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Ah, shame about the flags.
The way it works where I'm from is that you can pick up flags where you license was located,
but someone could call your company for service if they were in a different city.
So if I found someone when I was dropping off in another town and they wanted a ride,
I let them use my work-cell to request me to pick them up.
That worked pretty well during travel seasons, since the two closest cities to the town I worked were 80 & 00 dollars away,
and it always puts a grin on my face to double my money.

Sounds like it is a different business over there.
How do you guys arrange scheduling?

Ghost in the Darkness wrote:We'll it sounds like I will have someone to request as my taxi driver if I'm ever in England.

"Yes, I'd like to be driven by one Mad Doc Grotsnik? What?"

Scheduling is done by the office. Is all comptuerised, and from what I can gather, each driver has a number of annotations to their names, a bit like letters after a boffins name. Each of those mark you as suitable for specific jobs, including Car size (4 Seater Saloon, Estate, or 6 Seater etc) whether you have a Criminal Records Bureau pass (which I will! Passed it 6 times thus far!) etc etc, and the system then pushes jobs out automatically. Ergo, the more I have, the more jobs come my way, the more moolah I make.

The controllers can also offer pre-booked jobs to specific drivers, which is a damned good reason to keep them well buttered at all times

This is very fascinating. Keep it coming.

G

Ah yes, counting down until reality strikes.

What you need sir, is a portable painting table - a daylight lamp that plugs into the cigarette lighter socket? You must be able to knock out a few Savage orcs between fares.

'Grats on getting back on the job mate..

Note to anyone else in the Kent area - don't get in a cab with a beardy scotch git, it's probably the Mad Doc

Congrats MDG, if i'm down in London drunk I will be sure to remember to give you a call.

There's no way you got a job as a taxi driver.

Everyone knows Taxi cab drivers can't speak english.

Maybe that's only in America...

I am going to take an evening ride in your cab this spring.

G

no mcfly, in portsmouth most taxi drivers dont speak english either
annoying when im in portsmouth and drinking (so i need to use taxi's)

since there are only 3 taxi companies in portsmouth, and 1,150 cars (over 1,000 of which owned by a company called aqua)
you wont find an english driver in an aqua taxi
and finding another company with a car free is impossible.



and gratz on the job doc
just wait till you get the 1st pissed up person yak up in the back

mcfly wrote:

Everyone knows Taxi cab drivers can't speak english.
...

Not read many of MDG's posts then ?

Congratulations, but honestly I am rather disappointed to find out you are not actually a doctor. I suppose you could wear a lab coat in your cab though.

MDG I am coming to get ya...

Hey, at least it's something!

Grats, guys!

Congrats! I get a lot of taxis and have a few things that will affect how much I tip as I'm a petty jerk who likes to tip based on experience...
- if your car smells of anything stronger than outside (air freshener, BO, toilets - like some NYC cabs I've been in, greasy food) then that will greatly reduce a tip
- if I am going to the airport and you ask me how long I am going away for, I'll tip less as I dont want some stranger knowing how long my house is empty and thinking I'm flush with cash
- if I am going to the airport and am not especially excited then dont talk to me as I'm probably going into hibernation for the long journey ahead. However, if I am looking excited then talk about the destination a lot to help enhance my excitement.
- never talk politics or religion with me when I just want to go somewhere. One word answers means be quiet too, I'm probably too drunk/tired/focused to want to talk.
- dont say 'I get you home fast as possible' in a thick accent, then proceed to come close to ending my life through crazy driving. While we're on it, dont tell me that this is the last job of a 15 hour shift either as that wont win you any prizes
- ask what time I am trying to get to my destination by. Dont be too early but dont be late by a second - no more than 10 minutes early and there will usually be a big tip as a result.

Hope that helps you get more tips, assuming some other passengers are like me.

Pretty much my thinking.

On airport runs (done three so far. One Gatwick, two Heathrow) I ask if they are off anywhere nice, and then double check I'm heading for the right terminal, and what time their check in is. If it's only 2 or 3 hours away, I let them know I'll have the radio on to listen out for traffic reports, so I can plan accordingly.

I hate it when cab drivers try to take a lot of detours to jack up the fare.

G

So do I.

We have a bunch of Afghans driving for us now, and one managed to make what should have been at most a £7 fare £30+.....they are wrecking the companies reputation, which is less than needed in a recession, given fewer people are taking Cabs as it is.

That's great news! I remember you were getting bummed about being unemployed before, I hope you continue to enjoy this job.

I'm totally opposed to taking taxis anywhere in dublin though. Mostly because the inner city is so small I can run across it in a reasonable amount of time.

Da Boss wrote:I remember you were getting bummed

Snigger.

Hahahahah!

Have you started personalising your cab?

Yeah, throw some orcs in there.

Those would be cool.

Grats! I've always liked cab drivers who make light conversation, but there's one who just annoys me because he goes on and on about how he's trying to "Change the World!" and "Touch Lives!" I never tip that guy very well.

Just be cool and you'll get tons of tips. If i'm in london i'll be sure to request the Mad Dok.

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:I was until I was told I wasn't showing enough enthusiasm!

*falls off chair laughing*

Well, if you're not enthusiastic enough about GW to work there, then I never want to meet a current member of the UK staff.

Ever.

Maybe you would have gotten the job if you had *obliged* them.

H.B.M.C. wrote:

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:I was until I was told I wasn't showing enough enthusiasm!

*falls off chair laughing*

Well, if you're not enthusiastic enough about GW to work there, then I never want to meet a current member of the UK staff.

Ever.

True that, and when you consider that their store managers are on less than the new part time office juniors where I work (who have to write down some phone messages and photocopy), then you really realise why you encounter the people you do sometimes stray across working for GW.

I'd also like to express my congrats to you on your new found career, Mr. Corbin Dallas!
sucks about the drinking and smoking, but you need to drop the Cancer sticks anyway.
and maybe you can find a new day other than Thursday.

Great stuff man. All the better to fuel your plasticrack habit with.