Taxi Driver Online

That a driver can refuse a fare if he believes a passenger has the flu or any other contagious disease?

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Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

yes

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Casey Column September 2008


Refusing to be hired

That 150 year old legislation seems to still be relevant in some areas, I remind people, particularly on certain ranks in the Great Border City;

53. Penalty on driver for refusing to drive.

A driver of a hackney carriage standing at any of the stands for hackney carriages appointed by the commissioners, or in any street, who refuses or neglects, without reasonable excuse, to drive such carriage to any place within the prescribed distance, or the distance to be appointed by any byelaw of the commissioners, not exceeding the prescribed distance to which he is directed to drive by the person hiring or wishing to hire such carriage, shall for every such offence be liable to a penalty not exceeding [ level 2 on the standard scale].

The following do not appear to be reasonable excuses;

1. Finding out where the customer is going before deciding the items carried will not fit in your cab (but will fit in the cab behind).

2. Refusing the fare because a certain taxi rank only goes to the racecourse on that specific day.

3. Refusing to be hired because you are only doing long fares today.

In deference to the above, the 1936 Public Health act provides the driver with a pretty decent refusal. For example, if the passenger is suffering from the ‘Ebola’ virus, it would seem to be a suitable ground for you to refuse the fare. Indeed, the local government act of 1982 makes it illegal for a person with ‘Ebola’ of a similar communicable disease from using public vehicles, the term used is ‘infectious diseases’, and supposing you and the passenger don’t actually die before reaching the destination, you could presumably claim the disinfection costs.

If you survive and the passenger dies you better check your byelaws, because somewhere in there could be a section regarding knowingly carrying the body of a dead person and you having to have the vehicle inspected by the sanitary department of your local council. Presumably if you unknowingly carried a dead body, you may well be guilty of infringing a byelaw that states you must check the back of your cab after each fare for lost property.

That’s right, not only will the passenger find that they not only have a deadly disease, they cannot use a public vehicle, and if they do they must inform you at which point you can tell them it is not only against the law for you to carry them, its against the law for them to try to hire you.

I wonder how many drivers have actually suggested to a court ‘Sorry your honour, I thought the person who tried to hire my cab, at the aforementioned time and at the aforementioned place had the pox ’.

Obviously this is all now fresh in your minds, I hope the BTEC people are taking notes, we soon will see a taxi driving course that includes us all being able to recognise the differences and symptoms of all these communicable diseases.

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Cheers buddy.

_________________
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

Isn't it a bit late for you to be refusing passengers with the flu

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I want to give it back to the vvanker that gave it me.

_________________
Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2