Tip for Taxi travel in London

[puppylover]

*Apologies if this is a bit random and you already know of this company*

A few weeks one of our London colleagues was attacked and robbed in London. He went for a drink after work as you do, ended up leaving London City after midnight and jumped one of the random taxi's that are so often on offer. He was driven to a quiet street where another guy jumped in the backseat with him, pulled a knife and was driven off to various cash machines to withdraw cash.

He was then taken to a north london housing estate, driven to a lock up garage where the driver took his wallet, his laptop and his phone off him and told the other guy in the back to take him out of the car into one of the garages and "deal with him". Luckily for our colleague the guy with knife didnt like this idea, chickened out and started arguing with the driver, our colleague took the opportunity to get out the car and legged it....

He did manage to get a partial number plate and the type of car but no colour. The police are looking at this, but.........

Anyhow, we have been advised to use reputable cab firms now. I used the following company on the three days I was in London last week and thought they were fabulous.

Addison Lee plc 0207 387 8888.

You need to give them the postcode of where you are and postcode of where you are going to, your name and mobile number. They then text you back when the car is on its way, the driver's name, mobile number, badge number, model of car and numberplate. I felt really safe using them.

I cant advise on whether they are really expensive or reasonable, but it cost me £12.00 from St Barts hospital to Paddington Station on Saturday.

Anyway just thought I would share..... I think of some of the times I have jumped a car by myself at 6am back to a flat that I vaguely know the whereabouts of and just how easy it could have been getting into the same situation as that colleague......

 

[Scoobie]

Addison Lee aren't cheap because they mostly do business acocunts, but they are pretty good.

Transport for London have just started a new service. If you text 'HOME' to 60835 they will text you back the number of a local vetted cab compnay.

 

[Barbie]

Transport for London have just started a new service. If you text 'HOME' to 60835 they will text you back the number of a local vetted cab compnay.

I think I read about that one, is that the one that was slated when it was tested out, half the nos they texted didn't do pick-ups and the other half took upwards of 45 mins to arrive during which time the people were accosted by illegal taxi drivers left right and centre

 

[Scoobie]

Transport for London have just started a new service. If you text 'HOME' to 60835 they will text you back the number of a local vetted cab compnay.

I think I read about that one, is that the one that was slated when it was tested out, half the nos they texted didn't do pick-ups and the other half took upwards of 45 mins to arrive during which time the people were accosted by illegal taxi drivers left right and centre

I think they've sorted it out now though. i know a couple of people who've used it ok.

I must admit that although I grumbled when they put up the black cab charges for night time it does seem to have increased the number of black cabs around- I remember when I first came to London having alll sorts of grief trying to get cabs. it also helps that most of the big clubs have cab firms as well now I think.

 

[puppylover]

it also helps that most of the big clubs have cab firms as well now I think.

Do they?? Last time I came out of Pacha or Turnmills, I got some guy with a clipboard quote me a fare and tell me which driver to go with. I was really really funked when I got in the taxi, and the driver didnt have a clue where he was going, even after giving him the address, nearest landmarks etc. It was only when I realised we were going over Westminster bridge in a southerly direction that I was like "Mate - where the F** you going?" and then he tells me he doesnt know where he is - cue me in the back reading from an A-Z with one hand over one eye trying to focus, with my head sticking out the window getting soaked as its p***ing down with rain trying to direct the stupid git.... In the end I told him to get me back to the Club where I would get a driver who clearly knew his way round London and I told him I wasnt paying for this journey Finally, by luck more than good judgement we passed the main road next to where we were staying, finally got to the flat where the tw@t tried to charge me £25 for the priviledge of being driven round London for 40 mins, getting soaked and having to do his job for him, he wouldnt let us out the taxi till we paid him, which was a bit scary but luckily the concierge from the apartment block we were in came out, he got us out the cab and told him to take a £10 and p*** off before he called the police......

 

[Scoobie]

it also helps that most of the big clubs have cab firms as well now I think.

Do they?? Last time I came out of Pacha or Turnmills, I got some guy with a clipboard quote me a fare and tell me which driver to go with. I was really really funked when I got in the taxi, and the driver didnt have a clue where he was going, even after giving him the address, nearest landmarks etc. It was only when I realised we were going over Westminster bridge in a southerly direction that I was like "Mate - where the F** you going?" and then he tells me he doesnt know where he is - cue me in the back reading from an A-Z with one hand over one eye trying to focus, with my head sticking out the window getting soaked as its p***ing down with rain trying to direct the stupid git.... In the end I told him to get me back to the Club where I would get a driver who clearly knew his way round London and I told him I wasnt paying for this journey Finally, by luck more than good judgement we passed the main road next to where we were staying, finally got to the flat where the tw@t tried to charge me £25 for the priviledge of being driven round London for 40 mins, getting soaked and having to do his job for him, he wouldnt let us out the taxi till we paid him, which was a bit scary but luckily the concierge from the apartment block we were in came out, he got us out the cab and told him to take a £10 and p*** off before he called the police......

Sorry to hear that. Don't know about Pacha cause I try to avoid it but I've always found the guys at Turnmills to be pretty good. mind you these days after a few taxi horrors in the past, I always make sure they know where they're going and how much it will be before I get in.

 

[puppylover]

it also helps that most of the big clubs have cab firms as well now I think.

Do they?? Last time I came out of Pacha or Turnmills, I got some guy with a clipboard quote me a fare and tell me which driver to go with. I was really really funked when I got in the taxi, and the driver didnt have a clue where he was going, even after giving him the address, nearest landmarks etc. It was only when I realised we were going over Westminster bridge in a southerly direction that I was like "Mate - where the F** you going?" and then he tells me he doesnt know where he is - cue me in the back reading from an A-Z with one hand over one eye trying to focus, with my head sticking out the window getting soaked as its p***ing down with rain trying to direct the stupid git.... In the end I told him to get me back to the Club where I would get a driver who clearly knew his way round London and I told him I wasnt paying for this journey Finally, by luck more than good judgement we passed the main road next to where we were staying, finally got to the flat where the tw@t tried to charge me £25 for the priviledge of being driven round London for 40 mins, getting soaked and having to do his job for him, he wouldnt let us out the taxi till we paid him, which was a bit scary but luckily the concierge from the apartment block we were in came out, he got us out the cab and told him to take a £10 and p*** off before he called the police......

Sorry to hear that. Don't know about Pacha cause I try to avoid it but I've always found the guys at Turnmills to be pretty good. mind you these days after a few taxi horrors in the past, I always make sure they know where they're going and how much it will be before I get in.

Yeah - after that, I started standing in front of the car, giving a registration number and make, model and colour of the car to a person on a pretend phone call on my mobile and saying "Yep see you in a while - get kettle on!!)

The worst part of that whole taxi ride was trying to read that map under crap street lights, pretty funked and the rain pouring in the window and me saying to the driver in a fairly irate, and clearly p**sed stylee - "Look mate - just follow this f**king big road in front of the Houses of Parliament - the flat is just round the corner!!!" to which he turned to me and said "lady - that f**king big road is the River Thames!!" (I couldnt see it was blue under the yellow street lamps - well that was my excuse anyway..

 

[jeembo]

Proper Cab or Addison Lee all the way in London for me. Especially if your carrying a feckin laptop etc!!

Had a few non registered cabs home and if I get on with the driver, I take his mobile and say I can help him get more business. This seems to have worked and now things are cool.

 

[puppylover]

Proper Cab or Addison Lee all the way in London for me. Especially if your carrying a *beep* laptop etc!!

Had a few non registered cabs home and if I get on with the driver, I take his mobile and say I can help him get more business. This seems to have worked and now things are cool.

Apparently our company used to use Computercabs but they are far more expensive than this Addison Lee company - its the way forward for me too!!!

 

[Barbie]

Our local taxi firm in Ealing is fab, they'll always pick us up from wherever/whenever but tbh I've always found the cab firms outside Ministry/The End etc pretty good.

 

[freeeky]

used Addison Lee to get home after a U2 gig in June.

I cant believe that cab firms in London cant advertise on the side of their cars.

Took us nearly 2 hours to get a cab to Kings Cross as Tubes had finished, and that was because we luckily grabbed an adison cab and got a business card.

Cant wait to see what London does to the transport system for the Olympics, as I think its pretty crap.

 

[venom]

I've got some really dodgy cabs in the past in London.

The trick (and its a hard one when you're off your face) is to keep talking to them.

I usually start chatting about something in the news, Iraq is always a good starting point: quickly find out what they're viewpoint is, agree with it to a point and then say something a little controversial to spark a mild discussion.

This trick works wonders, keeping the driver so engrossed in the conversation that they don't even think about pulling a fast-one. Sometimes it works a little too well, with them sitting parked outside your house continuing the discussion for ages, but usually they drop the price when it comes to pay time.

Remember their job is really boring and all cabby's like to talk, even the illegal ones. If they don't then it means they aren't cabby's but rather rapists/muggers/murderers.

 

[The Fox]

I've been using Addison Lee for about 3 years and I think they're excellent. Every time they have been cheaper then mini cab quotes or black cabs and sometimes by nearly 50% and they are very professional.

Apart from the time they got the wrong time for my girlfriend's graduation and we had to leg it for a cab across the road and nearly missed it!

 

[Buckley]

Remember their job is really boring and all cabby's like to talk, even the illegal ones. If they don't then it means they aren't cabby's but rather rapists/muggers/murderers.

Or they want you to invest in arms for a uprising to start a new world order as one f***ed-up illegal cabbie did with me! I didn't let him drop me right outside the house, natch.

 

[fatphilb]

I've got some really dodgy cabs in the past in London.

The trick (and its a hard one when you're off your face) is to keep talking to them.

I usually start chatting about something in the news, Iraq is always a good starting point: quickly find out what they're viewpoint is, agree with it to a point and then say something a little controversial to spark a mild discussion.

This trick works wonders, keeping the driver so engrossed in the conversation that they don't even think about pulling a fast-one. Sometimes it works a little too well, with them sitting parked outside your house continuing the discussion for ages, but usually they drop the price when it comes to pay time.

Remember their job is really boring and all cabby's like to talk, even the illegal ones. If they don't then it means they aren't cabby's but rather rapists/muggers/murderers.

Do you actually believe this yourself????

 

[venom]

works everytime, probably 65% of the minicabs I use in London are illegal, driven by some really dodgy people and everytime a little bit of chit chat calms them down and shows that you respect them as a human and not a crazed thug killer. The skills of social interaction can be used to control many situations in life.