grandad wrote:
It happened again last night. A group of customers went from a village south of our town to Sat Bains in Nottingham. A round trip of 50 miles each journey. the return was booked for 23.30. The driver had to wait 40 minutes after this time before they were ready to leave. The total fare for the 2 journeys was just over £100, so the driver said just make it £100. The customer kicked off saying that he usually pays £35 each way with his usual driver. Eventually he threw £100 at her saying it was a rip off. It was less than the metered fare. Mind you he left the restaurant bill in the car.
There were supposed to be 6 of them dining but one cancelled. The cost for each meal was £99.00 but the cancelled meal was £100.00. With the various extras and drinks the bill came to £1,108.28 including the tip of £112.03. the 6 bottles of wine came to over £300.00
And they quibble about the taxi fare.

I can see it now.
Young buck goes into a club. The lager sets him back £4. he says to barperson, just make it £3. Barperson calls security and he is ejected.
But its OK to do this to a cabby ...
Certainly blacks are too expensive. But its the high rentals, insurance, repairs etc that benefit. Not the driver.
Everytime the tariff increases the vultures take their cut, the driver working longer for not much more, while the discounting competition seizes yet another opportunity to take away ever more of his custom, making it even harder to cut it.
And here in Edinburgh the Law of equality doesn't stretch to him or her being allowed to break the cycle of greed by getting their own operator's licence.
BTW When companies discount fares, it's not the companies paying for it. Nor the insurance companies. Nor the owners. Nor the servicers.
Nope, it comes off the cabbies bottom line. Cabbies pay for the discounts.
So, next time a big multi-national global business empire gets a discount, should cabbies touch their forelocks and rejoice in how they, and their wives and children, are subsidising these megaliths of capitalism.

Congratulations guys ....
Which is why at least the Skull and I have the sense never to have been a Skippy like cabby, and not cabbies now.