TfL car drivers

Aidy

Anyone find that many of them are amongst the worst for intolerance of cyclists?

Friday, one pulled out of a junction on the right into the side of me, forcing me into the kerb (you know the way it works), and then stopping and getting out to threaten me after hearing me call him an "idiot".
Today, I was beeped and gestured off the road (after about 5 cars had passed me smoothly without any issues or drama at all).

They're rapidly overtaking taxis as my most hated road users.

Rich158

As soon I see one I get the feeling I'm going to have a near death experience. Had a similar experience this morning with one pulling out of a junction forcing me into a kerb.

The worst thing is when I did a speed awareness course :oops: The guy who took us driving was saying they all have to pass a driving course at a far higher standard than the standard test, as do most taxi drivers :shock: :shock: :shock: imo opinion it does them bugger all good given the general standard of driving they exhibit.

Wallace1492

Excuse my ignotance, but what is a TfL driver?

Aidy

Wallace1492 wrote:

Excuse my ignotance, but what is a TfL driver?

Well, you won't get them in Glasgow
Some cars in London have blue TfL (Transport for London) stickers on the front/rear windows - I'm not sure what privileges it confers them.

spen666

Aidy wrote:

Wallace1492 wrote:

Excuse my ignotance, but what is a TfL driver?

Well, you won't get them in Glasgow
Some cars in London have blue TfL (Transport for London) stickers on the front/rear windows - I'm not sure what privileges it confers them.

You mean mini cabs

Aidy

spen666 wrote:

You mean mini cabs

Is that what they are?

How come they only ever have a driver, and no passengers in them then?

Wallace1492

Sounds like it is to do with congestion charge?

King Donut

Yep I'm sure they're just licensed mini cabs, e.g. Addison Lee. I'm always wary of them put it that way.

Aidy

Ah, if they're minicabs then I can group them into taxis, and they can maintain their position as my most hated road users.

Rich158

From what I understand they're private hire cars not full taxis. They're not allowed to pick up fairs and have to be booked in advance. A kind off taxi-light if you will.

Monkeypump

Yup, mini cabs.

And yes, they are self-proclaimed owners of the road.

biondino

On the plus side, though, they don't suddenly pull over to the side of the road every few hundred yards, like black cabs do.

Headhuunter

They're authorised mini cabs, the sticker scheme was set up in an attempt to eradicate illiegal "taxis" that used to tout for business around the West End, Islington/Upper Street etc on Fri and Sat nights. Now it's supposedly easy to tell they're legal, coz they have the sticker. But yes, I agree, most of them are nasty drivers. They probably always have been but previously it was impossible to tell whether they were taxis or simply private cars.

il_principe

Monkeypump wrote:

Yup, mini cabs.

And yes, they are self-proclaimed owners of the road.

And they are IME the most poorly driven vehicles on the road. I'd like to see what "test" they have to pass - although I wasn't aware that they had to pass any. I nearly got taken out bu one last night, heading up to the GF's on Edgeware road and one pulls into the buslane directly in front of me without so much as indicating, thank god for campg brakes.

Porgy

I've been of this mind since about a year ago. If a car nearly wipes me out these days I can pretty much guarantee they've got one of those TfL thingies in their back window.

Either that or their using a mobile phone - or both!

They are legal mini-cabs, and I'm sure there must be a way to register complaints against them, but I'm buggered if I know what it is.

Last year I was cycling through Balham as part of my commute, and minicabs seem to congregate in large numbers around the station in the evening - sometimes it was just a lot easier and safer to get off and walk through that bit. :evil: Especially if it was after dark. Someone needs to teach them what a mirror is for!!!

spen666

Porgy wrote:

I've been of this mind since about a year ago. If a car nearly wipes me out these days I can pretty much guarantee they've got one of those TfL thingies in their back window.

Either that or their using a mobile phone - or both!

They are legal mini-cabs, and I'm sure there must be a way to register complaints against them, but I'm buggered if I know what it is.

Last year I was cycling through Balham as part of my commute, and minicabs seem to congregate in large numbers around the station in the evening - sometimes it was just a lot easier and safer to get off and walk through that bit. :evil: Especially if it was after dark. Someone needs to teach them what a mirror is for!!!

Contact your local police station. Complaints about driving matters are criminal matters for the police, not TFL

il_principe

spen666 wrote:

Porgy wrote:

I've been of this mind since about a year ago. If a car nearly wipes me out these days I can pretty much guarantee they've got one of those TfL thingies in their back window.

Either that or their using a mobile phone - or both!

They are legal mini-cabs, and I'm sure there must be a way to register complaints against them, but I'm buggered if I know what it is.

Last year I was cycling through Balham as part of my commute, and minicabs seem to congregate in large numbers around the station in the evening - sometimes it was just a lot easier and safer to get off and walk through that bit. :evil: Especially if it was after dark. Someone needs to teach them what a mirror is for!!!

Contact your local police station. Complaints about driving matters are criminal matters for the police, not TFL

Why not do both? Afterall the cabs are licenced by TFL...

Paul E

I would do both too, I have never trusted taxi drivers in my car or on my bike, so much for "professional drivers"

lost_in_thought

Spot on about the bloomin' minicabs - that little purple sticker is like a warning light. I can't even begin to complain to the police - I'd be in there every day with a few registrations.

shoulder_of_orion

Hang on. Isn't it a sort of hi-vis yellow/green sticker? Not purple/blue? Or am I going colour blind?

And it's quite big as well, the one in the back window. Maybe I'm going size blind as well?

Porgy

I'm not sure my local police station would accept a daily pile of complaints on the level of "pulled out without checking mirrors", "didn;t signal", "couldn;t stay in correct lane", "parked in the middle of the road", "drove along in cycle lane", "drove too close to me" etc. all pretty minor in themselves, it;s only when you put them all together then a higher level of risk from these b*st*rds becomes apparent. Which is why I'd prefer to report these to TfL - at some point licenses come up for renewal, as indeed may the whole policy of legalising these cowboy cab drivers.

Aidy

lost_in_thought wrote:

Spot on about the bloomin' minicabs - that little purple sticker is like a warning light. I can't even begin to complain to the police - I'd be in there every day with a few registrations.

Yeah. And unless there's actually damage or an injury, the police aren't going to care.

Did note down the registration from today, but I doubt I'm going to do anything with it. Wish I'd taken down the one from Friday, though.

Specialized Needs

Shoulder of Lamb wrote:

Hang on. Isn't it a sort of hi-vis yellow/green sticker? Not purple/blue? Or am I going colour blind?

And it's quite big as well, the one in the back window. Maybe I'm going size blind as well?

There are two stickers - the purple/blue one shaped like the TfL logo on a white background is more prominent (usually at the front?) and generic:

The hivis`one, diamond shaped, with a hologram seems to be a specific licence, often in the back window:

spasypaddy

a few months ago one threatened to paint my bike white, i dont think he was a sandblaster and repainter...

crosstowncommuter

duncedunce wrote:

Shoulder of Lamb wrote:

Hang on. Isn't it a sort of hi-vis yellow/green sticker? Not purple/blue? Or am I going colour blind?

And it's quite big as well, the one in the back window. Maybe I'm going size blind as well?

There are two stickers - the purple/blue one shaped like the TfL logo on a white background is more prominent (usually at the front?) and generic:

The hivis`one, diamond shaped, with a hologram seems to be a specific licence, often in the back window:

Ah - you mean "The Green Diamond of Death" Steer well clear in my experience... invariably glued to mobile phone, or believe they are driving something about 2 feet narrower than what they are actually in....

crosstowncommuter

duncedunce wrote:

Shoulder of Lamb wrote:

Hang on. Isn't it a sort of hi-vis yellow/green sticker? Not purple/blue? Or am I going colour blind?

And it's quite big as well, the one in the back window. Maybe I'm going size blind as well?

There are two stickers - the purple/blue one shaped like the TfL logo on a white background is more prominent (usually at the front?) and generic:

The hivis`one, diamond shaped, with a hologram seems to be a specific licence, often in the back window:

Ah - you mean "The Green Diamond of Death" Steer well clear in my experience... invariably glued to mobile phone, or believe they are driving something about 2 feet narrower than what they are actually in....

spen666

Porgy wrote:

I'm not sure my local police station would accept a daily pile of complaints on the level of "pulled out without checking mirrors", "didn;t signal", "couldn;t stay in correct lane", "parked in the middle of the road", "drove along in cycle lane", "drove too close to me" etc. all pretty minor in themselves, it;s only when you put them all together then a higher level of risk from these b*st*rds becomes apparent. Which is why I'd prefer to report these to TfL - at some point licenses come up for renewal, as indeed may the whole policy of legalising these cowboy cab drivers.

TFL can do nothing about such complaints which are not substabntiated by criminal convictions.

Whether you like what I saw or not, it is the legal position

Porgy

spen666 wrote:

Porgy wrote:

I'm not sure my local police station would accept a daily pile of complaints on the level of "pulled out without checking mirrors", "didn;t signal", "couldn;t stay in correct lane", "parked in the middle of the road", "drove along in cycle lane", "drove too close to me" etc. all pretty minor in themselves, it;s only when you put them all together then a higher level of risk from these b*st*rds becomes apparent. Which is why I'd prefer to report these to TfL - at some point licenses come up for renewal, as indeed may the whole policy of legalising these cowboy cab drivers.

TFL can do nothing about such complaints which are not substabntiated by criminal convictions.

Whether you like what I saw or not, it is the legal position

That'll be Catch 22 then.

I'll see if I can get myself run over by one sometime soon.

TheStone

The stickers are meant for mini cabs, but someone told me it's cheaper than the congestion charge, so many non cab cars have them.

Worst Drivers:
1) London Taxis
2) Mini Cabs
3) White Vans
4) Scooters (with L plates, otherwise ok)
5) 4x4 Drivers with kids in the back (generally women, but not always - sorry, but true)

I find motorbikes and lorries ok most of the time.
Bus, bad, but it can't be easy, so not on my list.

.... who did I miss?

Porgy

TheStone wrote:

The stickers are meant for mini cabs, but someone told me it's cheaper than the congestion charge, so many non cab cars have them.

Worst Drivers:
1) London Taxis
2) Mini Cabs
3) White Vans
4) Scooters (with L plates, otherwise ok)
5) 4x4 Drivers with kids in the back (generally women, but not always - sorry, but true)

I find motorbikes and lorries ok most of the time.
Bus, bad, but it can't be easy, so not on my list.

.... who did I miss?

ice cream vans - there's usually one around greenwich who totally fails to recognise give way lines - and has nearly hit me on numerous occasions - to the point now that if i see one coming i go the other way!

garbage trucks - two in two different boroughs came at me on the wrong side of the street, once forcing me across the centre line and nearly into the path of a double decker bus. The dustbin men - god bles them - salt of the earth pissed themselves laughing at my near death. Fuck them - they'll never get a tip @ christmas again.
And like before I've just got better at avoiding them lately. And they stink!! :evil:

Aidy

TheStone wrote:

.... who did I miss?

Buses.