5 ways some Taxi Drivers create stress for other people
Many taxi drivers can cause a lot of stress for people around them. I see many taxi drivers act so aggressive daily, even when they do not have any passengers. I wonder if taxicab companies train each taxi driver in programs like “aggressiveness” and “turning your car into a fear spreading machine.”
In this article I would like to describe the 5 small and indirect trends that cause people stress because of some taxi drivers. I have personally seen such behavior in many countries in at least 3 major continents. See if you can spot something you have noticed or experienced yourself.
5 ways taxi drivers can stress other people
- Many taxi drivers honk at everything
You did not start driving the very millisecond the light turned green? The taxi driver will honk at you. You slowed down by one mile and are still over the speed limit? How dare you: the taxi driver behind you will honk at you. You are waiting at a pedestrian walk and letting some people walk by in front of you? Boohoo! You deserve a honking.
Honking, or using the horn, can cause a lot of stress or anxiety in others. It is a perceived sign in most cases that our action is not right, and thus many people simply become nervous and upset because of being honked at for something they cannot identify.
- Taxi drivers drive too fast
You get scared while driving at 80 mph in a 75 mph zone. However, many taxi drivers feel that you driving at 80 mph in a 75 mph zone is too slow. Speed up! Speed limits were meant to be broken. Your car comes with the capability to drive at up to 120 mph for a reason.
Driving fast and having an even faster drivers right behind you can cause stress. I see many taxi drivers sometimes driving less than 50 inches from fast cars in front of them. I am guessing everyone has an emergency of some kind, like the emergency to avoid slow driving.
- Taxi drivers suddenly switch lanes without showing any sign or an indicator
Try changing lanes without showing any indicator and coming in front of a fast taxicab. You will probably be honked at, like by the taxi drivers in point #1 above. However, many of the same taxi driver will change lanes without showing any indicator or sign.
Last year a Ford taxicab driver changed lanes and came right in front of me, less than 50 or 60 inches from my car, while we are both driving at the speed limit. He did not show any indicators, and thus I had to hit the brakes and slow down myself, with cars behind me hitting their brakes also. The car right behind me could not slow down on time and I got rear-ended, with the car behind me getting read-ended also. Insurance covered me 100% through various ways because it was not my fault, but the people behind me were not that fortunate. The taxi driver who played a major role in the entire accident didn’t have to feel any stress or waste any time at all, since he kept driving and was never caught.
- There is usually no stop sign, no speed bump, and no respect for a non-paying walking pedestrian life for many taxi drivers
You stop at a stop sign. Many taxi drivers only slow down at a stop sign. You slow down over a speed bump. Many taxi drivers do their best to see how high they can fly while speeding over a speed bump. You stop when someone is crossing the street, even if the light is green and they are crossing illegally. Many taxi drivers keep driving at the same speed when they see a pedestrian walking.
I was crossing the road near a movie theatre earlier this year, at a stop sign. A taxi driver was approaching and did not slow down at all for the stop sign, where I was crossing. I had to run to save my life while the speeding taxicab passed without stopping at the stop sign. The taxicab missed me by the length of my jacket’s end: the end of my jacket touched the right side mirror of the taxicab and I felt a small pull by my jacket in the direction where the taxicab was headed. The risks Bes has to take to watch movies are just countless.
- For many taxi drivers, no space is too small, and no opportunity is too risky
Taxi drivers can be great risk takers. If they see a small opening between two cars, they will try to squeeze through. If they see an opportunity to pass someone by changing lanes while other nearby speeding cars are approaching in those same lanes, the taxi drivers will still change lanes and force the other drivers to slow down.
The small scratch to both cars while the taxi driver tries to squeeze through? $120. The brakes that die because a taxi driver suddenly jumps into your lane without giving you much space to avoid the taxicab? $900+. The accidents that happen because of some taxi drivers doing whatever they please because they think they have more rights over the road simply because they earn money driving? A few lives and broken bones. The terrifying look on your face when you see such taxi drivers jump right in front of you and the evil happy look on those taxi drivers’ faces? Priceless.
A personal example: when I was a taxi driver
A few years ago a friend of mine who owned a private taxicab took me around with him while giving his customers rides. My friend would tell his passengers, or customers, that he was teaching me how to drive a taxicab. I was only hanging out with him as he did not have enough time to hang out with me by not driving a taxicab and still earn a living. I did help my friend a few times for free, by driving around his customers while he had some emergencies.
While driving the taxicab, I noticed that many customers would like me, and many would get upset because of my untypical driving. Some upset customers would give me advice on how to be aggressive to everyone on the road, whether or not it was warranted, so that I could get to destinations with a little bit more aggressiveness. It was interesting to see many customers advocating the harsh driving of taxicabs, in order to get to a destination faster even when there was no need to hurry. Maybe being inside a taxicab and having the taxi driver allow control of the taxicab mentally prompted many customers to become more aggressive. I soon realized that an angry taxi driver could be more threatening to a walking or a driving murderer on the road than the police itself.
Benefits of living in the Bay Area – you can avoid taxis and love the subways
As for me, one of the benefits of living in the Bay Area in Northern California is to use the BART subway systems, and not have to worry about taxi drivers and their time schedules. Of course, if I ever notice a taxi driver driving normally or if I am in a taxicab and the driver is driving slowly and following the rules while being considerate to people, I wonder if I have finally found Travis Bickle.
You can try to run me over, but you can’t stop me from getting to my movie on time! Long live the previews!
So, there you have it: 5 random ways many taxi drivers cause a lot of stress for other people on or around the road, and some of my direct and indirect personal experiences. Can you think of any other points? Do you have any questions or comments about the above points or this topic in general?
Thank you for reading. 
:
( September 5th, 2007 at 4:41 pm )
i agree with all of your points especially the honking. the first time i went to NYC and walked out of the airport terminal, the first thing i heard was the incessant honking of cabs – it was absolutely unbearable.
Reply & quote this
Find/Add me at these places: Flickr | MySpace | Twitter :
( September 6th, 2007 at 1:38 pm )
Hard to Find Tickets, thanks for the comment.
Yes, NYC and many other places can have a symphony with honks if they tried even a little bit. I understand many taxi drivers are indeed in a hurry and they may notice someone being slow, but some taxi drivers honk at everything that slows them down, whether or not it is justified in any standard. Even at red lights where all the cars have stopped because of someone crossing the street even though it is not allowed to, I have seen a taxi driver keep on honking, without actually looking out the window or paying attention to see why all the cars in front have stopped. This can probably be a trait of impatient drivers too.
Off-topic: do you have any specific name or a nickname I can refer to you by? With so many comments, using general names may make it harder to identify people.
Thanks.
Reply & quote this
:
( September 7th, 2007 at 3:25 pm )
See, this fascinates me. If they slowed down, took their time, drove nicely… the meters would add up to a lot more. Taxis are pricey.
Reply & quote this
Find/Add me at these places: Flickr | MySpace | Twitter :
( September 7th, 2007 at 10:50 pm )
Thanks for the comment!
Very true, Stacee! They can slow down and make things more relaxing for their customers. I don’t want to get into a taxi and have to keep wondering if the taxi driver is desperate for money or if the taxi driver leads a double life as a stuntman.
Why can’t they ask customers “Do you have to get there in a hurry? Otherwise I can drive slow and make you have a bump-free, relaxing and smooth ride” or something similar. Sure, it sounds weird but at least it gives more control to the customer who will probably appreciate the taxi driver for asking such a question.
Imagine: $1.80 for a smooth, crowded ride to another city on Bart, compared to $35 for a bit stressful, empty ride to the same city. Which one would you prefer if you were not in any hurry? I like Bart a lot, until I something smells on the seats…><
Reply & quote this
:
( September 28th, 2007 at 8:29 am )
I never really had a lot of stress from cabs but i guess I can see your points.
Reply & quote this
:
( October 10th, 2007 at 3:48 pm )
What I hate about riding taxi is the switching of lanes. It’s like we’re on a race or something, geee, it’s so scary. I would rather take a bus.
Reply & quote this
Find/Add me at these places: Flickr | MySpace | Twitter :
( October 24th, 2007 at 9:40 pm )
vince, thanks for the comment. I apologize for the late response. Do you feel no stress or more comfortableness while riding in a taxi?
Dish, thank you for commenting, and sorry for the late response. Yes, taxi drivers do switch lanes so unexpectedly and usually without any signals. A bus is indeed safer; slower many times, but safer, heh.
Do you usually take public transportation?
Reply & quote this
:
( January 7th, 2008 at 5:18 pm )
I try to drive as sedately as possible when I’m with a passenger. I guess if I drove a traditional cab I might be a little different, my clients demand a little extra!
Reply & quote this
:
( August 15th, 2008 at 12:47 am )
great list, thanks for sharing it with us
Reply & quote this
:
( February 5th, 2009 at 3:28 am )
We are planning to enable passengers to rate our drivers – I’m interested to see how this helps for a smoother ride. Bes, would you mind rating your ‘torturers’ then?
Reply & quote this
Bes
(1234 comments) Reply:
February 5th, 2009 at 8:15 pm
@Taxi & Limo online, hello!
Yes, that would be a very interesting thing. Could you tell me a bit more about your site please?
Reply & quote this
Taxi Cabs online
(1 comments) Reply:
February 6th, 2009 at 12:08 am
@Bes, I can’t help it
In short what we are currently planning is setting up a market for on-demand transport that works like eBay. This will enable passengers to directly book drivers according to certain criteria and, after they are done rate the driver/taxi. I am currently integrating the data for Germany.
Do you know of any whole-US register for taxis/cabs like the yellow pages?
Germany’s beta will be live in Q1. It will be available in english as well, so I would like to know your opinion on this – being the seasoned cab-driver, you are
P.S. We can continue on Twitter if you like.
Reply & quote this
Bes
(1234 comments) Reply:
February 9th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
@Taxi Cabs online, thanks for the explanation. That does sound interesting. I would be happy to talk to you more about this [lol @ "seasoned cab-driver"]. Is this going to be for independent taxi drivers or those that work through agencies, or both?
Yes, let’s talk via twitter or e-mail please.
Reply & quote this
:
( March 17th, 2009 at 3:13 pm )
Im a driver around gatwick, uk. Love the blog thanks.
Reply & quote this
:
( March 31st, 2009 at 7:03 pm )
This is the unfortunate case with some taxi drivers out there! That’s why it’s so important to choose the right one! Thanks for the great post
Reply & quote this
:
( June 2nd, 2009 at 2:14 am )
I remember being in a cab in sydney australia and he was driving like a maniac and probably about 30 miles over the limit and i told him to slow down and his reply was something like “no no no no time”
and then about half a minute later BAM he rear ended a van when he was changing lanes, nice job idiot cost me 200$ in hospital bills as i didn’t have insurance at the time and i was given no compensation at all.
Never catching a cab ever in my life
Reply & quote this
:
( November 13th, 2009 at 5:15 pm )
I drive limousine i love this blog.
reason 2 Taxi drivers drive too fast i am fully agree.
But reason 1 (Many taxi drivers honk at everything) not in Toronto.
Reply & quote this
:
( December 6th, 2009 at 9:26 pm )
The Toronto Airport Limousine is a one-stop solution for ground transportation. Our goal is to present first-class, top value transportation services at prices you can manage to pay for. We have clients all over the state of Toronto.
Reply & quote this
:
( December 6th, 2009 at 9:28 pm )
GTA Limousine Airport Transportation Service is Toronto’s best choice in Airport Limo, Taxi and Charter Service! If you need a ride from your hotel, home, office or you are arriving at the airport, we can take you safely to your destination!
Reply & quote this
:
( December 6th, 2009 at 9:29 pm )
i totally agreed what u have mentioned here
Reply & quote this
:
( December 13th, 2009 at 3:01 pm )
lol, we are just trying to earn a living! You drive for pleasure/domestic reasons but for us it is a living. Thats why we are more aggressive etc, the road is an unforgiving place, you have to be dominant to get anywhere. It is better to have more customers than one long fare most of the time too. Give us a break! We are already stressed!
Reply & quote this
:
( December 28th, 2009 at 8:20 am )
nice post… i think some people like them to drive fast.
Let us think y do they possess such qualities ?
can be due to the following reasons:
1) They work over time?
2) They can’t sleep Good
Reply & quote this
:
( December 29th, 2009 at 7:15 am )
I am totally agreed with you.All points realted to taxi drivers are totally athentic because i do have a lot of experience with thse type of people.They abuse you very much with their driving.
Reply & quote this
:
( December 31st, 2009 at 4:29 am )
I have a taxi service. The taxi drivers you are describing sound like city taxi drivers. That were not born in our country and drive like they are back home in Pakistan.
Reply & quote this
What others are saying about this article elsewhere
[...] may have already read about the 5 ways taxicab drivers can give you stress. Last month Ronald and I took a taxi to downtown Tuscaloosa while I was in Alabama. The taxi driver [...]
[...] Policy & Politics | Find Articles at BNET Interview of a female NYC cab driver — at gURL.com 5 ways some Taxi Drivers create stress for other people at The Reasoner Question: Why do we rarely see female taxi drivers? at The Reasoner tomader motamot janale khushi [...]