Taxi Driver Complained about Short Fare from Airport

Hi All,

So I live close to an airport (about 6km away).

When I returned on my trip, I went to the taxi stand which had a long queue of taxis lined up. It was around midnight. I got into the first taxi in line and as we were driving off, I told him my destination and he just groaned and said if I told him earlier, he wouldn't have taken me because the trip is too short and he's been waiting there for hours. He wasn't aggressive but he did keep complaining and made me feel like I'm inconveniencing him. I told him if he doesn't want to take me then just send me back. He said it's too late and proceeded to drive me home. The final fee was $25.

Now, I can see where he is coming from. It obviously doesn't make sense for him economically to wait a few hours to earn what he did.

However, I was telling him what I'm supposed to do then? Go to every taxi driver and state my address and ask if they'll take me? Walk home? He didn't respond. In the end, I said I understand his annoyance but I need to get home too.

By the way, I've taken a taxi home from the airport many times and this was my first complaint.

So now I'm curious to know what everyone thinks about this? What should I do next time? Would love to hear your opinions!

Thank you.

Comments

          • @brad1-8tsi:

            It's their mindset of not wanting to drive away from the airport and getting a $25 fare to take you home after an hour in the holding yard.

            Which is acceptable no? Who would not complain after waiting for an hour to just get a low result?
            It's like waiting for a burger for 1 hour then you only get chips as the burger runs out.

            Appreciate the down votes, shows how much ozbargainers hate the taxis lol!

            • +4

              @Taro Milk Tea: It's acceptable to complain to your mates, not to your paying customer. A customer should not have to deal with that attitude.

              Don't think your burger scenario is accurate. A more comparable scenario would be the burger shop owner complaining that the last customer for the night bought chips only instead of a burger.

              • -3

                @Hunter14: yes yes you can turn around the example doesn't matter, but you get the part where the annoyance is acceptable no?

                Not everybody is born to be in perfect position like many of us here, taxi driver is just another person trying to make a living in this weirdly system country

                • +2

                  @Taro Milk Tea: The annoyance is acceptable, yes. He is human after all.

                  Unleashing the annoyance on a paying customer is not acceptable.

                  You get that part yes?

                  The last thing you want after a long international flight is the cabbie giving you a hard time for something you have no control over (besides moving further from the airport as one poster suggested).

                  • -3

                    @Hunter14: True that's why price fixing will solve it. And yes yes, uber is always another better option yes?

            • +5

              @Taro Milk Tea:

              1. they didnt have to wait at airport ranks. it was their choice. they could be driving around and risk not getting a single job during a quiet day. they chose to wait at ranks due to certainty of getting a job, but not the value / amount.

              2. you cant be expecting EVERY single passenger out of airport to be needing 20km+ rides. being a taxi driver they knew what they were up for. so dont complain.

              3. i dont hate taxi. just the sense of entitlement "i should be entitled to getting high value jobs". i have a habit of chatting to taxi drivers during my ride. i know their fixed cost including fuel is ~180 for about half a day. and if they dont make more than that they would be out of the pocket. and i have met some really smart drivers who outsmart their peers and try to make sure they get more than that amount, but not by rejecting rides. smart people who learned a good strategy will survive. people who felt they're entitled and only know how to complain stand to lose out.

              • -7

                @aboogee: wow ok ok relax, im just a tradie mate not taxi driver!

                • @Taro Milk Tea: I really mean no offence. Just listing them that way makes it easier to articulate my point. I’m not a taxi driver too. Just trying to point out that there are reasonable ones and unreasonable ones. Please don’t take offence as I don’t mean any.

            • +1

              @Taro Milk Tea: I wouldn't complain to my customer that is providing me my livelihood. The taxi industry forgot that fine detail that the customers they treated like dirt were their income.

              I also wouldn't sit in the holding yard for an hour.

              A smart operator knows when the airport is busy and when it isn't. 15 years ago the area around KSA was dead outside of normal business hours and you'd have to wait in the holding yard. These days there is enough residential and leisure (restaurants, activities, pubs) tennants that there are plenty of fares within 1km of the airport.

              Here's a tip: Go to Mascot train station and pick up all the commuters that have got off early to avoid the station levy at the airport stations. You'd get a fare within minutes.

            • @Taro Milk Tea: This might be one of the worst comparisons I've ever seen.

              • @Rumstein: cmon man, if you say something is bad, you should give a better answer.

                It's like saying to your kid that you're upset with them because they are bad at music, while you don't know anything about music. better comparison now yes?

                • @Taro Milk Tea: Not at all. This wasn't for constructive criticism, it was just objectively a horrible comparison.

                  I don't need to know anything about game design to tell that a game is shit.

            • @Taro Milk Tea:

              It's like waiting for a burger for 1 hour then you only get chips as the burger runs out

              I feel your analogy is way off. There is no guarantee of what the minimum fare is from the airport.

              It would be closer to if a burger shop offered random free food but It was very clear the food item was random. People lined up and some got burgers. One person lined up knowing the line was an hour long, and had a hissy fit when they only got chips

    • +2

      Agree on the fixed fare concept, it is one of the reasons I’ve moved to Uber rather than taxis. Tell me, upfront, what it will cost and let me make a choice. The taxi industry could’ve nipped Uber in the bud if they had been more proactive with their approach.

      • I believe some taxis in Perth are doing just that, however i believe it is all in vain now, customer service has been way too horrible for way too long to steer that ship back around.

      • How come you got 2 up votes and I got all the down votes for agreeing on the same thing here? Such as life..

    • +2

      Meh, they already have a minimum fare, and it's about $5

    • If the customer thinks too expensive = book uber

      So what you're advocating for is the accelerated destruction of the taxi industry, got it.

      • You don't understand business concept

      • And you don't understand human beings:

        • If the customer thinks too expensive = book uber
        • If it's acceptable = get on a taxi <- this won't happen
    • How does that work when the taxi driver didn’t know the location till he left the airport

      • You must have never been overseas

        • +2

          I’m an international pilot, I go about 6 times a month

    • God no. The last thing we need is government meddling and price fixing.

      What we need is to eliminate this worthless profession entirely, bring on the self driving cabs!

      • In a way… Eliminate some human beings? I classify this as homicidal!

        • A profession is a a paid occupation, not a human being… lol

          • @trapper: How bout a taxi controlled by robot then? Will you accept the existence of taxi again?
            .
            .
            .
            .
            .
            .
            Nah maybe not

      • Or better yet, one day you can buy a car that drives you places, goes home, then picks you up later when you call it!

  • +1

    Sometimes when travelling from the airport to home, which is a long distance away, you might get a surprise message to go somewhere that might be say 6km away.

  • +18

    My man had a hernia operation and we had to take a taxi home, which was a short distance from the hospital to home. The taxi driver whined about the short distance. FFS he picked us up from outside a hospital and my man was shuffling like a 90 year old, what did he expect us to do? I was a tad sharp with him as we didn’t need that crap on top of everything else. I also had a case where a taxi driver took a long time to pick me up, accused me of slamming the door then told me to get out of his f’ing cab. I read an article that said. “Melbourne, where you don’t tell the cabbies where to go, they tell you where to go”. Personally we prefer Uber now as well. We know what it costs upfront and you don’t get the attitude.

  • +5

    I've had that before. I bluntly told the cabbie it's not my problem and his attitude is why so many people are changing using Uber.

    He didn't say a word for the rest of the trip (about anything other than to ask for directions). I'm surprised he didn't try to kick me out of the cab but I had my phone ready to snap a copy of his licence if he had tried and I'm sure he bitched about how rude I was to his mate.

    • +1

      He can only afford one mate?

      • +9

        Well he's a cabbie paying off a taxi plate which is now worthless

  • +1

    Haha, so the general consensus is:
    OzB doesn't like taxis.
    OzB likes Uber.

    • -5

      a lot of people are hypocrites and im no different. they want the cheapest price and are willing to sacrifice a decent rate for the drivers.

      • I’m willing to pay a decent rate, but I want to know the price upfront and I don’t need to listen to their attitude. If taxis had been better to start with they could’ve made it much harder for Uber, but they didn’t learn.

      • Taxi drivers (depending on luck) can be paid less than uber drivers and work under much worse conditions. E.g. taxi drivers falling asleep at the wheel because they need to maximise their 12 hour shift, as they've already paid their taxi rental

  • +37

    Take the complaint on board and move your home further away from the airport

    • +5

      My favourite response so far :)

    • +3

      Finally, a legitimate response we can all get behind.

  • +7

    Should have just said 'now you know how your wife feels'.

  • +4

    Frankly, old mate cabbie can get $#@&!@ so far as I'm concerned.

    Don't like it? Get a different job.

  • +11

    I've never forgotten the time a cabbie refused to drive me home! This was in 2012, I was very, very pregnant (maybe a month off my due date) and it was summer in Brisbane. I needed to go from CBD to the Valley. He flat out refused to take me, said it was too short a distance!

  • So now I'm curious to know what everyone thinks about this? What should I do next time? Would love to hear your opinions!

    Just don't worry about it. At the end of the day, he has the right to complain - it might not be nice, it might not be good customer service, but he does have that right.

    In the end, I said I understand his annoyance but I need to get home too.

    And that's the mutually agreeable outcome - he might not be happy about it, but he gets to complain, you'll end up getting home despite it all. That's just life sometimes. You understand his situation, he understands yours.

  • +18

    Hands up if you lived in Melbourne 10-15 years ago and encountered this. every. single. weekend. night. when you lived close to the CBD?

    I lived in Richmond for a time and after 10pm it was common for CBD taxis to demand the destination through a few cm of their window before driving off once they hear something 1 or 2 suburbs away.

    Thankfully Uber has answered all our problems.

  • +1

    I lived within walking distance from office. By cab, it was only a shy 2 minutes drive + 5x traffic lights stops, a mere $10-15 cab fare

    my conscience can understand the cab driver complaining.
    But my ozb inner soul tells me to utilise the company's cab charge vouchers.

    From experience on those late nights stay back, if i dont wanna have that 'awkward conversation' with the driver, get a cab that passes by. Not the one who waits or just enters the taxi stand.

    For ok drivers, i gave extra $15. Told the driver to jot down a further destination.
    Thats more than a 100% markup!!!

    • +4

      Thats more than a 100% markup!!!

      That's also defrauding your company who's paying for it.

      • +2

        Agreed. Should have paid it from their own pocket.

  • +2

    I have had the same thing happen to me so i have stopped taking taxis and resort to users. my fare would still be around $30 though.

    Recently have noticed that uber drivers have been calling me when i make the fare to ask me where i am going first. the first time it happened to me i told him and then i waited 15 mins of the car not moving before they cancelled the trip - so rude! Now i know better than to answer the call or tell them where i am going.

    • +1

      I've had a few Uber drivers do that, and out of principle I refuse to play along (even when the fare will be $50+). The conversation will usually go like:

      "Hi, it's your uber driver. Where are you going?"
      "I've entered all the details are into the app"
      "I can't see that information. Where are you going?"
      "I'm more than happy to direct you after you've picked me up"
      "I need to know where you're going before I pick you up"
      "Pick me up and I'll direct you"
      Message on app - "Driver has cancelled"

      • Can you then report the driver, including the conversation, to Uber? I assume they aren’t meant to be doing that.

        • I always do, but usually the response is "We've passed your feedback on to the driver, however in this instance you were not charged so there is no further action we can take"

  • At least the taxi driver didnt do this to you:

    https://www.9news.com.au/national/a-current-affair-cab-drive…

  • +3

    I’ve had a terrible experience with taxi. Family at home had a medical emergency and I had to rush home from work. There’s a taxi stand right outside my workplace and I ran to the only available taxi and told him where I’m going. Driver straight up told me no and said he’s been waiting for 15mins and he won’t take me since the distance it’s too short. I told him it’s for an emergency and I really need to get home. He couldn’t care less and went back to talking on his phone.

    I understand it’s a short trip (~15 mins) and it’s illegal to refuse passenger. But under the circumstance I didn’t even bother to argue with him and just left.

    It honestly made me feel truly disappointed with taxi drivers and their work ethic. It was a horrible encounter and it seems they prioritise money over anything, not even for an emergency.

    I wonder what they’ll do if it’s their family, would they still refuse to take the passengers?

      • +2

        The work ethic would probably get worse under those conditions…

  • +2

    Shake it off. He’s a wank.

    Happy travels
    🤗💐

  • +4

    I took a cab from the airport today and paid $17, poor bugger didn't say a thing and was really nice too. I guess some people just want to have it their way all the time, and some understand that life is ups and downs.

    • Did you give him the red note and said keep it or waited for the change?

      • +1

        How much is the red note nowadays? 🤔
        Paid by card.

  • -1

    Anyone know how to get cheape Uber/cheap Uber gift cards? Only way I know is mq bank, which is only 2%

  • +3

    I live 4-5kms from airport and this happens to me more times than not when i have used a taxi to get home, if the driver bitches, i tell him to harden up (they never take that well), if he takes the short fair on the chin i give him a decent tip.I doubt i would catach a taxi again knowing i can book an uber and the person that picks me up has most likely showered the same day, wears deodorant and wants his job and even if he is an ahole, he knows customer service plays apart in his future earnings via ratings.

  • +1

    Before I enter the cab I always ask "Hey mate can you go 'x'."

    Thought most people would have done this.

    • Done this in the past, and the driver said if he didn't accept the passenger, he need to go around and lined up again. That's the airport rule.

      • Me personally I would just walk to the next cab. It's literally 0 inconvenience to me and ensures both parties are okay with the transaction.

        Heck I even got a downvote for saying the above..Since when did being consciously polite get you a neg vote.

        • +3

          Consciously polite might not get you a neg, but being a white knight might. If I'm at the taxi rank after a tedious flight, I'm getting in the damn taxi.

        • Easier to get an Uber

    • +1

      Yeah and then they all say 'no', now what do you do? walk lol

  • Once again this is the Incompetent and Disorganised Taxi industry blaming others, eg passengers, for their problems. There is already an airport fee added into your total fare. If the airport fee is not high enough for them, or if they don't have a regulated minimum fare, then they need to get their act together and fight for these.

  • +3

    my experience was rather interesting too..

    happened at least 5 times over the last 6 months:
    stayed back at work late so had to get a cab ride home.
    cabs queuing up outside of the office as its rather common for employees to catch a cab back home during those hours
    walked out of building -> driver flashed his lights -> got in -> driver found out im only 7km away -> said he's just got another booking (yeah right!) -> got into the next cab -> the previous one just waited there for the next customer from my building…

    Another one, literally last week:
    dodgy driver wasnt bitching about the distance, was so friendly that whilst chatting away i noticed his hand adjusted the meter and added approx $15 to the fare… i swear he was looking at me and was talking whilst his left hand reached out to the meter…

    another rather absurd one..
    colleague lives rather far away from office so his fare would be ~$100
    cab driver offered to issue a receipt of $120 (charged to the company), gives $20 to my colleague but the deal was they keep in touch such that each time my colleague only uses him for those ~$100 rides

    • +1

      W*nkers. I had a similar experience where I hailed a cab to get home after a night out and had the bastard wind down the window to ask me where I was going. I tell him, and he literally shakes his head in a disgusted way and goes "nah", then proceeds to drive off. This was a 8-10km ride too.

  • +1

    At least you 1) weren't in a wheelchair and 2) abused by the taxi driver for simply hailing his cab:

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-06-20/disabled-man-files-hu…

    "…he's taking the public, and if he can do that to me, and I'm still reasonably capable, what's he doing to someone else who's not as physically or mentally capable as I am?"

  • +7

    had a similar experience. when the taxi driver said he would nt have taken me a happily told him that I would have gotten him fired for refusing a fare. I then phoned the company and made a complaint while the clown was sitting next to me. I dont mind idiots trying thinking they are somewhat special…I'm really good at correcting that.

    • +1

      Did he actually take you to the destination or not?

      Just like the above disabled guy above, nothing will come of whinging taxi drivers. Even by the Human Rights Commission.

      It's not illegal to whinge.

      They only rely on "Did the driver actually drive you there or not?"

      Anything else including his commentary/complaints is irrelevant.

    • Teach me sir!

  • I have the same problem. I usually give them tips (~$20) or round up the total fare to $50. Unless the driver is not very friendly.

    • +1

      I usually give them tips (~$20) or round up the total fare to $50

      I would strongly discourage rewarding people for being jerks. Just give them the fare they are entitled to (or better yet use a ride share company, which will be cheaper and better)

      • I would strongly discourage rewarding people for being jerks.

        I don't REWARD "jerks". I do what I think is FAIR, which is something some Ozbargainers lack of.

        • I'm not understanding why you consider it "fair" to pay more just because someone (who you are already paying) whines.
          The fare is clearly specified on the meter, they are not entitled to anything more. I'd consider it exceedingly rude for them to complain about it.

          You are of course entitled to spend your money however you like, I just hope no one else follows your lead

    • +1

      Geez, while I do feel sorry for taxi drivers, I'm not sure the inconvenience warrants a 40-50% mark up. I'll take Uber next time.

    • that would the most idiotic thing ever. dont breed

      • -1

        that would the most idiotic thing ever. dont breed
        Don't be RUDE! The society needs less of your breed.

  • +3

    "Sorry mate, next time I'll call an Uber"

  • +1

    I would've told the taxi driver tough titties and stop your whinging

  • +2

    Had this exact same thing happen several years ago, visiting a friend living near Sydney airport. Sunday, late, no buses, no option but to take a taxi… He complained and whinged at me when for the short fare. Thankfully these days I just take Uber, never had any complaints from them for any fares.

  • Try to ignore them. I've had the same situation, from MEL to Cheltenham (a solid $100 fare at least)… it was 'too far' or 'wrong direction'.

  • +4

    I took an Uber from Perth Airport to home ~12km away. As soon as the driver found out the destination he said "fck" and proceeded to tell me how he waited for a long time for a short trip. The trip costed >$20 and I didn't think it was my fault that he waited that long for a customer? 1 Star rating to the driver.

    • Correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't the Uber driver know exactly where you're going prior to pick up? Or does the mothership just send anyone anywhere without knowledge of the destination?

      • Drivers don't know the destination until they accept the ride.

        • ok so they can't cancel afterward once they accept the ride.

          • @Kamsi: They can… they probably have to select a reason for dropping the job… like "not able to locate customer". I'm sure if they do this too many times they would be flagged to Uber.

    • +4

      Last time i was in Melbourne i booked an Uber for a ride from the airport to a city hotel. Had 2 drivers ring me immediately upon being assigned the job, i refuse to answer the calls as i know they are only ringing to check where your going, don't deserve my business.

      Both dropped the job when i didn't answer and i was quickly assigned another car. Third one picked me up with no hassles, entirely normal trip. Decent fare for the driver and they ended up in an ideal place to pick up another decent fare.

      I think lots of uber drivers being ex-cabbies have the same hangup about short fares… beauty is the Uber system does not give them the destination from to arrival. Lets all hope it stays that way, the system needs to remain luck of the draw for drivers.

  • +6

    Back in the pre-Uber days taxi's in my home city would flat out refuse to take you any short distances.

    I figured if they were being dishonest then why not play the same game.

    So the best approach was to tell them I needed to go somewhere close to 'pick up a friend', then we were going somewhere really far away. Suddenly the driver would be delighted to take you.

    Then after arriving at the close location you then just tell them that your 'friend' isn't ready yet so we will have to get another cab later.

  • +3

    Every time I've been in a situation where I had to take a cab instead of Uber it has always been an unpleasant experience. It really is quite amazing how they feel justified in whining about everything. I feel no sympathy for them at all

  • Happens quite often. I normally just give him $10 extra. The guy has probably been waiting for over an hour, he obviously isn't bright enough or doesn't have the necessary situation to go do something else despite clear signs that his primary industry has basically been upheaved by technology.

    That's me though, I engage a fair bit of high-performance training so I like to continuously practice what I preach, pretend he is some subordinate low tier manager who whinges cause he didn't get his bonus despite below average performance lol.

    • he obviously isn't bright enough or doesn't have the necessary situation to go do something else despite clear signs that his primary industry has basically been upheaved by technology.

      So how are they supposed to learn when you are rewarding them for their current behaviour?
      If I were the driver the lesson is that I should complain more and suckers will tip me extra for my rant

      The guy has probably been waiting for over an hour

      This is simple supply and demand. If there's an hour wait the driver should probably have gone somewhere else (and if there is nowhere else they should consider another line of work)

  • +1

    i was living in singapore sometime ago and its a common thing there for cabbies to ask where you’re heading before accepting your trip. (from taxi stand ofcourse, not through booking via apps).

    anyway, you’ve done nothing wrong and handled the situation well. Just try not to think or worry too much about it.

  • +1

    Stuff the Cabs and take an UBER

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