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Taxi Drivers - Cockroaches of the Road

Oxford Street this morning, taxi driver behind me sounding his horn furiously, demanding I let him pass.  Stop next to him at the lights and enquire (more politely than the fat, shaven-headed, Brexit-voting, verminous cur merits) what I did wrong.  Among the frantic, breathless imprecations delivered in an almost caricatural East London accent, I deciphered that I was apparently holding him up.  Or, if you prefer: fackin' 'oldin' 'im up, innit?

I was doing twenty miles an hour.  I know this because my GPS told me.   

The worthless slime's response was that the speed limit in Oxford Street is 30 mph, and he don't care wot my fackin' GPS says innit, 'cos 20 mph is 'too slow'. 

I wonder if Matt Briggs got the memo. 

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20 comments

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Hirsute | 5 years ago
0 likes

I had a PHV driver last night decide that overtaking me in a narrow stretch with parked cars on both sides was a good idea.
I was right by the centre line to deter this action as it is not possible to know if someone is coming the other way due to the line of the road and the parked cars.
It was also dark and foggy, so foggy that my footage is useless to submit.

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StuInNorway | 5 years ago
0 likes

I'm sure that during the exchange of pleasantries the gentleman (??) in the cab managed to mention "road tax" and "jumping red lights" too ? Despite you being stopped at a red of course.

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Bmblbzzz | 5 years ago
1 like

There's a scary degree of groupthink in the OP's post. Orwellian, Stalinist and possibly Pavlovan. 

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brooksby replied to Bmblbzzz | 5 years ago
3 likes

Bmblbzzz wrote:

There's a scary degree of groupthink in the OP's post. Orwellian, Stalinist and possibly Pavlovan. 

Pavlova... Mmm...

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madcarew | 5 years ago
2 likes

"Cockroaches"

"Worthless slime"

What a dipshit.

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to madcarew | 5 years ago
1 like

madcarew wrote:

"Cockroaches"

"Worthless slime"

What a dipshit.

You missed the quotes on the last one.  And it's plural.  Tsk.  Do I have to teach you people everything?

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madcarew replied to Legs_Eleven_Worcester | 5 years ago
1 like

Legs_Eleven_Worcester wrote:

madcarew wrote:

"Cockroaches"

"Worthless slime"

What a dipshit.

You missed the quotes on the last one.  And it's plural.  Tsk.  Do I have to teach you people everything?

No I didn't, No it isn't, and I'm sure you could have a fair crack at bigotry.

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Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
5 likes

Most are decent, hard working, professionals. Some have bad days and don't deal with it very well. A very small minority are absolute arseholes pretty much all the time.

Bit like people generally, really.

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
1 like

Mungecrundle wrote:

Most are decent, hard working, professionals.

So you're a taxi driver, then.  

Or married to one.

Or a blood relation of one.  

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Daveyraveygravey replied to Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
2 likes

Mungecrundle wrote:

Most are decent, hard working, professionals. Some have bad days and don't deal with it very well. A very small minority are absolute arseholes pretty much all the time. Bit like people generally, really.

 

I don't know how to tell you this, but you are in fact wrong.  At least in my experience; when I am cycling, nearly all taxi drivers are amateurs and should not be allowed to drive, never mind earn a living at it.  It feels like they take aim at me, and as far as they are concerned, pass as close as possible but just manage to avoid hitting me because they don't want any marks on their vehicle, or possible delays in getting to their next (extortionate) fare. More close passes come from fecking taxi drivers than I care to mention.

 

OP - did you get his cab number and report him?  I know London Taxis won't do anything about it, but you should have a go.

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to Daveyraveygravey | 5 years ago
1 like

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

Mungecrundle wrote:

Most are decent, hard working, professionals. Some have bad days and don't deal with it very well. A very small minority are absolute arseholes pretty much all the time. Bit like people generally, really.

I don't know how to tell you this, but you are in fact wrong.  At least in my experience; when I am cycling, nearly all taxi drivers are amateurs and should not be allowed to drive, never mind earn a living at it.  It feels like they take aim at me, and as far as they are concerned, pass as close as possible but just manage to avoid hitting me because they don't want any marks on their vehicle, or possible delays in getting to their next (extortionate) fare. More close passes come from fecking taxi drivers than I care to mention.

I find minicab drivers to be every bit as bad at driving as the black cab drivers, but a lot more pleasant as human beings.  Maybe this is because a lot of them are not from the UK and so they're not about to start sounding off about 'them fackin' pakis innit, I work all my bleedin' life and they just bring the whole fackin' family over and get a council house, bleedin' liberty, so it is...'

Daveyraveygravey wrote:

OP - did you get his cab number and report him?  I know London Taxis won't do anything about it, but you should have a go.

No, I didn't report it.  There's no point.  

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FluffyKittenofT... replied to Mungecrundle | 5 years ago
2 likes

Mungecrundle wrote:

Most are decent, hard working, professionals. Some have bad days and don't deal with it very well. A very small minority are absolute arseholes pretty much all the time. Bit like people generally, really.

 

I don't think this 'don't lump them all together' thing works, because they lump themselves together - they are an organised group, with a body that claims to respresent them.  It's in good part the behaviour of that body, that they fund and, presumably, ultimately control, that is one of the most objectionable things about them.

 

Thought that does make me curious as to how many cabbies are members of the LTDA and who really runs it (quick attempt to google to find out didn't get me much, other than the fact that there's now apparently a 'Real LTDA' composed of some expelled 'splitters'...there doesn't appear to be a 'Continuity LTDA' though).

I guess it might be like farmers and the NFU, which doesn't really represent all of them the way it is represented as doing.

 

Plus all of them take up excessive road-space and almost all of them put out diesel pollution.  Their collective impact on me is entirely negative (even if they haven't literally impacted me).  Whether they are individually decent drivers or reckless ones, or whether they are as individuals EDL supporters or fluffy liberals, they, as cab drivers clogging up London roads on mostly unecessary journesy, don't do anything positive for me and do a lot negative.

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Kendalred | 5 years ago
3 likes

So one taxi driver acts like a complete bell-end, and they are now all cockroaches? A bit harsh don't you think - even in jest?

Us lot are the first to kick off when we are are lumped together into one homogenous group - but it's okay to do it to other groups? You can't have it both ways.

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brooksby replied to Kendalred | 5 years ago
4 likes

Kendalred wrote:

So one taxi driver acts like a complete bell-end, and they are now all cockroaches? A bit harsh don't you think - even in jest?

Us lot are the first to kick off when we are are lumped together into one homogenous group - but it's okay to do it to other groups? You can't have it both ways.

Yes, you can.  I would refer you to earlier comments on this thread... yes 

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to Kendalred | 5 years ago
1 like

Kendalred wrote:

So one taxi driver acts like a complete bell-end, and they are now all cockroaches? A bit harsh don't you think - even in jest?

Us lot are the first to kick off when we are are lumped together into one homogenous group - but it's okay to do it to other groups? You can't have it both ways.

 

But it's not 'just one'.    Even if they were not selfish, ultra right-wing dogs, they'd still be a clear danger to every other road user.  

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Hirsute | 5 years ago
0 likes
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Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to Hirsute | 5 years ago
0 likes

hirsute wrote:

Was it this driver ?

 

 

https://mobile.twitter.com/kh4l1d23/status/1098258434632441856?ref_src=t...

LOL!  No, it wasn't that one.  

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tourdelound | 5 years ago
4 likes

Did said "cockroach" sound his horn furiously at the lights, because they were "fackin' 'oldin' 'im up, innit?" 

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brooksby | 5 years ago
6 likes

Quote:

... 'cos 20 mph is 'too slow'.

I wonder if Matt Briggs got the memo. 

Because bicycles are one of the few modes of transport which can be simultaneously travelling too fast AND travelling too slow...  

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Legs_Eleven_Wor... replied to brooksby | 5 years ago
2 likes

brooksby wrote:

Quote:

... 'cos 20 mph is 'too slow'.

I wonder if Matt Briggs got the memo. 

Because bicycles are one of the few modes of transport which can be simultaneously travelling too fast AND travelling too slow...  

Don't forget having no lights and lights that are too bright.

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