from work - got a taxi back. My work will always refund
me for a taxi receipt - but in this case the driver (Black cab number 86423)
refused to give me a receipt ("I've none left mate") and after me asking him
to write something on a blank piece of paper, anything - drove off knocking
my head off his open window (while I was talking to him).

So now I am left to falsify a receipt (I've got plenty of blank ones) in
order to get my money back - not something I want to do.

I do want to lodge a complaint against this driver. I have come across
drivers who have ran our of recipts before, but they have always written
*something* on a piece of paper for me rather than tell me to "**** off" as
this one did. What is the best way of soing this? The driver did not seem to
be affilited with any company (no logos anywhere).

David

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/ph_complaints.shtml
"David FitzGerald" wrote in message
...
I just got home late from work - got a taxi back. My work will always
refund
me for a taxi receipt - but in this case the driver (Black cab number
86423)
refused to give me a receipt ("I've none left mate") and after me asking
him
to write something on a blank piece of paper, anything - drove off
knocking
my head off his open window (while I was talking to him).

So now I am left to falsify a receipt (I've got plenty of blank ones) in
order to get my money back - not something I want to do.

I do want to lodge a complaint against this driver. I have come across
drivers who have ran our of recipts before, but they have always written
*something* on a piece of paper for me rather than tell me to "**** off"
as
this one did. What is the best way of soing this? The driver did not seem
to
be affilited with any company (no logos anywhere).

David

"Graham Harrison" wrote in message
...

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/pco/ph_complaints.shtml

As the URL suggests, that is for complaints about Private Hire (i.e.
minicabs), not about Black Cabs.

--
John Rowland - Spamtrapped
Transport Plans for the London Area, updated 2001
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acro...69/tpftla.html
A man's vehicle is a symbol of his manhood.
That's why my vehicle's the Piccadilly Line -
It's the size of a county and it comes every two and a half minutes

In message , David FitzGerald
writes
I just got home late from work - got a taxi back. My work will always refund
me for a taxi receipt - but in this case the driver (Black cab number 86423)
refused to give me a receipt ("I've none left mate") and after me asking him
to write something on a blank piece of paper, anything - drove off knocking
my head off his open window (while I was talking to him).

There is no legal requirement for a taxi driver to provide a receipt for
a taxi journey. 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.

So now I am left to falsify a receipt (I've got plenty of blank ones) in
order to get my money back - not something I want to do.

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.

Personally, if I am 'legalled' (no tip) and someone asks for a receipt I
will find the oldest bit of paper I've got and use that. I've also used
receipts which I've half filled out with wrong date, etc just crossed
out and written over the top. If these look like someone (i.e. the
punter) has tried to alter or falsify a previous receipt then it's not
my problem. :-)

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 do want to lodge a complaint against this driver. I have come across
drivers who have ran our of recipts before, but they have always written
*something* on a piece of paper for me rather than tell me to "**** off" as
this one did. What is the best way of soing this? The driver did not seem to
be affilited with any company (no logos anywhere).

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.

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? I've
taken someone from T4 to one of the hotels on the north side of the
airport. Lots of heavy luggage which nearly did my back in then they
waited for the 20p change from £15 for a £14.80 fare! I can control my
anger but there are times when you feel like letting rip, believe me.

This situation has got worse since TfL (or was it Ken?) decided in their
'wisdom' to get rid of the extras for extra passengers and for handling
luggage over 2ft in length. Why should someone risk injury handling
luggage when they can get exactly the same fare taking people with no
luggage?

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.

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)

Mike

--
Mike Hughes
A Taxi driver licensed for London and Brighton
at home in Tarring, West Sussex, England

Complaints about either Black ("Hackney") Cabs should be made to the
Public Carriage Office.

Address: Public Carriage Office
15 Penton Street
LONDON
N1 9PU

Fantastic! About 3 minutes walk from my front door... I think I'll pop by.

David.

Mike Hughes wrote:

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.

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?
I've taken someone from T4 to one of the hotels on the north side of
the airport. Lots of heavy luggage which nearly did my back in then
they waited for the 20p change from £15 for a £14.80 fare! I can control
my
anger but there are times when you feel like letting rip, believe me.

Why do cab drivers expect a tip, don't they get paid by their employer or
earn enough out of their takings if self employed?

Mike Hughes wrote:
In message , David FitzGerald
writes
I just got home late from work - got a taxi back. My work will
always refund me for a taxi receipt - but in this case the driver
(Black cab number 86423) refused to give me a receipt ("I've none
left mate") and after me asking him to write something on a blank
piece of paper, anything - drove off knocking my head off his open
window (while I was talking to him).

There is no legal requirement for a taxi driver to provide a
receipt for a taxi journey. 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.

Any other business taking that miserable attitude to customer service
would soon lack any customers. Do you condone driving off while the
customer's head is still inside the taxi? Sounds like assault to me.
--
Richard J.
(to e-mail me, swap uk and yon in address)

"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.

In article , Mike Hughes
writes
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

A tenth of a penny?

and he *may* have got a little upset at someone using his time without
payment.

Excuse me? He got paid for the journey. The initial lump in the price is
supposed to pay for the start and end of the journeys, and that includes
handling the payment and giving a receipt.

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?

I believe you'll find they have come from a culture that doesn't do
tipping, instead paying people for the job. I've had Kiwi colleagues who
have never tipped either.

Why should someone risk injury handling luggage when they can get
exactly the same fare taking people with no luggage?

Swings and roundabouts. You get the right to take fares, but in exchange
you take them *all*. Someone who took your attitude (not in London;
wouldn't take me because I was paying using his consortium's account
rather than cash) found that my formal complaint was the straw that
broke the licensing office's back - he lost his plate.

--
Clive D.W. Feather | Home:
Tel: +44 20 8495 6138 (work) | Web: http://www.davros.org
Fax: +44 870 051 9937 | Work:
Please reply to the Reply-To address, which is:

"David FitzGerald" wrote in message ...

"Mike Hughes" wrote in message
...

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?
----------------------------------------------
S'funny about the Aussie & New Zealand cultures not tipping I had a meal in an Aussie pub recently where the Kiwi waitress hovered around for a tip even though the food was mediocre & the service was dire & I told her so as well,I suppose one shouldn't expect too much from the descendants of convicts & sheep shaggers