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A Weird Taxi Story
by Ben Best

I drove a taxi-cab part-time for over a decade in Vancouver, British Columbia. Most of the experience was somewhat boring and tedious, but I had my share of weird experiences also. This experience was one of my more memorable ones.

I got a call to pick-up a lady-fare at a bar about a mile from downtown Vancouver. As we were getting in the cab, a long-haired fellow carrying a pack asked if we were going downtown and if he could share the cost of the ride. He got in the front seat. She asked me to stop at a bar in the skid row area and wait while she went inside. I did this and after waiting about ten minutes with the other fellow still in the front seat and the meter ticking-away, I became impatient and went inside the bar to see what happened.

My lady-fare was involved in an intense conversation with a man and said she would be out in a few minutes. She was telling him how much she really loved him and that the only reason she was hooking was to support her habit. He seemed unmoved by this and was evidently ready to dump her.

While I had been looking around the bar I had noticed the bouncer escorting a slender elderly woman out the door. When I got back to my taxi, the long-haired fellow was no longer in the front seat, but the elderly woman was. I opened the door and told the woman she would have to get out because I already had a fare. She was drunk as a skunk.

I tried to slowly help her out, but as soon as she started walking she fell straight into the gutter and just lay there. I thought it would probably be best if I rolled her onto the curb -- out of the street, at least. But when I did so, her head brushed against a pole. I was immediately accosted by a woman who yelled that I had yanked the poor old lady out of the cab and slammed her head. She hurled accusations at me and told me to call an ambulance.

I went back in the bar and called the police. When I went back outside, a couple of cops were already on the scene. The old lady was saying I had banged her head and she was going to sue. I asked the cops if I was being charged. One of the cops just said "Go drive your taxi-cab".

My lady-fare was by this time back in the front seat, but the meter had been mysteriously turned-off. My readings would be off and I had been ripped-off, but at the moment those were the least of my concerns. I restarted the meter and drove her home. My lady-fare seemed to think I was a "Charlie Brown" ding-a-ling, but in an affectionate way, and I got the impression she was coming-on to me. Whether her designs were personal or professional, I'll never know.

EVERYONE RING 0161 932 1141, THIS IS A COMPANY OWNED AND USES THE SAME SERVER AS BETTERFARES/TAXIQUOTER ETC, BETTERFARES HAS MOVED FROM EXCHANGE QUAY BECAUSE SALFORDS HARDEST WERE GOING TO GO IN AND GET REFUNDS FOR UPSET AND ANNOYED DRIVERS IN SALFORD AND MANCHESTER ETC

BEST WAY TO GET A REFUND IS TO REPORT THIS AS A FRAUDELANT TRANSACTION ON YOUR DEBIT/CREDIT CARD AND YOU WILL GET A REFUND, REMEMBER TO SAY THERE IS A TRANSACTION ON YOUR STATEMENT AS CYBERNET MEDIA, YOU DONT RECOGNISE THAT AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BYOU WILL GET A REFUNDETTERFARES ON YOUR STATEMENT, TRUST ME.

LET ME KNOW HOE YOU GO ON

EVERYONE RING 0161 932 1141 / 07738 100 509, PISS OFF THESE 2 TWATS THIS IS A COMPANY OWNED AND USES THE SAME SERVER AS BETTERFARES/TAXIQUOTER ETC, BETTERFARES HAS MOVED FROM EXCHANGE QUAY BECAUSE SALFORDS HARDEST WERE GOING TO GO IN AND GET REFUNDS FOR UPSET AND ANNOYED DRIVERS IN SALFORD AND MANCHESTER ETC

BEST WAY TO GET A REFUND IS TO REPORT THIS AS A FRAUDELANT TRANSACTION ON YOUR DEBIT/CREDIT CARD AND YOU WILL GET A REFUND, REMEMBER TO SAY THERE IS A TRANSACTION ON YOUR STATEMENT AS CYBERNET MEDIA, YOU DONT RECOGNISE THAT AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BETTERFARES YOU WILL GET A REFUND ON YOUR STATEMENT, TRUST ME.

LET ME KNOW HOE YOU GO ON

HI PLEASE DO NOT ANY ONE GET ME MIXED UP WITH THESE BETTERFERAE FUCKWITTS IF ANY ONE SEAARCHES FOR CYBERMEDIA ON THE INTERNET AS I AM CYBERCABZ A LEGITE TAXI COMPANY BEEN GOING FOR SIX YEARS BASED AROUND MILTON KEYNES AND HAVE A LOT OF STUFF FOR MY SELF ON THE INTERNET MARKETING CYBERCABZ.
THESE CUNTS FROM BETTERFARES TRIED TO GET ME TO SIGN UP TO THEM AGES AGO AND I SPOTTED A RAT WITH THEM STRAIGHT OFF AND I WAS THE ONE WHO FIRST STARTED THE THREAD.YOU GET A LOT OF THESE TYPE OF FOREIGNERS ROUND MY WAY TRYING TO RUN YOU DOWN OR RIP YOU OFF

Posted By CYBERCABZ on 27/01/2010 12:01 PM
AND HAVE A LOT OF STUFF FOR MY SELF ON THE INTERNET MARKETING CYBERCABZ.

mmmm You still using Cadbury's adverts on Youtube without crediting them and superimposing your own name over theirs?

That's not very ethical either.

Kevin

Why do you guys go for companies to get work best way is to get work through local advertising best and reliable way iv built my business this way here some tips:

Create attention-grabbing flyers. Design a logo for your taxi service or have a graphic designer create one for you. On the flyer, note any special rates you may offer, such as senior or student fee discounts. The flyer is the "hook" - what draws in a potential customer. Mention competitive rates, flat fees to and from an airport, etc. Be cautious, however, not to overload the flyer with too much information that is going to overwhelm the person reading it. Keep it simple and use it to advertise your most attractive discounts or fees.

Step
2
Display flyers or a poster in places frequented by people who may be in need of your taxi service. This includes grocery stores, pharmacies, colleges, medical offices, social service agencies, senior centers, elderly housing complexes, etc. If you are posting a flyer or poster in a business or medical office, ask permission before doing so. Check with the locations regularly to see if flyers need to be replenished or replaced.

Step
3
Offer a frequent traveler card. Keep customers calling by printing frequent traveler cards. The card will be used to provide one free ride after a certain number, such as ten, for example. Customers will have the incentive to continue to use your taxi service in the effort to receive the free ride.

Step
4
Utilize print advertising in local papers. While advertising in your local daily paper may exceed your budget, consider ads in weekly publications or monthly publications. Place classified ads for your taxi service if a traditional ad is still out of reach financially. Include your taxi service in your local telephone directory.

Step
5
Advertise your service on the side of your van, car or SUV. Have your vehicle custom-painted with your company logo and contact information, which will catch the eye of potential customers. If this is out of your budget, consider having a magnet created featuring the same information, which you can attach to your car door.


if this doesnt work then you in the wrong trade !!!
Scott Cabbies The Executive Driver

THIS MOB AKA CYBERNET MEDIA/RBC CLAIMS/www.ppi.org.uk/BETTERFARES ETC ETC ARE COMPLETE CON MEN.
I WITH MANY OTHERS PAID CYBERNET £600 FOR PAY PER CALL ADVERTS AND WERE SCAMMED.
CHRIS MORTIMER AKA ANOTHER HAVE NO SCRUPLES AND I CAN NOT UNDERSTAND WHY TRADING STANDARDS AND THE MINISTRY OF JUSTICE HAS NOT CLOSED THEM DOWN.THEY HAVE AN MOJ LICENSE WITH CYBERNET MEDIA AND TRADE RBC
CLAIMS.THEY ARE ADVERTISING FOR FRANCHISEES..GOOD LUCK..KISS YOUR MONEY GOOD BYE.
YOU TAXI DRIVERS PROBABLY HAVE ENOUGH HASSLE WITHOUT BEING RIPPED OFF JOINING RIP OFF SCAM BUSINESS IDEAS THAT THIS LOT ARE OFFERING.
MEANWHILE I HAVE THE ADVERTISING PROTECTION AGENCY INVESTIGATING AND HOPE THEY CAN RECOVER MY £600.
LETS HOPE THIS LOT GET SORTED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER SOON

Hi

these guys are not just ripping off the operators but the customers get a hard time too:

http://www.infotaxi.org/united-kingdom_taxi/manchester_taxi/wwwtaxiquotercouk.htm

Cybernet Media also go under the name of sonassi

http://www.sonassi.com/portfolio/web/taxiquoter/

They definately like to play the hide and seek game

Kevin

Please read this carefully youll get the real insight:

A taxi service can be identified as a business that you would be able to carryout easily. However, there are number of factors that you will have to consider before making any investments in this business. In the following sections of this article, let’s discuss about those issues and find relevant actions that you can take to avoid the risks that you might have to face in doing the business.

First of all, part from having a valid license, you will need to have vehicle that is suitable for this business. A car, a van, SUV, MPVs’ etc can be identified as some of the suitable vehicles for this business. If you have a car in your possession, then this wouldn’t be a problem. But for those you don’t have vehicles for a taxi service, the only option would be to buy one, or at least lease one from the market. The income that you get from the taxi business should be able to cover up the monthly lease payment, or else the business would make financial losses that you may not be able to bare for a long time.

Other than the car it self, you will also have to pay some significant attention to business management as well. Market research can be identified as a vital element in this process. Since taxi services are also available from a variety of taxi companies, the best option would be to find their charges and quality of service and then compete on their weaknesses. Price for instance can be identified as one of the elements where you can compete on. By charging a lower price, you will be able to attract the attention of your neighbors and this would be the first step of business development. Friendliness, safe driving, cleanliness, etc can be identified as another factors that you might offer for your customers to retain them for a long period of time. However, as you become popular in the area, the demand for your services will increase and you must be ready to deal with it.. This is discussed in the next section

Posted By scottcabs on 30/01/2010 01:51 PM

Price for instance can be identified as one of the elements where you can compete on. By charging a lower price, you will be able to attract the attention of your neighbors

I would strongly advise nobody goes down the road of price cutting in order to get business unless you want to become poverty stricken.

There's companies in cornwall that I know of charging under 70p per mile - you do not make much profit on that. Any fool can run at a loss. Fortunately most sensible people do not pay the cheapest prices. They tend to get quotes and drop the most expensive and the cheapest and go for a good value deal in the mid market.

Who wants to get into a taxi that is the cheapest available and have a driver who is comming to the end of a 16 hour shift driving them?

The moment you get into a price war there is always some idiot who is willing to undercut you and no one wins in the long term.

Kevin

A TAXI marshal scheme in Chelmsford will be extended to a second rank in the town.

Following the award of a further three months of funding for the scheme, it will now include the new taxi rank at Chelmsford bus station.

The scheme, which polices late night revellers and their use of taxis, has been operating from the Baddow Road rank for the past six months.

The further funding follows positive feedback from those who use the service.

The scheme, managed by the Safer Chelmsford Partnership, has been extended to the end of March.

The taxi marshals provide a reassuring presence to both passengers and taxi drivers, allowing people to come and enjoy the nightlife that Chelmsford has to offer, safe in the knowledge that they can get home both quickly and safely at the end of the night.

Two Security Industry Authority registered door staff will work at each site on Friday and Saturday nights during the busiest times of the night and early mornings to ensure that people get into taxis safely, prevent queue jumping and stop people taking food and drink into taxis.

Chelmsford councillor responsible for safer communities Ian Grundy said: “When the taxi marshal pilot scheme was introduced last year it proved very successful and the feedback from taxi drivers and revellers was very positive, with both groups saying they would like the scheme to continue.

“Recent crime figures have also shown that there has been a real reduction in public order offences in the area.”

The council will continue to gather opinions from members of the public to see whether their perceptions and fear of crime have reduced since the implementation of the taxi marshals.

If you would like to express your view on the scheme, e-mail [email protected] or call 01245 606341.

Posted By flightcabs on 30/01/2010 12:34 PM
Hi

these guys are not just ripping off the operators but the customers get a hard time too:

http://www.infotaxi.org/united-kingdom_taxi/manchester_taxi/wwwtaxiquotercouk.htm

Cybernet Media also go under the name of sonassi

http://www.sonassi.com/portfolio/web/taxiquoter/

They definately like to play the hide and seek game

Kevin

Hi Kevin,

TaxiQuoter just happen to be one of our clients (their office is on the same floor as ours), they asked us to build their new site for them.

I can assure you, we are not affiliated with Cybernet Media in any way.

If a black cabbie then it takes around 3 - 4years to do the knowledge and then once you qualify you have to purchase the vehicle for which you get a loan and then begin earning and yes I understand the salary is quite good if you put the hours in and after 10 years can avoid getting back pain...

if a bloke driving his car for a local taxi company then its tough because you have to pay weekly rent to that office for working there anything from £80 - £150 per week...

You then sit in your car mostly or very occassionaly sometimes in the office until you get a job and once you do your job you are bottom of the list until you get another job, now if there are 20 people working on your shift its all about luck for example, when its your turn you could get a £4 job when its there turn they could get a £20 job and then you wait until 20 people get their job and so on and so forth....Also, if the company you work with are dodgy inside and 99% of them are they feed the best jobs to their usual drivers so you always end up getting £4 jobs and they get the cream.....You sometimes have to argue and fight to get hurt to stand a chance, you get treated like crap by most passengers and the guys you work with i.e. fellow drivers are great to your face but once you start earning money they slate the hell out of you....you need to put in at least 12 hours a day to stand a chance of earning £100 a day after petrol and lunch....
Also now if you live in London you need to pay £400 for the license and then have 2 M.O.T's on your car each year....

It looks easy but realistically its great if you have no family i.e. wife and kids and not much of a life because you can work all day everyday then and some times you can earn £500 per week and others £40 a week...you usually find January to April are dead and if you want to work for a busy private company then boy you better be used to working 12 - 13 hr days and then they will love you if not dont bother you will end up owing them money...

hope that helps

To Everyone who has been ripped off by betterfares.
Have a look at today's Daily Mirror (Thursday 11 Feb).
On page 31 you will find my story about them.
I suggest to everyone who has had problems with betterfares to send in their stories to the Daily Mirror and lets see if we can get these people closed down and stop them ripping off more innocent people.

Posted By flightcabs on 30/01/2010 12:34 PM
Hi

these guys are not just ripping off the operators but the customers get a hard time too:

http://www.infotaxi.org/united-kingdom_taxi/manchester_taxi/wwwtaxiquotercouk.htm

Cybernet Media also go under the name of sonassi

http://www.sonassi.com/portfolio/web/taxiquoter/

They definately like to play the hide and seek game

Kevin

If I've made a mistake in associating sonassi and taxiquoter then my apologiese to sonassi

Kevin

WE SHOULD KEEP ALL OUT CUSTOMERS SAFE ALOT OF DODGY DRIVERS OUT- THERE

A text service is being offered to taxi customers in Cardiff letting them know their car has arrived to help stop passengers taking bogus cabs.
The service was first offered by Premier Cars but has since been taken up by other taxi firms in the city.

The scheme lets the driver send a text to the waiting passenger telling them their car is about to arrive.

The message contains details of the make, model and colour of the car as well as the registration number.

Alison Parry, a director at Premier Cars, which has a 200-strong fleet, said they began offering the service as a way of giving their passengers extra security following reports of bogus taxi drivers sexually assaulting female passengers.


We introduced the service because there had been a lot of reports in the press about bogus taxis and taxis not being safe
Alison Parry, Premier Taxi
She said: "If someone is in a busy pub for example and they are waiting for a taxi, this service lets them know exactly who is going to turn up and when so it gives them added peace of mind.

"We introduced the service because there had been a lot of reports in the press about bogus taxis and taxis not being safe.

"Our drivers are all registered and we pride ourselves on putting safety first.

"We already offer a ring-back service, where people can get a ring to their phone to let them know we are approaching.

"But now if someone phones us from a mobile to book a taxi, we can offer them a text back."

Ms Parry said that the service, which costs the customer 50p, worked for both the passenger and the driver.

I am another one caught by the con artist, most of the numbers to do with this company are disengaged, the email address comes back as an invalid address, letters sent to the address on their website come back as unknown address.Every time you ring the telephone number you are told that it is just a booking office, the mobile number goes to voice mail telling you to leave a message.
I have informed Salford trading standards, my credit card company and Watchdog.Not heard anything from any of them yet though, keeping my fingers crossed.

Rusty

guys i got my money back from them as it was a fraud transaction, they have now registered there company at a house in blackburn, lancashire,

07738100509

ring this prick and just leave him messages, these guys have around 15 companies online with the same numbers, ring him and piss him off at all hours, leave his number in phone boxes etc you know what i mean dont you, i know he gets around 200 calls of people i know and hes really pissed off because we ask for different people all the time

Hi
We have chased betterfares for over 7 months phone call after phone call, no managers in today was usuaul excuse, But if you paid by credit card you can claim your money back. It does take a while but if you can get betterfares to email you that they will only refund your money after 6 months, send this email to your credit card company by law they should refund your money.
This was the only way we got our money back, trading standards advised us to write letters recorded delivery but did not help.
hopr this advice is helpful.

Scams and Scams - I think we are not like these are really funny..

Taxi scams
by Neville Kilford

Taxis in India.
Published under the GNU Free Documentation Licence by Wikimedia user Deepak
Taxi drivers the world over are united in their desire to rip off the unsuspecting punter. Some countries have taken steps to help this matter (fixed price rides in to Manhattan, for example), but if you don't know what you're doing in a country, especially if you can't speak or read the local language, at some stage you're bound to be taken for a ride.

The note switch
This is a firm favourite in some parts of the world. It's quite impressive really, and if you're not sure of yourself then you could easily fall foul of it. In this scam, the taxi driver gives you the price, you hand over a note, and the driver almost immediately hands it back, saying that the note doesn't cover the fare. You cough up a larger note, and the friendly taxi driver gives you your change.

He's extra happy, because he switched your first note for one of a much lower value before he hands it back! Many taxi drivers are incredibly adept at this note switching manoeuvre and, if you're not absolutely certain that you gave the correct note, you may hand over another without question.

So, be sure that you check the value of the note as you hand it over. Perhaps look at the serial number and remember the last three digits so that you can argue from a position of strength. Better yet, keep holding your note while the taxi driver gets your change ready.

Unlicensed airport taxis
When you get outside the airport, with all your baggage, in a hot country, and lots of people hassling you, it's easy to accept the first taxi offer that comes your way. Before you know it, you're zooming along to your destination, with no real idea of how much it's going to cost, or how much it should cost!

Like many scams, it relies on the fact you're a bit bewildered and unaware, so just take your time. Refuse any unlicensed taxis unless you know the price is fair. In any case, using unlicensed taxis isn't as safe as using licensed ones. Ask for the taxi rank and, if there's a taxi marshall, ask him how much a taxi will cost to your destination.

Better yet, if you know the approximate price of any taxi ride from an airport to a city, let us know and we'll keep a list up to date on each country.

The long ride
A favourite with taxi drivers from Paris to Bangkok, this obvious scam involves taking you on a bit of sight-seeing tour before you get to your destination. It's difficult to prove, unless you know the city quite well, but a small GPS can be useful in proving your point. Of course, the taxi driver will argue that he's taken you the best route based on the traffic, but going around in circles is never cool.

Meter not being used / broken
This is an old favourite. Taxi drivers love to have journeys without the meter working. It makes good sense for them as they can often overcharge the unsuspecting visitor. You get in and drive off, arriving at your destination to find that your fare is much higher than in should be because the driver has not put the meter on. Or perhaps you know about the meter pricing and insist that the driver puts the meter on, only to be told that it's not possible, because it's out of hours or because the meter's broken or any one of a hundred reasons!

If you know what the fare should be and are happy with your negotiations, then great, but if you don't then it's best to get out and find another taxi pronto. There's no shortage in most cities!

Another danger in store, if you do happen to negotiate a fair price is that drivers have been known to take visitors to an entirely different area of the city and then refuse to drive to the correct location unless the passengers pay more money.

The monument's closed...
This taxi scam seems peculiar to Bangkok. When you're visiting some of the city's attractions, for example the Grand Palace, you'll perhaps be approached by someone telling you, quite convincingly, that the place is closed. Before long, you're sure to get various offers of taxi rides to other attractions. Needless to say, the atttraction was open in the first place, but meantime you've gone on an overpriced trip to another place.