Taxi Driver Online

I'd be interested to know why everyone on here decided to become a taxi/ph driver.

Me, I like the freedom of starting and finishing when I like (within reason), and taking time off whenever I want. I also like "being my own boss" in that I can often go an entire shift without needing to speak to base, with no-one breathing down my neck.

Downsides are of course unsociable hours (I work evenings and nights), lack of a stable income, lack of any holiday/sick pay. Despite the jobs downsides, when the work is flowing and the money is rolling in, I actually enjoy it. The days (nights) dont drag like they used to in my previous jobs. Sadly this isn't the case when it's quiet, but I can always load my phone with films/games to keep me entertained, or read a book

served me time as a mechanic and used to do a couple of taxis on the side. Little did i know that some taxis drivers are so full of bullsh1t so when they told me they were taking 30 grand a week i believed them, the rest they say is history mind i wouldn't have it any other way now. Although i am concerned about the decline in trade at the moment and the law commission. But the biggest threat to taxis/ph is the fact that they will shaft each other and not stick together

did not like having to get up at certain times and having to end at certain times so in 1977 i started driving for a friend who had a hackney and drove for him for 5 years and then i bought a Ph plate and put a blue Cortina on and at the same time applied for a taxi plate and in another 4 years i got a taxi plate so sold the cortina and bought a sierra and had that plate for 22 years had many cars on as taxis sierras cortina's and Octavia's and sold it and put a ph back on

30 grand a week! Wow, never heard a boast like that before.

Was talking to a known bullsh1tter the other week when filling up. Id done 90 for me tues backshift and was putting 20 diesel in. He had done 170 yet was only putting 15 in till it started clicking off. so i think them vauxhall vectras must be brilliant on fuel

You mean that it cost you £20 to drive 90 miles? Something like 28 miles to the gallon. What are you driving?

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Grandad,

Started part time back in 89 when the coal mines closed, 20 odd years I'm still here.

back in the early 80's South Africa came recruiting miners (and craftsmen), my mate went, i didnt.....sob

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

20 years ago i need a living whilst living in a small town in rural Snowdonia, i had a car+licence.....

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

It was the attraction of :

1. Being called "Drive"
2. Asked if ive been busy, what time i started, what time im finishing, if ive had many airport runs, if anyones ever been sick in my cab
3. People assuming that id be racing around non stop all night doing £20 fares

Nothing to do with the fact I have a wife and kids to support

No that was £ not miles. And i drive a vivaro minibus which is basically a brick on wheels and on a good day with 8 pass in il get 30 to the gallon

wow I/m luck to get 20 to the gallon out of VW transporter !!!

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

back in 1989 I was held up by armed robbers at the off license I managed the owners of the business were furious that i hadn't tried to fight them off and got myself killed in the process and i was forced to leave after a massive campaign of harassment they told every prospective employer that I stole the money and I couldn't get a job so 2 years later moved back to my home town with the intention of starting my own business and early 1991 took up taxi driving as a temporary job whilst I looked around for suitable premises or another career whilst working part time at the place where i was working the drivers decided to leave en masse to set up a rival firm because the owner was very strict and very greedy but I was not invited and wouldn't have gone anyway as I was getting Sh*t upon by the board operators so suddenly there we were with a driver who wasn't up to the job running the show without enough drivers Out of frustration I took control and sorted out the operation running it as a sort of cooperative franchise but the greedy owner was still a problem so as i was the only one with any money i ended up buying her out and taking over the business and 18 years later here we are

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

A lack of foresight..

I'm not that many years off normal retirement age. My wife is 14 years younger than me and has a job she loves and will want to keep working. I half jokingly said to a client friend maybe I should get a badge, keep me busy later and earn a bit extra to help son when he goes to uni in a couple of years (late starter me!) My client friend said he'd got a couple of day drivers who paid him a weekly settle for their cars but didn't want to work weekend nights and I could use them if I fancied having a go. That was 2 years ago and I'm still going.

I do enjoy it, except when toerags calmly get out the car and don't pay and walk off, like happened on Saturday night. 2 fairly hefty guys and it was early and they were sober so no initial alarms bells.

I can see myself getting my own car when I do finally decide to pack up the insurance business.

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Nobody told me to use my initiative. To err is human to arr is pirate.