A taxi on your own...

[mumoffive]

does it bother you? I wont take a taxi on my own because of something that happened too me with a taxi driver one time but i wonder if im being paranoid now. We were out with friends and got a black cab and the guy started to talk about people having sex at the back of his taxi and then started to pick on me. Fortunately i was with friends and i got out with them on the advice of my friend as she was worried for me as he was a real freak. It totally puts me off now but it means im always stuck to get home so tend not to go out tbh unless i drive or someone is going my way. Have you had a similar experience?

 

[LoraLoo]

You should have reported him, what a prick! I'm not keen on getting a taxi alone, just because it can be a bit awkward sometimes, never really know what to say to fill the silence but feel rude saying nothing! x

 

[sue_88]

I used to always take taxi's by myself (if I needed to - havent been in a taxi for years though!), but can definitely understand that someone being creepy like that would make you paranoid. I'd be really wary too it I had ever been in that situation.

I tend to just sit there and keep my mouth shut and never sit in the front. Always back seat behind passenger. Always have a rough idea of how much it would be and have that money in my hand (my usual journey used to be £8), so I would have a tenner and if it ever got to the stage I felt too weirded out, I've of given the tenner and got out wherever I was & phoned another. Luckily - my scenario never played out in real life.

Maybe try a short journey as a tester for you? Try and build some confidence back. Also, you might be able to ask a cab firm for a female driver?

 

[mumoffive]

I should have reported him but at the time i never thought. He was seriously creepy and i was meant to drop off my friends and go up the road on my own with him. He said he had mirrors at the back and said he had microphones so he could hear. Makes my skin crawl and made me feel so vunerable in this situation. I had previously gone in many taxis. I know what you mean about the silence. It can be awkward!

 

[KayBea]

i always used to get taxis for a 3-4 mile ride. i always had the correct money & the window open & also be on the phone to someone..

that way i could dump the money, jump out the window & run if anything did happen.

but i always make up silly things for every situation :/ xx

 

[wishuwerehere]

I like to be on the phone to someone if i'm on my own.

 

[MrsButterfly]

Wherever possible I avoid it. And then in the situations where I have to, I would get a cab from a local firm I know. Unless I was in London and it was a hackney cab I wouldn't flag one down in the street I know.

A girl I know caught a cab alone a few years ago and the cops pulled him over as it was a stolen car. God knows what would have happened had the police not pulled him over. Stuff like that freaks me out!

 

[suzib76]

That's an exception rather than the rule, and must always always be reported so we can get these scum out of the job

If you use a reputable taxi company you really shouldn't have any problems. But if anyone ever makes you feel uncomfortable please please complain

We recently had a taxi driver up here lose his license and get put in the sex offenders register for assaulting a 17 year old. Since that happened 6 people that I know about have told me or other drivers that he creeped the out or said something to them etc but it was never reported so he was allowed to get away with it. We all knew this guy and had no idea

 

[emyandpotato]

During the day I would have no problem taking a taxi by myself. If it got dark then I wouldn't do it if I could help it. I don't even like buses at night if they're quiet.

 

[Tasha]

I don't have a problem with it, but always let someone know I am getting in a cab and what time I expect to get there so they know if something is up. My sister had an awful experience with a cab driver though.

 

[Eleanor ace]

that sounds scary. I've never had a bad experience (bar the taxi driver taking me to hospital when I was in labour doing an emergency stop and nearly causing me to give birth in the back seat ) but I do get very nervous usually.

 

[Rachel_C]

I used to but I always used the same taxi company because the drivers all knew my dad and his mates (some of them Police). As soon as I said the address, they'd start asking about the family so I felt safe with them. I haven't used a taxi alone in years though - I don't drink, I drive and public transport here is really good, plus I don't go out (like a night out) without OH anyway. If I did need to, I doubt I would hop in a random taxi but OH's uncle/my old boss runs a company transporting SEN kids to and from school and all his drivers also work as taxi drivers so I'd probably just call the office and get them to send somebody. If I didn't have that option, I'd make sure it was a pre-booked car (even if I needed it right then, I'd call the office to book the one in front of me!) and I would make sure somebody else knew where I was and I'd make sure the driver knew that too! I'd not be particularly worried about it but if there are simple things you can do, just in case, you may as well

 

[sparkle_1979]

I wont after a scary exp years ago. It was a big local company too

 

[Ceejay123]

I have used taxis alone... While drunk. I always say i wont because a friend was attacked in one.. But I get drunk and stupid x

 

[suzib76]

I used to always take taxi's by myself (if I needed to - havent been in a taxi for years though!), but can definitely understand that someone being creepy like that would make you paranoid. I'd be really wary too it I had ever been in that situation.

I tend to just sit there and keep my mouth shut and never sit in the front. Always back seat behind passenger. Always have a rough idea of how much it would be and have that money in my hand (my usual journey used to be £8), so I would have a tenner and if it ever got to the stage I felt too weirded out, I've of given the tenner and got out wherever I was & phoned another. Luckily - my scenario never played out in real life.

Maybe try a short journey as a tester for you? Try and build some confidence back. Also, you might be able to ask a cab firm for a female driver?

Funny you should mention that, as a driver I hate those requests as it actually makes me feel quite vulnerable

 

[louandivy]

I usually walk home when I go out in Brighton as everywhere is very safe but I have never really thought twice about jumping in a black cab! Is Hailo available everywhere or just London? Its a really good app which locates cabs and makes sure you stay safe.

 

[summer rain]

My husband is a black cab driver. I am not sure about in other cities but here the black cabs are public transport not run by private firms and each cab is licenced ss is the driver in it and they have to have with them their badge, 'bill' (their printed licence) and various other bits and pieces. The black cabs do have microphones and an intercom system in the back as the partition in them is virtually soundproof so why that driver was using that to try and scare you I don't know. My husband uses Hailo sometimes though he doesn't always sign into it anymore because he has had some bad experiences using it such as being stood up by passengers or driving to them when he could have taken another job only for them to decide they don't want a cab after all. Anyway with Hailo they have to upload their photo into it and a photograph of the front and back of their cab licence and Hailo shows these to TFL and they confirm if they are genuine or not. The passengers can also view his photo just so they are sure it's the right guy. I'm sorry you've had bad experiences.

I once had a bad experience but with a minicab, nothing major but I used to visit my friend who lived a few miles away and the fare was always a set amount and we agreed with the firm on the phone beforehand. One day they sent a driver I hadn't seen before and he was really creepy, his cab had leather seats with a clear plastic coating on top and the cab was pimped up in a really weird way like a brothel on wheels. He then took a longer way round and I really panicked because there was a pre approved route that the other drivers always took. Thankfully the driver didn't want any funny business he was just trying to get more money out of me but when we got to my flat and I said to him I only had the exact fare they usually charge he locked the cab doors and was quite aggressive and threatening telling me I would have to go upstairs and get the extra money and only if I agreed to this he'd let me out. I said to him I had the extra fare that the firm had always agreed on and not my fault he went some weird route and at that point in time at home I had literally not another penny at home and I would be reporting this to the cab company (which I did but I don't know what the outcome was). He then begrudgingly let me out. The ridiculous thing was that the extra fare was literally about 40p! I never took a minicab again and instead walked about a mile and got a bus to my friend's house from then on, even though the last quarter of a mile was going through a really scary, dark park I still felt safer doing that xx

 

[mumoffive]

One day they sent a driver I hadn't seen before and he was really creepy, his cab had leather seats with a clear plastic coating on top and the cab was pimped up in a really weird way like a brothel on wheels. He then took a longer way round and I really panicked because there was a pre approved route that the other drivers always took.

Strangely enough, the cab i took was also 'pimped' up with faux fur covers etc. It was a good number of years ago but the damage has been done. I was speaking to someone in my work who had an awful experience when she was young. A cabbie [ someone she knew to see] gave her a lift, locked the doors and took her a different way. It was only cause she screamed so much that he took her home. It must of been soooo scary for you having that guy lock the cab. I think thats awful and for 40p too! shocking.

 

[Natsku]

I've never even thought to worry about it. I don't generally need to take a taxi home anymore when drunk as its close enough to walk but i've done so plenty in the past, but I have to take them during the day if I need to go to the doctor as its too far to walk when feeling ill and never worried. I just feel awkward cos I never know what to say to the driver! The only time I've worried was in Russia but thats because you don't go with licensed taxis there you just flag down anyone driving past.

 

[Kate&Lucas]

I take cabs alone quite a lot. If I'm going into town for a drink there's not much I can do but take a cab alone because it's about 10 miles distance and usually in the opposite direction to my friends. I always make sure not to get drunk though if I know there'll be no-one coming back with me, and I tend to let the driver know very clearly that I'm stone cold sober.
I try to use a local firm too, as most of the drivers know my family and I know the route is tracked. Not that anyone would want to nab me anyway, but it's been drummed into me since I was a teenager