Black cabbies

BentMikey

I had one cabbie complain vociferously to me after I took primary in the left hand lane around HPC down Grosvenor Place, as if I'd do secondary there, LOL! I was weaving like a drunkard precisely because I was suspicious of his intentions and didn't want him anywhere near me, plus my legs were whirring at a good 150rpm, so he beeped me. I thought he was pretty funny, he didn't like it much when I told him the only reason he beeped me was because he wanted to do a dangerous overtake, and couldn't because of my defensive riding.

cjcp

On the whole, and despite being bumped by one, they're ok. You just shouldn't get too close to them because they often break with little notice and no indication if they see a fare.

How do people deal with those pesky mopeds that use the "bike section" at traffic lights. I find that parking your bike right in front of them really annoys them, as does referring to their mode of transport as "little scooters". No, they don't like that. Not at all.

Eat My Dust

After a brief discussion with a black cabbie he tried to end the end the conversation with "they must put something in the water up there to make all you Jocks cheeky little bast*rds" (in a strong Mockney accent). I retorted "they must put something in the pies down here to make all you cabbies fat c*nts" !! to say he wasn't impressed would be an understatement. The people in the back looked rather unimpressed as well!!

Porgy

cjcp wrote:

On the whole, and despite being bumped by one, they're ok. You just shouldn't get too close to them because they often break with little notice and no indication if they see a fare.

Don;t you mean that they shouldn't get too close to us - I try to stay out of their way - but its just not possible - BentMikey's post makes the point that if you're in front of one - they want to be in front of you - always - and it isn't necessarily apporpriate that they be in front - especially when you're speeding round HPC.

I tend to adopt similar tactics BTW - adopt a wide wobble - most recently I got called a cu next thursday by a Micra driver who wanted to cut across two lanes in front of me while I was speeding along in entirely the correct lane.

Porgy

cjcp wrote:

How do people deal with those pesky mopeds that use the "bike section" at traffic lights. I find that parking your bike right in front of them really annoys them, as does referring to their mode of transport as "little scooters". No, they don't like that. Not at all.

Yeah I got in front of one before going on to Vauxhall Bridge last year - he was being particularly obnoxious all the way down VB Road cutting me up and occupying the space cyclists tend to use, blocking the intermittent cycle lane along there, etc. He then stopped at an ASL in front of me. So I went in front of him. Lights changed and he went - cut me up again. I had words with him at some point after which he'd decided to try to kick me as he passed and became really aggressive.

Going to the bridge I got in front of him and wobbled about - which seemed to completely send him over the edge. After he got past me I never saw him again, thankfully, and few scooter drivers are as bad as he was.

mailmannz

I must say the only run in Ive ever had with a cab was as a pedestrian over Golden Lane way a few years ago!

Walking back from lunch and just about to head across a pedo crossing when a black cab had to slam his anchors on, coming to a halt OVER the pedestrian crossing with his window open.

So there I am screaming my balls off with my head in his window, he is screaming his nuts off and his poor passenger in the back is getting it in stereo!

Also, I can see how motorists may get a "bit" impatient with cyclists. Caught a taxi home one night after being out of town on business when we got caught behind a cyclist, who for all intensive purposes looked like he was in no particular hurry to get a move on, made no effort to get out of the way and looked like he was just dawdling along on the road.

What todays society lacks is the ability for people to think about anyone else but themselves.

Mailman

el_presidente

Porgy wrote:

cjcp wrote:

Going to the bridge I got in front of him and wobbled about - which seemed to completely send him over the edge. After he got past me I never saw him again, thankfully, and few scooter drivers are as bad as he was.

If you sent him over the edge of the bridge I'm not surprised you never saw him again 8)

helz

The scariest cycling incident I ever had was with a black cab driver - I was cycling along Jamaica Road one night in heavy rain and part of the road was really badly flooded. I looked over my shoulder and signalled to show that I was moving out (to avoid the flood). Then a cab driver behind me started beeping his horn and was literally a few inches from my back wheel. It really seemed like he was trying to mow me down, and I was petrified! When he moved along side me I shouted "Are you trying to kill me?" and he just swore and ranted about me being in his way etc. I was really shaken up and in a really bad mood for the rest of the evening.

il_principe

Only crash I've ever had was caused by a black cab, he pulled out right in front of me, I was going at 20mph and swerved but still got sideswiped, front wheels hit the kerb and my face hit the pavement, knocking me off. The f*cker actually drove off!! Luckily I was near Chelsea & Westminster hospital and was helped there by a passing lady doc, but no-one got his plates and I had to have a plastic surgeon stitch up my lip... Licenced Mini-Cab drivers are worse though, bunch of w@nkers the lot of them.

el_presidente

I hired a cabbie to transport me home last night when I had a puncture that I could not face fixing at 21.30, he did entreat me to "mind the paintwork guv" as I loaded the bike into the back But his driving was exemplary to the few cyclists we passed.

Gussio

jashburnham wrote:

Licenced Mini-Cab drivers are worse though, bunch of w@nkers the lot of them.

Amen - first up against the wall when the revolution comes, and all that.

dirk_van_gently

On a motorcycle or moped Tax Disc, the classification is BICYCLE.

We have no Black cabs out here in the sticks, but we do have "Private Hire", no training, no qualifications, and no IQ.

Eat My Dust

A London black cabbie told me how he was disgusted by how private hire drivers just have to fill out a form and pay a fee to gain their license instead of having to do the knowledge and having to go through interviews etc.

Porgy

London cab drivers need a special course to explain what indicators are for. It's one thing that aggravates me whatever form of transport I'm using. Are replacement bulbs really that expensive?

BentMikey

I don't really have a problem with their indicator use, since to me a flashing indicator only means it's working. It's situation and car body language that I use. I've also got a fair amount of sympathy for the cabbies working for a living, so I'm quite happy to slow down and let them dodge in to pick up a fare.

Totalnewbie

A cabbie took me and my bike home from the hospital, he was very grudging about it even though I was a pathetic sight in a sling, but he got me home so can't complain.

I only knew a bike would fit in a cab cos of previous posts here or I wouldn't have even tried...

urban_winter

I'm feeling mellow to cabbies since a car ran over my back wheel on Elephant and Castle on Weds and I took a cab to the office and then another one down to Waterloo to get the train home. Both cabbies were happy to take a bike in the back - and I was very grateful.

The one thing that cabbies seem to do more often than other drivers is pass very close. Maybe it's just because they share the bus lanes with us and know precisely how wide their cab is, but I wish that they would leave more than a couple of inches.

U.