Taxi's...

[Rohan_]

Not being racist but how come every Taxi driver is not of Australian origin? Is there a secret code of who drives a taxi just like there is with someone who runs a 7-11...

 

[daicos4ever]

Originally posted by Rohan_
Not being racist but how come every Taxi driver is not of Australian origin? Is there a secret code of who drives a taxi just like there is with someone who runs a 7-11...

Having been in numerous taxi's in the last year i can safely back this up. There was one occasion where we had a good old aussie bloke drivin us around but that's the only one i remember.

 

[dr nick]

they are almost always sri lankan, south east asian, indian or middle eastern. i think it must have something to do with its a fairly easy job for an immigrant to do. they dont need have good language skills. all they need to know is how to drive. i'd say an australian who can speak english well would typically go for jobs where this would be advantageous (and they would seek better pay)

come to think of it, i cant recall the last time i was in a cab with a female driver either.

 

[M29]

Originally posted by nicko18
they are almost always sri lankan, south east asian, indian or middle eastern. i think it must have something to do with its a fairly easy job for an immigrant to do. they dont need have good language skills. all they need to know is how to drive. i'd say an australian who can speak english well would typically go for jobs where this would be advantageous (and they would seek better pay)

Add to those reasons it's a good way to get to see the city. Some are o/s students.

 

[dr nick]

Originally posted by M29


Add to those reasons it's a good way to get to see the city. Some are o/s students.

a guy up the road from me is an indian who moved out here 20 years ago. he's never had any other job and he works bloody hard to earn his keep. add to that every now and then some jerks (like certain bulldogs rugby league players) do the cab bolt, and at the end of the week, he doesnt have much disposable income to show for his 15 hour days

 

[fugitive]

It may not have anything to do with their ethnic background but most of them seem to be pretty reckless & aggressive drivers too!

 

[dr nick]

Originally posted by fugitive
It may not have anything to do with their ethnic background but most of them seem to be pretty reckless & aggressive drivers too!

you can say that again. they are a menace on our roads

 

[you_idiot]

Not exactly true, Rohan. Might be, in Melbourne, but all the cabbies in Ballarat speak clear, concise, decipherable Australian English.

But whenever Jen and/or myself have been in Melbourne and have had to hail a taxi, on just about every ocassion, it seems we have to repeat everything as far as destinations and directions two and three times just to make sure what our instructions are!

Absolutely ridiculous, really...

In fact, back in May, I recall, I had an appointment at Immigration for the lodging of my permanent residency application (how's that for irony? ), and we were running late and in dire need of a cab. Jen and I finally tracked one down on Little Collins Street, and I had to repeat the address three times, and I felt like decking the cabbie (whose place of origin is irrelevant, other than the fact that he was at one time or another an ESL student). Of course I didn't, but I was clearly frustrated on such an important day in my life, it being my birthday besides...

I know some of you are going to have a go at me for saying this, but I don't care... I'm staunchly satisfied in my convictions-- and besides, Rohan started the thread.

But those who drive cabs or do anything else aligned in the service industries, they should be able to speak English fluently, clearly, and concisely, and do so in a way that they can be understood without fault. Just a major pet peeve of mine...

Cheers,
William

 

[Pieman7]

Originally posted by you_idiot
Not exactly true, Rohan. Might be, in Melbourne, but all the cabbies in Ballarat speak clear, concise, decipherable Australian English.

But whenever Jen and/or myself have been in Melbourne and have had to hail a taxi, on just about every ocassion, it seems we have to repeat everything as far as destinations and directions two and three times just to make sure what our instructions are!

Absolutely ridiculous, really...

In fact, back in May, I recall, I had an appointment at Immigration for the lodging of my permanent residency application (how's that for irony? ), and we were running late and in dire need of a cab. Jen and I finally tracked one down on Little Collins Street, and I had to repeat the address three times, and I felt like decking the cabbie (whose place of origin is irrelevant, other than the fact that he was at one time or another an ESL student). Of course I didn't, but I was clearly frustrated on such an important day in my life, it being my birthday besides...

I know some of you are going to have a go at me for saying this, but I don't care... I'm staunchly satisfied in my convictions-- and besides, Rohan started the thread.

But those who drive cabs or do anything else aligned in the service industries, they should be able to speak English fluently, clearly, and concisely, and do so in a way that they can be understood without fault. Just a major pet peeve of mine...

Cheers,
William

Exactly mate, in the country we get good honnest drivers who know what their doing and don't try and skin you at every possible turn, the little f'n crooks in the city can go forth and multiply.

 

[Bomber Spirit]

Originally posted by nicko18
i think it must have something to do with its a fairly easy job for an immigrant to do. they dont need have good language skills. all they need to know is how to drive.

Out Parramatta way it's debatable what sort of driving skills they have, but English language skills leave a lot to be desired; as is the sense of direction in too many cases.
Here's a couple of hints in the off-chance that a driver I encountered after I was too drunk to stagger home from Parramatta recently ever comes here - there is no railway station and no hospital at Northmead, right is the side of the taxi the driver sits in and left is the other side. People shouldn't be allowed to get a taxi license if they can't tell left from right.

 

[Rohan_]

Most Taxi drivers are shifty bastards. Always looking for a tip and generally trying to avoid you paying by cab charge.

I would do a runner if I could be buggered. I remember in YR 12 my mates would say "Wayne Carey is the best player in the AFL" as a code to do a runner.

 

[5CougarsThanks]

I hate the P*R*I*C*K*S that refuse a fair cause it's too short. Just i'm too lazy to walk 10 minutes, why should they be too lazy to drive me. Last time i checked, I pay for the ride.

 

[Docker_Brat]

Originally posted by 5CougarsThanks
I hate the P*R*I*C*K*S that refuse a fair cause it's too short. Just i'm too lazy to walk 10 minutes, why should they be too lazy to drive me. Last time i checked, I pay for the ride.

Yeah I can't figure that one, they get a few bucks to go up the road. Sheesh

 

[Fred]

Originally posted by Rohan_
Not being racist but how come every Taxi driver is not of Australian origin? Is there a secret code of who drives a taxi just like there is with someone who runs a 7-11...

Obviously logic and clear thinking wasn't high on your subject list.

At a guess, you consider cabbies way below yourself in the social acceptibility order?

As others have said, it's a different world in the country where generally the driver also owns the cab. Runners are also uncommon because everybody knows everybody.

 

[Fred]

Originally posted by 5CougarsThanks
I hate the P*R*I*C*K*S that refuse a fair cause it's too short. Just i'm too lazy to walk 10 minutes, why should they be too lazy to drive me. Last time i checked, I pay for the ride.

Too lazy to learn English also? The word is Fare.

 

[Bee]

Originally posted by Rohan_
Not being racist but how come every Taxi driver is not of Australian origin? Is there a secret code of who drives a taxi just like there is with someone who runs a 7-11...

This seems to be more of a Melbourne trend. Since I've moved to Hobart I've noticed that this isn't true at all. The taxi drivers here seem to be a 'mixed bag'. Middle aged men, younger uni student guys and middle aged women. Very nice and friendly too.
Even friendly enough to put up with a stupid ex-Vic who jumped into the taxi in the middle of the Hobart CBD the other day and said 'Coburg please'.

 

[you_idiot]

Re: Re: Taxi's...

Originally posted by Bee


This seems to be more of a Melbourne trend. Since I've moved to Hobart I've noticed that this isn't true at all. The taxi drivers here seem to be a 'mixed bag'. Middle aged men, younger uni student guys and middle aged women. Very nice and friendly too.
Even friendly enough to put up with a stupid ex-Vic who jumped into the taxi in the middle of the Hobart CBD the other day and said 'Coburg please'.

LOL! Sounds just like Ballarat, Bee! Per the "mixed bag" menagerie of cabbies, that is, especially...

Not to mention just like an ex-Californian from "The Capital of Silicon Valley" who hops into a Ballarat cab from the CBD on Sturt Street and tells them exactly how to get from Point A to Point B, only to have the cabbie say, "No worries, I know how to get there." Very refreshing, for a change, I thought.

Cheers,
William

 

[dr nick]

Originally posted by Docker_Brat

Yeah I can't figure that one, they get a few bucks to go up the road. Sheesh

the reason cabbies dont want short trips, is because sometimes they have to wait in the taxi queue for ages, like outside the airport and the mall. a short trip may mean $5 but they'll have to wait in that queue for about half an hour again.

but i think it should be illegal to refuse a ride just because it is a short distance. it is luck of the draw.

 

[loyal]

I think that it is great to catch a cab if you had to get home or go out to somewhere important.

I don't really notice the cab drivers unless they start up a conversation.

 

[Spidergirl~RiCkChiCk]

they r feral. The one on Saturday nite tried picking me up he kept asking me if i was single and when i said no i am on my way to my boyfs right now he started asking more questions like how long have u been with him. Then he asked me do i go clubbing much, why not, why dont u like it, do i drink, why dont i drink etc etc its like heck off just shut up and drive me!

They make a lot of money tho the driver told me he pikt someone up from the races on Saturday and the trip was to cost 25 bucks but the guy jumpt the taxi Q as he slipt him a 100 dollar note and let him keep it. 75 buck tip is pretty good!

 

[Joel]

Where I live I don't think I have ever had a cabbie of origin other than Australia.

I live on the Mornington Peninsula.

 

[Rachel_NSW]

Originally posted by nicko18


. add to that every now and then some jerks (like certain bulldogs rugby league players) do the cab bolt, and at the end of the week,

and I bet you're sobbing that the incident didn't get a s---load of media coverage!

 

[Mocca]

Yes, it certainly is the life. Twelve hour shifts in the middle of the night, ferrying around incoherent, abusive drunks, people who offer to pay their fare in 'other' ways and those who abuse the system by skipping fares.

Great security too. The chances of me being murdered at this desk are somewhat lower than that of your standard taxi driver.

You know, it's just like those other non-whiteys who run the 7-Elevens. It's easy and fun to slag them off, steal their goods and services, stereotype them and generally marginalise them because they don't have the education and language skills that we're all blessed with. We could see it as a positive sign, that these people are so keen to make a go of it in our city that they take the most menial, boring and dangerous jobs going. But how does that make us feel good about ourselves?

 

[Richmondfan#1]

Not being racist but how come Melbourne taxi's are yellow and Perth's are white?

 

[Docker_Brat]

Originally posted by Richmondfan#1
Not being racist but how come Melbourne taxi's are yellow and Perth's are white?

Sun bleached.