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AUSTRALIA; 'Fatty Surcharge' For Over-weight Taxi Passenger
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Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 7:58 am ]
Post subject:  AUSTRALIA; 'Fatty Surcharge' For Over-weight Taxi Passenger
A U S T R A L I A

'Fat' Passenger Paid Extra Taxi Fee

23rd July 2009

A taxi driver has revealed one of his colleagues slugged a woman passenger with an extra fee - because she was overweight.

Speaking on the day the Queensland Government announced a crackdown on unscrupulous cabbies, the Ipswich driver said local customers were regularly being ripped-off by a range of dubious surcharges.

The long-time cabbie said newcomers to the industry were tarnishing its image and said he backed moves to stamp out cheats.

The Yellow Cab driver, who asked to remain anonymous, said regular customers had reported a series of scams.

“One lady said she was charged extra at the end of her journey for being overweight - it's outrageous,” he said.

“It's appalling she was asked to pay more.

“I never heard anything like it before, that kind of thing just doesn't come to most taxi drivers' minds.”

Other incidents reported by the driver included:

• Passengers being forced to pay a $10 surcharge on public holidays.
• Passengers being charged for air-conditioning and use of a GPS system.
• One driver refusing to leave his car to open the gate for a blind passenger.

“It's distressing to hear on a daily basis so many complaints from my customers,” he said.

“What they are doing is illegal and it reflects badly on the drivers who are doing the right thing.”

The driver said foreign workers with limited experience as cabbies in Australia were often to blame - a claim Yellow Cabs general manager Bill Parker denies.

On Monday Mr Parker told The Queensland Times that foreign drivers in Ipswich were the victims of a rising number of racially-motivated taunts and attacks.

Seventy per cent of Yellow Cab drivers are from overseas, but Mr Parker said the “vast majority” did a great job.

The Cab Drivers' Association of Queensland secretary Lee Sims said there were too many horror stories about foreign drivers for them to be dismissed.

“I think it's a cultural issue with some foreign drivers,” Mr Sims said.

Queensland's Transport Minister Rachel Nolan yesterday revealed new measures to raise standards in the industry.

Prospective cabbies will have to be at least 20 years old and have driven on the nation's roads using an Australian licence before a taxi driver authorisation will be issued.

Source; The Queensland Times – qt.com.ua


ALSO


Taxi Passenger Charged More 'for being overweight'

July 23, 2009

UPDATE: Transport minister Rachel Nolan says a crackdown on taxis would include investigations into claims a driver charged extra for an overweight passenger.

Ms Nolan described the allegations as "completely unacceptable''.

Speaking this morning at the opening of Brisbane's northern busway, she said a current major crackdown on taxi driver compliance would be expanded to include a "good look" at these allegations.

"The reason that cabs have a meter is so that everybody understands what is the appropriate fare, and just in the past month we've been running quite a major compliance hit to ensure that at any given time the taxi is running the right rate through the meter," she said.

"This is very actively being looked at right now, and I'm specifically going to look at those issues."

Her comments come after a taxi driver revealed one of his colleagues slugged a woman passenger with an extra fee because she was overweight.

The Ipswich driver said local customers were regularly being ripped-off by a range of dubious surcharges.

The Yellow Cab driver, who asked to remain anonymous, said regular customers had reported a series of scams.

"One lady said she was charged extra at the end of her journey for being overweight - it's outrageous," he told The Queensland Times.

"I never heard anything like it before".

The allegations come a day after the government announced strict new driving standards for drivers.

Other incidents reported by the driver included:

Passengers being forced to pay a $10 surcharge on public holidays.
Passengers being charged for air-conditioning and use of a GPS system.
One driver refusing to leave his car to open the gate for a blind passenger.

Source; couriermail.com.au
Author:  wannabeeahack [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 10:01 am ]
Post subject: 
if the fat cow takes up two seats why not?
Author:  grandad [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 10:13 am ]
Post subject: 
wannabeeahack wrote:
if the fat cow takes up two seats why not?


Do you really want an answer to that? :roll:
Author:  toots [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 10:18 am ]
Post subject: 
grandad wrote:
wannabeeahack wrote:
if the fat cow takes up two seats why not?


Do you really want an answer to that? :roll:


I think if they were that over weight they wouldn't be able to get into the vehicle :roll: If there were 2 passengers then the weight would be the same but you wouldn't charge extra. I just wouldn't have the nerve to tell somebody I'm charging more cos they were over weight
Author:  wannabeeahack [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:04 am ]
Post subject: 
what happens when 5 get in all weighing 30 stone and the vehicle gets weighbridged by VOSA, who pays the fine?
Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:15 am ]
Post subject: 
wannabeeahack wrote:
if the fat cow takes up two seats why not?

You don't have a meter, so you can charge what you like anyway!!
Author:  tcabbie [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 11:21 am ]
Post subject: 
Lets be very honest here. How many overweight taxi drivers are there out there quite a few methinks.
Author:  grandad [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:20 pm ]
Post subject: 
tcabbie wrote:
Lets be very honest here. How many overweight taxi drivers are there out there quite a few methinks.


You talking to me! :oops:
Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:30 pm ]
Post subject: 
wannabeeahack wrote:
if the fat cow takes up two seats why not?

I don't suppose, for one minute, that you charge less for slim size zero people; like size zero fit women?

Image Image Image Image Image
Author:  wannabeeahack [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:43 pm ]
Post subject: 
Brummie Cabbie wrote:
wannabeeahack wrote:
if the fat cow takes up two seats why not?

I don't suppose, for one minute, that you charge less for slim size zero people; like size zero fit women?

Image Image Image Image Image


1 seat/2 cheeks = ok...

seriously though, you are plated for how many, 5?...

if the 5th just wont fit in, can you refuse to take the other 4, or ring eddie stobart?
Author:  wannabeeahack [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 12:44 pm ]
Post subject: 
Ryanair proposes surcharge for fat passengers
Posted on Saturday, April 25, 2009


From Ryanair's press room:
Ryanair’s Stephen McNamara said:

“Over 100,000 passengers logged on to ryanair.com to take part in our competition and almost one in three (over 30,000)think that very large passengers should be asked to pay a fat tax.

“With passengers voting overwhelmingly for a ‘fat tax’ we are now asking them to suggest which format the charge should take. The above four points seem to us to be the simplest, fairest and administratively easiest to apply. In all cases we’ve limits at very high levels so that a ‘fat tax’ will only apply to those really large passengers who invade’ the space of the passengers sitting beside them.

“These charges, if introduced might also act as an incentive to some of our very large passengers to lose a little weight and hopefully feel a little lighter and healthier.

“The revenues from any such fat tax will be used to lower the airfares for all Ryanair passengers yet further. Passengers can vote for their preference on www.ryanair.com until Monday 27th April”.

It really looks like they're serious.

Should US Airlines impose such a surcharge? Would it keep fares lower for everyone? Or just discriminate against a class of people, many of whom may simply be unable to control their weight due to emotional or hereditary reasons. Should we therefore give discounts to really skinny people?

United Airlines and Southwest already charge a "tax" in the form of requiring obese passengers to buy an extra seat (basically a 100% surcharge.)
Author:  Brummie Cabbie [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 1:56 pm ]
Post subject: 
wannabeeahack wrote:
Brummie Cabbie wrote:
wannabeeahack wrote:
if the fat cow takes up two seats why not?

I don't suppose, for one minute, that you charge less for slim size zero people; like size zero fit women?

Image Image Image Image Image


1 seat/2 cheeks = ok...

seriously though, you are plated for how many, 5?...

if the 5th just wont fit in, can you refuse to take the other 4, or ring eddie stobart?

I am licensed for six & if a hiring has maximum passengers the if one, two, three or more are obese, then it's their fault for having friends who are 'Big Fat B*st*rds'.

If their ride comfort suffers it's not my fault.
Author:  wannabeeahack [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 3:31 pm ]
Post subject: 
if the six + luggage see you overloaded (assuming you havent got onboard weighing) and you get nicked will the passengers have a whipround (not a walnut whip) to pay the fine and your points on your licence?
Author:  toots [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 4:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
grandad wrote:
tcabbie wrote:
Lets be very honest here. How many overweight taxi drivers are there out there quite a few methinks.


You talking to me! :oops:


Well he ain't talking to me :lol: :lol:
Author:  Sussex [ Thu Jul 23, 2009 6:48 pm ]
Post subject: 
tcabbie wrote:
Lets be very honest here. How many overweight taxi drivers are there out there quite a few methinks.

Indeed, and if they decided licensing fees based on weight, then many in the trade would be way out of pocket. :shock:
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