Taxis - are they all angry old men???

davidcambridge1

I live in Cambridge, and I only have a short cycle to college every morning, I try not to break the law, and I try to be a considerate cyclist, but taxis never seem to think that I am.

The other day I was cycling, and the light was red, so I cycled to the front of the queue (in the cycle lane still), and I accelerated pretty quickly once it was green, but a taxi driver decided that I obviously wasn't cycling fast enough, and decided to beep, and shout abuse out of his window. I then returned the abuse, which caused him to stop right in front of me, making me swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid him, he opened his door so that he could "cut my ******* head off".

This isn't the first time that this has happened with taxis, similar things always seem to happen. Other vehicles seem to be more tolerant of cyclists, but that may just be my personal opinion. Does anyone else get grief from taxi drivers? Or is it just me??

spen666

davidcambridge1 wrote:

I live in Cambridge, and I only have a short cycle to college every morning, I try not to break the law, and I try to be a considerate cyclist, but taxis never seem to think that I am.

The other day I was cycling, and the light was red, so I cycled to the front of the queue (in the cycle lane still), and I accelerated pretty quickly once it was green, but a taxi driver decided that I obviously wasn't cycling fast enough, and decided to beep, and shout abuse out of his window. I then returned the abuse, which caused him to stop right in front of me, making me swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid him, he opened his door so that he could "cut my ******* head off".

This isn't the first time that this has happened with taxis, similar things always seem to happen. Other vehicles seem to be more tolerant of cyclists, but that may just be my personal opinion. Does anyone else get grief from taxi drivers? Or is it just me??

Is returning abuse being considerate?

ride_whenever

don't respond to them, just report them to the council, eventually they'll get there licence pulled.

perversely we don't seem to have that issue in oxford, wonder why, our students are just as muppety on bikes.

ride_whenever

don't respond to them, just report them to the council, eventually they'll get there licence pulled.

perversely we don't seem to have that issue in oxford, wonder why, our students are just as muppety on bikes.

davidcambridge1

spen666 wrote:

davidcambridge1 wrote:

I live in Cambridge, and I only have a short cycle to college every morning, I try not to break the law, and I try to be a considerate cyclist, but taxis never seem to think that I am.

The other day I was cycling, and the light was red, so I cycled to the front of the queue (in the cycle lane still), and I accelerated pretty quickly once it was green, but a taxi driver decided that I obviously wasn't cycling fast enough, and decided to beep, and shout abuse out of his window. I then returned the abuse, which caused him to stop right in front of me, making me swerve into oncoming traffic to avoid him, he opened his door so that he could "cut my ******* head off".

This isn't the first time that this has happened with taxis, similar things always seem to happen. Other vehicles seem to be more tolerant of cyclists, but that may just be my personal opinion. Does anyone else get grief from taxi drivers? Or is it just me??

Is returning abuse being considerate?

That is a very good point, but apart from that occasion, I am a considerate cyclist!!

BigJimmyB

That's nothing to do with consideration.

The taxi driver abused him, so although not really advisible, the return of abuse doesn't constitute a lack of consideration.

Many Taxi drivers consider themselves the kings of the road and behave in an ignorant way too all other road users. Being on a bike just makes you liable to more ignorance from them....

Best to ignore them.....

GEPC

I live in London and actually found myself riding with a bike riding taxi driver a while back. It was quite interesting talking to him as he had a quite unique view on the issue as he sits in both camps.
He said that being in the cab all day he saw some fairly poor bike riding but a load of bad driving as well. He obviously was pretty considerate to the two wheelers on the road but he did concede that some of his fewllow cabbies are not lovers of cyclists. However with driving being their livlihood most are very keen not to be involved in any kind of incident with cyclists as it can stop their ability to work.

In the case of the incident you described, any driver that deliberately tries to cause you harm as this one did deserved a mouthful at the least. I would have tried to get his number and cab firm so that at the least post his details on sites like this so that no one here calls him, and if he was really bad then you can of course tell the police as next time he might actually cause and accident and complaints on the record could make the differnce in getting him prosecuted.

davidcambridge1

I would have tried to get his number and cab firm

I decided to cycle down a few different roads to try to lose him instead as he looked quite a menacing chap, and I wanted to put a bit of distance between us! I have experienced similar unpleasantries before, but I have not quite had enough in order to be calm in these situations, so I was unable to take down the number.

mapleflot

Interestingly, if you visit the taxi forums you'll see that a) cyclists are actually pretty far down on their list of hate objects b) they make cyclists seem positively content with the road, c) they consider their jobs vital somehow, and perhaps most importantly d) they (;icensed/unlicensed/minicabs etc) are at constant war with each other and regulators.

e.g.: http://www.taxi-driver.co.uk/phpBB2/vie ... 3634b081f3

So the answer to this thread is...yes. They are, essentially, completely stressed out. Doesn't seem like a career to seek!
More cycles and better public transport (in lieu of cab rides) to put more of them out of business would probably actually do their mental health some good, but it would create more stress to reach that stage of them giving up on the job.

davidcambridge1

Doesn't seem like a career to seek!

I will keep that in mind, thanks!!

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Not unless "tansformer" like being are real

Mithras

Davidcambridge1

And any other Cambridge cyclists. To report bad driving / behaviour by taxi drivers there is an on line form that can be filled out that goes straight to the taxi enforcement officer for Cambridge City Council.



[urlhttp://www.cambridge.gov.uk/ccm/content/contact-us/contact-us-online.en[/url]