944 replies to this topic

[rjag]

Did they say whether it would be restricted or unrestricted class 4?  And is there a difference in difficulty of how to get it?

 

Not much different, on the restricted you do a road test in a car, on the unrestricted you need to do the test in a mini-bus like the Handidarts I believe.

 

I had my class 2 with air and had to do the test in a 55 seat stickshift bus like the PCL buses. Man that was hard, I had to drive the bus through downtown and onto Dallas rd and navigate the bends by the coast guard base without touching the centre line and then parallel park and reverse park on a downhill slope (reverse parking in a stickshift bus)

 

The class 4 is no more than a class 5 test with the exception of the medical and the pre-trip inspections

[Mystic-Pizza]

So you're well aware of the stunts some drivers pull, the terrible condition of some cabs, and the lack of resources during busy periods.

Yep, I am aware of all the unprofessional things "Some" Cab drivers have chosen to participate in. That being said, if those things are reported to the dispatch office the driver will generally be handed a dispatch suspension anywhere from 1 day to a week. During that time they have to operate by flagging only and will not be dispatched trips. If this happens you may as well just stay home as most your trips come through dispatch and not flagging.

 

I drove for Empress, and back in those days the cab had to be clean and tidy at all times. They would even force you to go and wash it in the middle of your shift if one of the directors (who also drive)deemed it dirty. 

 

That being said UBER driver's are less regulated and monitored then taxi drivers and the same unprofessional "Stunts" or behaviors can, will, and are currently being carried out by Uber drivers.

 

Free opinion.

Edited by Mystic-Pizza, 27 November 2018 - 02:47 PM.

[rjag]

Yep, I am aware of all the unprofessional things "Some" Cab drivers have chosen to participate in. That being said, if those things are reported to the dispatch office the driver will generally be handed a dispatch suspension anywhere from 1 day to a week. During that time they have to operate by flagging only and will not be dispatched trips. If this happens you may as well just stay home as most your trips come through dispatch and not flagging.

 

I drove for Empress, and back in those days the cab had to be clean and tidy at all times. They would even force you to go and wash it in the middle of your shift if one of the directors (who also drive)deemed it dirty. 

 

That being said UBER driver's are less regulated and monitored then taxi drivers and the same unprofessional "Stunts" or behaviors can, will, and are currently being carried out by Uber drivers.

 

Free opinion.

 

Empress taxi! too funny, I had Ken Bodnarchuck as an instructor at UVic last year...had a good chuckle with him about Empress Taxi. That was a class outfit and forced the other cab companies to up their game. Uber will do the same. 

 

Funny thing is, I'll still use a cab if I drop my car off at the dealer and that will be fine and I'll use an Uber if we decide to go out for a few drinks at dinner....It will be whatever is more convenient. 

[Mike K.]

Things have changed considerably since the days of Empress Taxi!

[LeoVictoria]

Yep, I am aware of all the unprofessional things "Some" Cab drivers have chosen to participate in. That being said, if those things are reported to the dispatch office the driver will generally be handed a dispatch suspension anywhere from 1 day to a week. During that time they have to operate by flagging only and will not be dispatched trips. If this happens you may as well just stay home as most your trips come through dispatch and not flagging.

 

I drove for Empress, and back in those days the cab had to be clean and tidy at all times. They would even force you to go and wash it in the middle of your shift if one of the directors (who also drive)deemed it dirty. 

 

That being said UBER driver's are less regulated and monitored then taxi drivers and the same unprofessional "Stunts" or behaviors can, will, and are currently being carried out by Uber drivers.

 

Free opinion.

 

I've never had an issue with cab quality/cleanliness, payment options, or timeliness.   But I don't take cabs often or at peak times.   

[Mike K.]

It can be downright insulting come midnight in downtown Victoria. You've got cabbies circling blocks looking for cash fares or fares that will take them within an X-distance from downtown. If you don't have cash they pull away or if you're going too far, good luck scoring a cab. Cabbies want to be within a 10-minute trip to downtown so they can return and get another fare, rinse and repeat.

 

I've been stuck in that situation more times than I care to recall.

[sebberry]

Funny thing is, I'll still use a cab if I drop my car off at the dealer

 

Tell those tightwads at GAIN to pony up for a loaner car or two! 

[rjag]

Tell those tightwads at GAIN to pony up for a loaner car or two!

Oh no worries from them I always get a nice toy to drive! It’s the cheap tightwads at Acura with the wife’s car! 😎😁😉

[jonny]

I've never had an issue with cab quality/cleanliness, payment options, or timeliness. But I don't take cabs often or at peak times.

Lol c'mon Leo. No issues with cleanliness? 90% of local cabs are filthy, disgusting and stinky.

[lanforod]

It can be downright insulting come midnight in downtown Victoria. You've got cabbies circling blocks looking for cash fares or fares that will take them within an X-distance from downtown. If you don't have cash they pull away or if you're going too far, good luck scoring a cab. Cabbies want to be within a 10-minute trip to downtown so they can return and get another fare, rinse and repeat.

 

I've been stuck in that situation more times than I care to recall.

 

Why do you even tell the cabbie where you're going until your butt is firmly planted in the back seat?

[Mystic-Pizza]

Why do you even tell the cabbie where you're going until your butt is firmly planted in the back seat?

BOOM!  You got it.

 

I never refused a trip simply based on the distance a passenger was going. A trip was a trip.

 

I did however refuse service to people in whom I knew were drug dealers, hookers, junkies and people who were clearly at the point of Vomiting from being too drunk. 

 

I would ask for money upfront if I got a bad vibe from the person(s), and I was always armed with a weapon ready to use in a split second if need be. 

 

But no, generally people would not tell me where they wanted to go until after they were in the cab.

[tjv]

Why do you even tell the cabbie where you're going until your butt is firmly planted in the back seat?

But then you get this:  https://globalnews.c...new-westminster

 

Here is another story about a refusal from Swartz Bay to Sidney last week:

 

https://vancouverisl...?clipId=1508071

[Mike K.]

It’s rampant. Cab pulls up, driver lowers the window, asks where you’re going. Either you get the “cash only” demand or they just take off.

With Uber your vehicle is your vehicle. Nobody else can take it from you, the driver knows who you are, the driver knows where you’re going and there is no exchange of funds unless you’d like to throw them a tip.

[spanky123]

^ The driver doesn't know where you are going with Uber until you get in the vehicle and they start the ride.

[rjag]

I was refused service by 3 cabs at YYJ a few years back. I used to park my car at work in Keating X Rd when we went out of town and catch a cab from teh airport back to Keating when we got back. Quite a few occasions (3 I can think of, I was refused service as it wasnt far enough and at 11pm at night there is no other business at Keating so he'd either have to deadhead downtown or go back to the airport and get to the back of the line. In those situations I had to walk the line to get someone and even then there'd be grumbling.

 

All it takes is one or 2 bad experiences. We are the customer, if theres choices to be made then the customer needs to be able to choose. When the taxi cartel starts doing what they are doing then they are alienating more than they are winning over. Its a business, the government needs to stop meddling with it as they are in on it by restricting the supply they get to collect massive fees for the medallions....those days are over....

[spanky123]

I was refused service by 3 cabs at YYJ a few years back. I used to park my car at work in Keating X Rd when we went out of town and catch a cab from teh airport back to Keating when we got back. Quite a few occasions (3 I can think of, I was refused service as it wasnt far enough and at 11pm at night there is no other business at Keating so he'd either have to deadhead downtown or go back to the airport and get to the back of the line. In those situations I had to walk the line to get someone and even then there'd be grumbling.

 

All it takes is one or 2 bad experiences. We are the customer, if theres choices to be made then the customer needs to be able to choose. When the taxi cartel starts doing what they are doing then they are alienating more than they are winning over. Its a business, the government needs to stop meddling with it as they are in on it by restricting the supply they get to collect massive fees for the medallions....those days are over....

 

Your situation sucks but the issue really lies with the Airport Authority and how they regulate and charge taxis. If taxis were allowed to come and go at will and charge an airport fee (like Uber will be) then I am sure that you wouldn't have an issue. When you are forced to wait 30 minutes in line and then can't capture the extra fee you have to pay to be there in the first place, it is not a surprise that taxis need a longer ride to make it economical.

Edited by spanky123, 28 November 2018 - 09:51 AM.

[m3m]

BOOM!  You got it.

 

I never refused a trip simply based on the distance a passenger was going. A trip was a trip.

 

I did however refuse service to people in whom I knew were drug dealers, hookers, junkies and people who were clearly at the point of Vomiting from being too drunk. 

 

I would ask for money upfront if I got a bad vibe from the person(s), and I was always armed with a weapon ready to use in a split second if need be. 

 

But no, generally people would not tell me where they wanted to go until after they were in the cab.

 

Yikes.  If the taxi drivers in this city are carrying weapons, that's another plus for Uber, i'd say. 

Edited by m3m, 28 November 2018 - 10:41 AM.

[spanky123]

Yikes. If the taxi drivers in this city are carrying weapons, that's another plus for Uber, i'd say.

Who is to say that Uber drivers aren’t doing the same?!

[m3m]

Both Uber and Lyft both prohibit their drivers from carrying weapons. 

 

This is Lyft's weapon policy:

 

To keep our entire community comfortable, Lyft has a strict "No Weapons" policy. This means that if any driver or passenger possesses a weapon in a Lyft vehicle, regardless of whether possession is legal where they are, they will be removed from the platform.

We approach this issue from a community perspective — it’s hard to know what someone else is or isn't comfortable with. The mere presence of a weapon might make another community member distressed.

Lyft reserves sole judgement on what constitutes a "weapon."

[LeoVictoria]

BOOM!  You got it.

 

I never refused a trip simply based on the distance a passenger was going. A trip was a trip.

 

I did however refuse service to people in whom I knew were drug dealers, hookers, junkies and people who were clearly at the point of Vomiting from being too drunk. 

 

I would ask for money upfront if I got a bad vibe from the person(s), 

 

Aha, now we are getting closer to the cause of Mike's troubles!