2 April 2013

Safely in the care of a professional driver

| johnboy
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Laura has sent this in for our consideration:

I unfortunately catch cabs occasionally and this was taken from my ride last Monday. We were on Yamba drive near TCH at the time of this photo being taken. Note that the driver didn’t even notice me reach for my phone and take the photo!!

Got an image of Canberra you want to share with the world? Email it in to images@the-riotact.com.

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IrishPete said :

c_c™ said :

“The overall crash rate for taxis is more than ten times that of fleet and non-fleet cars. The rates for injury and towaway crashes are about ten times higher for taxis than fleet and non-fleet cars. However, the lower average severity of taxi crashes means that the fatal crash rate for taxis is only five times that for fleet and non-fleetcars.”

Source: Characteristics of Taxi Crashes in New South Wales
MA Symmons & NL Haworth
Monash University

Is that crash rate per km driven? It would need to be, to be valid. They do rack up a lot of miles.

IP

That is a valid point however it does obviously depend on the driver eg in 19 years of driving cabs the only prang i was involved in was rear ending one car at low speed(approx 10km/h) and that’s amassing 2 million kms.

c_c™ said :

“The overall crash rate for taxis is more than ten times that of fleet and non-fleet cars. The rates for injury and towaway crashes are about ten times higher for taxis than fleet and non-fleet cars. However, the lower average severity of taxi crashes means that the fatal crash rate for taxis is only five times that for fleet and non-fleetcars.”

Source: Characteristics of Taxi Crashes in New South Wales
MA Symmons & NL Haworth
Monash University

Is that crash rate per km driven? It would need to be, to be valid. They do rack up a lot of miles.

IP

trix said :

Funny you should say that, @bundah. The only times I’ve gotten into cabs to put up with the heavy smell of smoke coming off someone and objectionable talkback radio up loud and some bloke blathering on to me 90 at the dozen (when I’m obviously not interested in chatting about the footie or whatever), it’s been with people who appear to be 100% “skippy”.

The only trouble I have with recent immigrant drivers is when they don’t know where they’re going, but I’ve had the same trouble with “skippies” about as frequently. I blame training for that one.

Well i did raise the bar to dizzying heights and i was comparing the standard of drivers that i witnessed from the ’80s/’90s to recent times.

“The overall crash rate for taxis is more than ten times that of fleet and non-fleet cars. The rates for injury and towaway crashes are about ten times higher for taxis than fleet and non-fleet cars. However, the lower average severity of taxi crashes means that the fatal crash rate for taxis is only five times that for fleet and non-fleetcars.”

Source: Characteristics of Taxi Crashes in New South Wales
MA Symmons & NL Haworth
Monash University

Funny you should say that, @bundah. The only times I’ve gotten into cabs to put up with the heavy smell of smoke coming off someone and objectionable talkback radio up loud and some bloke blathering on to me 90 at the dozen (when I’m obviously not interested in chatting about the footie or whatever), it’s been with people who appear to be 100% “skippy”.

The only trouble I have with recent immigrant drivers is when they don’t know where they’re going, but I’ve had the same trouble with “skippies” about as frequently. I blame training for that one.

thatsnotme said :

dph said :

thatsnotme said :

That they’re being paid for it is exactly what makes them a professional. The teenager delivering your pizza isn’t being paid to drive you home – they’re being paid to pass you a pizza through your front door, which I’d say is quite a bit different.

Extra training doesn’t come into it – the fact they’re being paid to drive makes them, by definition, a professional driver.

Perhaps you should look up the definition of professional because it basically contradicts exactly what you’ve stated.

By definition a professional driver would be someone who’s had extensive training in that field i.e. a race car driver.

I did. It doesn’t contradict what I’ve said at all – it supports it. But don’t take my word for it – if you still don’t agree, complain to the Oxford English Dictionary – http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/professional

So were assuming the pizza delivery guy/gal has another source of income? And that the taxi driver isn’t also a student? So many assumptions…

IP

dph said :

thatsnotme said :

That they’re being paid for it is exactly what makes them a professional. The teenager delivering your pizza isn’t being paid to drive you home – they’re being paid to pass you a pizza through your front door, which I’d say is quite a bit different.

Extra training doesn’t come into it – the fact they’re being paid to drive makes them, by definition, a professional driver.

Perhaps you should look up the definition of professional because it basically contradicts exactly what you’ve stated.

By definition a professional driver would be someone who’s had extensive training in that field i.e. a race car driver.

I did. It doesn’t contradict what I’ve said at all – it supports it. But don’t take my word for it – if you still don’t agree, complain to the Oxford English Dictionary – http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/professional

Having spent almost two decades driving cabs in the past it is fair to say that while most were reasonably competent drivers the standard in recent years has fallen noticeably.The primary reason is the preponderance of recent immigrants who have inundated the industry and do not possess the interpersonal skills nor have the same level of competence behind the wheel as in the past.

gooterz said :

The last guy that complained about a cab got run over.

What’s more he got bail for what i consider a callous and vindictive act which amazingly didn’t result in death.Mind you his injuries were shocking!

IrishPete said :

thatsnotme said :

IrishPete said :

I’m pleasantly surprised when a taxi driver obeys the road rules. Professional drivers? How so? That they’re being paid for it makes them no different from the teenager delivering your pizza. Is there any extra training they do to become a taxi driver? It’s not like London and “The Knowledge”, and while they may know their way around London, they’re also crap, racist and rip-off merchants, in my humblest opinion. Mind you, I haven’t been there in 10 years, so I may also be out of date, but I did live there for 8.

IP

That they’re being paid for it is exactly what makes them a professional. The teenager delivering your pizza isn’t being paid to drive you home – they’re being paid to pass you a pizza through your front door, which I’d say is quite a bit different.

Extra training doesn’t come into it – the fact they’re being paid to drive makes them, by definition, a professional driver.

Nope, you’ve lost me. The taxi driver is being paid to deliver you to a destination, and the pizza car driver is being paid to deliver a pizza to you. How is that different? Both are being paid to drive. Both might even be wearing a uniform.

Paying someone to do a task and expecting them to automatically do it better than if they were doing it in their own time, is asking to be disappointed.

IP

Professional: (of a person) engaged in a specified activity as one’s main paid occupation rather than as a pastime.

Competence doesn’t come into it.

Now if you said the driver lacked professionalism then you would be closer to the mark.

Thought this had been put to bed in photography threads.

curlylocks said :

I too would send the pic onto the cab company along with his number (or taxi number) At least he has his seatbelt on.

Dont waste your time… I took pics of a cab and its driver when he decided to abuse a young lady outside my work a few months ago, he then proceeded to ‘block’ her in with his car so she couldnt leave’…

She was scared shitless, so I intervened, became her knight in shining armour, not so much as a HJ for a thanks, wont be sticking my neck out again!!!

P.S. true story BTW!

thatsnotme said :

IrishPete said :

I’m pleasantly surprised when a taxi driver obeys the road rules. Professional drivers? How so? That they’re being paid for it makes them no different from the teenager delivering your pizza. Is there any extra training they do to become a taxi driver? It’s not like London and “The Knowledge”, and while they may know their way around London, they’re also crap, racist and rip-off merchants, in my humblest opinion. Mind you, I haven’t been there in 10 years, so I may also be out of date, but I did live there for 8.

IP

That they’re being paid for it is exactly what makes them a professional. The teenager delivering your pizza isn’t being paid to drive you home – they’re being paid to pass you a pizza through your front door, which I’d say is quite a bit different.

Extra training doesn’t come into it – the fact they’re being paid to drive makes them, by definition, a professional driver.

Nope, you’ve lost me. The taxi driver is being paid to deliver you to a destination, and the pizza car driver is being paid to deliver a pizza to you. How is that different? Both are being paid to drive. Both might even be wearing a uniform.

Paying someone to do a task and expecting them to automatically do it better than if they were doing it in their own time, is asking to be disappointed.

IP

The last guy that complained about a cab got run over.

thatsnotme said :

That they’re being paid for it is exactly what makes them a professional. The teenager delivering your pizza isn’t being paid to drive you home – they’re being paid to pass you a pizza through your front door, which I’d say is quite a bit different.

Extra training doesn’t come into it – the fact they’re being paid to drive makes them, by definition, a professional driver.

Perhaps you should look up the definition of professional because it basically contradicts exactly what you’ve stated.

By definition a professional driver would be someone who’s had extensive training in that field i.e. a race car driver.

IrishPete said :

I’m pleasantly surprised when a taxi driver obeys the road rules. Professional drivers? How so? That they’re being paid for it makes them no different from the teenager delivering your pizza. Is there any extra training they do to become a taxi driver? It’s not like London and “The Knowledge”, and while they may know their way around London, they’re also crap, racist and rip-off merchants, in my humblest opinion. Mind you, I haven’t been there in 10 years, so I may also be out of date, but I did live there for 8.

IP

That they’re being paid for it is exactly what makes them a professional. The teenager delivering your pizza isn’t being paid to drive you home – they’re being paid to pass you a pizza through your front door, which I’d say is quite a bit different.

Extra training doesn’t come into it – the fact they’re being paid to drive makes them, by definition, a professional driver.

I’m pleasantly surprised when a taxi driver obeys the road rules. Professional drivers? How so? That they’re being paid for it makes them no different from the teenager delivering your pizza. Is there any extra training they do to become a taxi driver? It’s not like London and “The Knowledge”, and while they may know their way around London, they’re also crap, racist and rip-off merchants, in my humblest opinion. Mind you, I haven’t been there in 10 years, so I may also be out of date, but I did live there for 8.

IP

I’ve never had one texting while driving, but I’m constantly telling them to slow down. Almost all comply but I had one tell me it was OK to do 100km/h in the 60 zones because it was 5am and there would be no police. He soon slowed down when I told him that I wanted him to pull over and call me another taxi.

I’ve had a couple of good ones lately who drove sensibly, weren’t overly chatty and one even put on some nice soothing music when I had just got off a long flight and said I was tired 🙂

Not the first, won’t be the last…

I too would send the pic onto the cab company along with his number (or taxi number) At least he has his seatbelt on.

it wouldn’t be hard for the taxi company to track down who it was to pick you up. that’s definitely worth a tap on the shoulder. the next time he does it he could kill some poor innocent suck through inattention….

gungsuperstar3:59 pm 02 Apr 13

I had a cabbie last week that wasn’t even the guy in the photo on the dash – but… well, he was a nice guy, so I didn’t say anything!

I speak up if they’re texting or answering their phone – not even for the safety issue, but because it’s rude.

I caught a very late night cab home once and the cab driver was reaaaally drunk and incredibly aggro because his wife had just left him.

I was too stoned and freaked out to do anything more than hang on to the door handle and prey not to crash.

Madam Cholet3:34 pm 02 Apr 13

I always speak up in a cab if the driver is doing things like answering his phone or texting. I remind them taht it is illegal and that they can wait until I am safely home to answer their phone.

I once asked a driver to slow down driving through really thick fog and the normal speed limit of 100k’s. I couldn’t see anything in front of the car so no idea why he thought it was ok to drive as if the conditions were fine.

Next time this happens, get the number from the driver’s Public Vehicle Driver Authority and send the details of the incident to the ORS (taxiservices@act.gov.au),

ScienceRules2:36 pm 02 Apr 13

Oh dear, not good at all. I think this might be one of those occasions when speaking up and demanding professional behaviour might be totally appropriate.

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