Taxi Driver Online

Hi all.

Where do I start:

35/M/Notingham

Not sure if a screw has been shook loose what with kids and family life taking its toll over the years but I am in the process of "ticking the boxes" to get my badge (PH/Hackney).

I have been with the my current employer for over 10 years in a role which some would consider "professional" but to be honest, the job has deteriorated over the years into a huge mess of stats, stats and more stats with human beings being considered an annoyance to the "system".

So, rather than start a separate thread for all of my questions, thought would be best in a single thread.

Has anyone here left a "Professional" career to become a cabbie?
It does seem a little mad to be leaving a career I have been in for 15+ years with security, sickness and holiday pay to jump into something with none of the above but the truth is, the treadmill is not for me. I do not want to be a millionaire, I just want to earn a living, pay the mortgage, put food in the fridge and make sure the family is looked after without having someone breathing down my neck not knowing themselves what I should/shouldn't be doing but complaining anyway just to conform to the "system".

Owing to family commitments, I work evenings anyway so that transition will not be a problem and I am aware that I will need to be working more than the 40 odd hours I work now BUT those hours are me answering only to me and the punters. More manageable right?

Could any of you go back to the "9-5"?

Which Council badge?
Being from Nottingham, there are a few badges I can aim for.

Nottingham City
Broxtowe Borough

Once you have a badge, what effect does that have on your work or is it all the same?

If I have a Broxtowe Borough badge, and I wanted a City badge in the future, can one "Fast Track" an application or would you have to sit through their driving test etc?

Broxtowe Borough require you sit the DSA Private Hire test which is £80, would another council accept that in place of their own test?

Car hire?
I cannot afford to purchase a suitable vehicle so will need to hire.

Can someone shed some light in this regard as to my options.

Can a base hire me a car with radio, plated with insurance etc? Or is this asking for too much?

Relating to my badge question above, if a car is plated to one Council, can it be driven with another councils badge?

I am sure there will be more questions coming.

Thank you for any input.

Much appreciated.

I was a time served engineer and was in a management position when I gave it all up for the transport game although I didn't come straight into the taxi game. I came via wedding cars and stretched limousines.
Whichever badge that you decide to go for, the vehicle must be licensed by the same Council as your badge. If you want to work on a PH circuit, one of the biggest in your area would be DG cars who are Gedling based I believe. If you want to be a Hackney in the City there are a few to choose from. Just take the phone number off of any of them and ring the company up.
I doubt that you will be able to "fast track" through any Council.

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Grandad,

Hello Gimpymoo

I sound a bit like you, brand new to the job after a hours cut in my "cushy" previous life.
I hit some problems along the way. Lots really, but I have ended up plating my own car and going full time very recently.
I would not try to put you off but its not easy, I have the greatest of respect for these guys on here who have been at it years.
As I drove around a lot anyway I thought I knew were I was going, I did, BUT not the shortest way. Fares get really P****d when them wheels turn more than they should! Spent a lot of my time saying "look, how much do you normally pay"
If you think of anything you want to ask??

There are many sayings/proverbs in life! One of them you will have heard of "Never judge a book by its cover". Just remember that proverb applies to books only, if it (the punter) does not look right then 97.5% you will be right. There are a lot of nice people out there........unfortunately there are a lot of "Real" bad ones - remember safety is the "key" more than any money - good luck, and I would never go back to what I was doing as this can be the working freedom that you might be looking for.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

First get a license, and that license is really down to you and your needs.

Secondly the trade is chock a block full of 'professional' people who are no longer 'professional' people.

Once you have decided where you want to work, ask around for a local taxi school that will help you through the initial application process.

It will cost a few quid but you will be with like minded 'professional' people and your many questions will be answered.

Try the biggest firm in your area for the school and initially rent a car or shift to see if it's for you.

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IDFIMH

Yer mad mush cabbing is crap you will work endless hours, you will be attacked, exploited, harrased, and in general ripped off DONT DO IT!!!

THIS INDUSTRY ATTRACTS MORE MORONS THAN THE AVERAGE NUT HOUSE THEY WILL LIE, CHEAT, UNDERCUT YOU, AND MISLEAD YOU THE AVERAGE CABBY IS A BRAIN DEAD PARASITE

WHY NOT SORT OUT YOUR PRESENT EMPLOYER ...........THERES PLENTY OF OPTIONS..................UNITE GMB UNISON ETC

ANYWAY WHATEVER WAY YOU GO I WISH YOU LUCK

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

I agree with Terry.

Unless your getting yourself licensed in a busy area, I'd seriously think twice about leaving a secure job for the provincial taxi trade at the moment.

There's threads galore on here from county mounty land about 15 hour days for £70 or other similar figures. Many areas are saturated with imported drivers brought in by greedy taxi circuits to pay them radio rental.

I left a public sector job many years ago, but only after being involved with the taxi trade within that job, so I knew the hours and earning potentials before I took the final decision, plus it's London and work tends to be constant especially at night.

Check it out first, even if it means doing the taxi part on the sly.

Thanks Grandad.

You are right, DG are one of the bigger companies.

They force you to wear a uniform (Shirt/Tie) which does put me off a bit. Shirt and tie stuck in the car all shift?

I plan working for a City based operator as I rightly/wrongly believe their will be more opportunities for Jobs.

I plan to work the Private Hire route. The Hackney route in the City seems to be an overly regulated mess. Fair assumption? Also, never understood how those waiting at the ranks make a living when queuing at Shopping Centre, train Station etc? Friday/Saturday nights excluded when no Hackney Cab in the city can be found. Although maybe no different than a PH driving to their pickup point and using fuel etc?



Hi Heike,

Thanks for the reply.

Did you already have a car suitable for use as a taxi?

If I can get to hire a car from an operator a few days a week, I would prefer to do that while keeping my current job or dropping to part time so I can cut my teeth before jumping full time and hopefully, ironed out the kinks so I can maximise my revenue.

I am certain I will get some grief about "going the wrong way" when starting. Not sure what else you can say though other than "Just give us what you normally would" and even then, I am sure some punters will rip you off. All I can do is take it on the chin though I guess, do not make the same mistake twice and all that, especially if your income depends on it.



Thanks John,

That is advice I will remember.

Part of the reason for doing this is that I like people, unfortunately, as you say, there are bad ones out there but as you say, money is second to personal safety.

If your base despatches you to a fare, what do you say though "Yes Guv, I went and they looked dodgy as **** in my opinion, so I drove off", how does that pan out?



Hi.

The application process does not appear complicated. I made an appointment with a nice lady at the council who went through the ins and outs of the process.

I will be renting a car initially and if I could rent a car for a few shifts a week to start with, that would be even better if at all possible.



Thanks.

The problem with my employer is double edged, them being total idiots (In my opinion of course) and me being sick of the "treadmill" which is corporate life. It stinks. Yes, they pay me a wage, but they do not own me which I am certain is how they think.

If the industry is chock full of morons, surely those whom Darwin would approve of a little more can rise above?



Nottingham and its boroughs seems to be busy enough through my green eyes for what it is worth. The City is expanding at a fast rate.

As I have said above though, I hope to somehow work as many shifts I can while retaining my current job so I can learn the "lay of the land" so to speak before starting full time.

This question is to anyone:

What do you like the most about the job?
What do you dislike the most about the job?

Thanks all.

I work as a hack but it is still the same at the end of the day. In my case if seen binning a punter, then I would have to answer to the L.A.

You are no different in the sense that you would probably have to answer to your office, unfortunately many an office has sent a driver (unintentionally) to an address that has turned out a bad one. If they are an experienced outfit then they should understand, but make no mistake ! you make your own risk assessment. Having said that looks are not always the case, I have picked up many wearing bikers leathers, tatted like "Hells angles", metal sticking out all over their face, and nicer people you could not wish to meet. However you will ( it sounds pompous) learn to profile people as they approach you, the way they speak to you, to me it is very important as it gives an insight to the person/people straight away i.e are they effing and blinding at you straight away, also the way they speak in general (rough/coarse/can they put two words together etc) even the way they walk towards you will all add up to...........do I need the fare that bad?

It is as they say "Not Rocket Science".......just tip the odds of safety, in your favour.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.

Darwinism .............................nope they have dragged this industry into being

1. The worst paid industry bar none...................ie ........ more hours for less money than any other..........London and Maybe Brighton being the exceptions
2, Councils regularly rip off the trade ....................deny them rights..................ranks etc............stupid testing regimes............ridiculous disciplinary procedures........you name it they ACCEPT IT..............

3 you might like to consider the likliehood of being murdered non the job...............defo in the top 3.................the punter mentality is ................yer a driver yer scum..........and fair game for assault robbery abuse on a regular basis ...........................defo evry sat night......................if you have a family you will be betraying them by coming into this........................CESS PIT INDUSTRY

FOOD FOR THOUGHT............................HOPEFULLY....................WISH YOU WELL TT

_________________
All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

What do you like the most about the job?

Freedom to work the hours I choose - No-one apart from myself to answer to if I need to finish early, not work a particular day, etc
Time passes quickly when working a busy shift meaning no "clock watching".

What do you dislike the most about the job?

Unsociable hours need to be worked to obtain the most income. I could work 9-5 mon-fri but would barely cover my costs.
Gross pay seems good, however net pay (following all expenditure) is not much above minimum wage.
I, like you, worked in 9-5 environment and got cheesed off with office politics, the grind of daily office life, stressing about work after hours, etc. However, I now have stresses of a different kind in that my vehicle may break down with unknown cost, plus I'm not earning whilst it's off the road.
No sick, holiday pay, etc
Linked to point 2, ridiculous overheads and red tape imposed by council
Majority of customers are brain dead [edited by admin]

What do you like the most about the job?

The open road

What do you dislike the most about the job?

Traffic

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

What do I like most? Some of the punters.

What do I dislike the most? Some of the punters.

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IDFIMH

I like it due to the fact that it is the Penultimate in working hours;

To a degree you can........Go in when you want
Take time off when you want
Start whatever time you want
Finish whatever time you want. (All without having to ask).
No forced retirement if you stay fit, (basically non manual unlike many other occupations, so
doable).


Nothing is perfect, and as the jobs market is as it is...............this will do. If you are young enough, then for me I would up sticks and go for London.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.