Taxi drivers AGAIN?

[Steve]

I thought they were meant to be "role models", as "professional drivers"?



I witnessed 2 pieces of foolish / dangerous driving on my route home, both taxi drivers

First was a Hackney carriage. The driver (an Asian, I saw as i passed), stopped at a roundabout, with visibility of the roundabout clear. I could see from behind him, that it was clear to proceed, there was no traffic approaching from the right. Still he stopped. Dont they have roundabouts in calcutta?

Second was a private hire. It followed me for about 4 miles, along a single carriageway road. This road passes through 2 villages, where the limit is 40 and 30. Both times, i slowed to 3-5 above the limit. Still, he was up my arse, trying to gain entry to the boot. And he wasn't following at what I'd call a "safe distance" the rest of the route either. Got to a motorway junction, an unlit roundabout, and the moron tried to overtake me ON the roundabout. This roundabout is NOT marked into 2 lanes, but 2 cars can fit across it. However, the speed at which this car pulled alongside me caused me some concern. It turned out he was going right at the roundabout, onto the motorway, but his driving was intimidating and alarming. Normally at this junction, when turning right, you keep right, but dont go alongside other cars, its too close. I only noticed it was a taxi when he pulled alongside me at the roundabout and saw his sticker.

Why dont taxi drivers have to take lessons / advanced driving courses / attitude/stress tests? This guy was obviously very wound up. And I have witnessed first hand some truly shocking driving from taxi drivers (as a passenger). Some of these morons need to learn that they dont own the road. There should be some nationally recognised qualification for taxi drivers. A few times I have wanted to get out and walk the rest of the way. Anyone ever done this?

 

[breezer]

Dont they have roundabouts in calcutta?

er, no they dont as it happens

have you got

one like this near you?

 

[Steve]

Heh, they have them in Canada now, call them "rotaries" lmao.

 

[2scoops0406]

Ahh, the Hemel Hempstead "magic" roundabout, hours of fun to be had, now tell me, you deliberately drive the "wrong" way around it?

 

[BoxBasher]

I thought they were meant to be "role models", as "professional drivers"?

Erm... ...quite frankly, no!

They spend a lot of time on the road, and are the majority are usually much worse than "white van man". Always in a rush, hardly ever abide by speed limits. Overtake when its unsafe to do so, pull up to pick up/set down with hardly any prior warning on double yellows, junctions and clearways. Talk on their phones whilst driving and will blast ehir horns whatever the time of night outside somebody's house even though they aren't allowed to in the daytime either.

As for falsely declaring income for tax/child maintenance evasion purposes (most hackney drivers in Manchester only "earn" £85 per week). A lot of them drive cabs because they couldn't succeed in other fields of employment (I mean, who can't drive? It's not like they have to do it well as we already see).

That said, they get us home after a night out and put up with drunks/runners/spewers at all hours of the day/night and on public holidays (although I'd like to see a Christian taxi driver charge a Muslim double fare just because it's Ramadan).

 

[Moz]

Dont they have roundabouts in calcutta?

oh dear ...

 

[Big_Spark]

The road markings on a roundabout entrance are "GIVE WAY" so legally he and us are supposed to stop..although who ever does when it is clear!!

 

[BoxBasher]

The road markings on a roundabout entrance are "GIVE WAY" so legally he and us are supposed to stop..although who ever does when it is clear!!

Its not hard to understand really:

GIVE WAY means surprisingly enough - GIVE WAY to traffic approaching that has right of way... or continue if safe to do so. Surprisingly enough, they don't have "give way" on normal roundabouts.
A roundabout is a traffic feature all on its very own, and has its own rules to govern it (ie traffic from right has priority). The only roundabouts with GIVE WAY on are those where priority is given by traffic from a minor road to traffic on a major road on one ore more of the entrances of the roundabout.

You must be confusing "give way" with STOP lines/signs, at which you must STOP regardless of what is coming... (a little like red lights matey )

I take back what I said above about taxi drivers. They are good when compared to sparks in vans....