How Taxi Drivers BUMP Up The Meter!

The taximeter is a mythical device, but its operation is simple.
In this video I share the true motivations of a taxi driver.
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00:00 - Intro
00:23 - Going Around the Houses
01:10 - Taximeter History
02:07 - Functions of a Meter
03:16 - The Proof of Efficiency
05:02 - 2 multipliers to Efficiency
05:14 - 1. Flag Fall
06:28 - 2. Tips
07:09 - Short vs Long Journey
09:12 - The London Cabbie ADVANTAGE

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Want to see MORE from me? Subscribe to my weekly newsletter here 😊 eepurl.com/g253_X

[@drewd9985]

Make yours a super-Instagrammable taxi, charge flag fall per photo and you could potentially get your wish of sitting still and earning loads.

[@jamesburchell6502]

As an ex yellow badge driver, I would love to see a episode of you and a surburban driver talking about the differences of the job. Plus I don’t think the general public realise that there are two types of badges out there.

[@laura101cookies]

I had no idea 😅

[@middxmale9692]

I can tell you the Difference .. Whatever a 'Canary' earns, Multiply by 3 at *least* for a GREEN , even on a Quiet day / Night, 365 days a Year

[@jamesburchell6502]

@@middxmale9692 yep that’s why I’m ex.

[@57thorns]

To save someone from googling it (if you are in a hurry, otherwise google it and read more about it): Yellow is suburban, green is "All London". Yellow means you focus on one specific (non-central) part of London, but it goes without saying that the suburbs means fewer and longer voyages (as this video shows, this is bad for profits) and possibly (I guess here) you can take a hire from your area to anywhere, but you have to go back empty until you reach your zone. And I suspect a lot of the trips will be to an airport or other mass transit. Airports in general have weird rules regarding taxis and transportation in general, at least here in Sweden, and I suspect there is a video just on that.

[@zivkovicable]

The "Sorry I don't go south of the river", is probably rarer these days, but for South Londoners of a certain age, that has still stuck in our minds & we got used to using more welcoming alternatives.

[@A190xx]

Sorry this happened to a syaff member in December 2022. I hailed a cab for her at Monument around 11pm and he agreed the fare initially, but, when it sank in that it was in Mottingham, he dropped her at London Bridge. I reported him to TFL and 4 weeks later they have still to respond, so clearly TfL do not care.

[@vmc001]

I drove a taxi cab driver for 22 years and it was a great job. Our meters were highly regulated. They were checked every 6 months. SW Ohio area.

[@thomasbeaman9337]

The TAX MAN is going to LOVE this guy !!! Good luck to ALL the taxi drivers out there !!!

[@Shyted]

Coming to London in March, your videos will encourage me to use taxis.

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Enjoy! Maybe will see you around 👍🏻

[@omdaniel]

Tube is honestly best as taxis get extremely expensive

[@neilfrith7864]

Don't bother mate it's crime ridden shit hole!

[@Shyted]

@@neilfrith7864 had a great time.

[@sparky6899]

Tom, you forgot the £4 extras on Xmas and New Year! "There is an extra charge of £4 for journeys made between 20:00 on 24 December and 06:00 on 27 December and between 20:00 on 31 December and 06:00 on 2 January." - tfl.

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Yes of course 👍🏻👍🏻 well mentioned

[@hermenegildoc3933]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver in Chile and Spain they rig the meter to inflate the distance, aka u did 1km and they rig it to make it seem like 10 If u speak Spanish search Taxista Adulterado, Canal 13

[@JB-bl6ky]

Good work as usual Tom, keep em up 👌🏼

[@JohnMitch]

Around 3 years to learn the knowledge, cost of a Taxi, insurance, rising fuel costs makes me wonder why anyone would want to go into the London licensed taxi trade

[@middxmale9692]

£500 on a Saturday Night, Thats Why ! ( £50 a Hour )

[@browndeutch]

Easiest job in the world, only a Wally can’t earn a good living in a black cab in London

[@benharris8644]

After 18 years driving a London taxi I can say it’s without doubt the best thing I’ve ever done.. always loved it and made a good living. Best of all is the freedom to come and go as you like and no boss to answer to

[@mother7007]

100k a year takings , 50k of which is tax free was the general rule.

[@baileyharrison1030]

But a lot of that is just inflation. The cost of everything goes up mostly proportionally, even if some things take longer to catch up than others.

[@leshoath3396]

There is no reason why you can’t own your taxi meter. As far as I know, London is the only incensing district where meters are rented but not a legal requirement. The flag-fall is made up of an initial hire charge (£2.80), plus two 20p elements (40p) equals £3.20. If you were to only take each journey for £3.20 the flag-fall a distance of 227 metres on rate 1 with no dead mileage between, you would earn £22.80 per mile.

[@JoshRamwell]

Great video Tom once again very insightful!

[@MorfMusic]

I love how much this guy sounds like you’d expect a British taxi driver to sound like In the best way. I like this channel

[@rnw2739]

He sounds nothing like most London cabbies - the majority are Cockneys.

[@kennybraithwaite]

Love your videos tom. Very knowledgeable

[@MichaelHiggins1]

Nicely done, makes a ton of sense

[@fallchiron]

Tom, love your videos. Would love to suggest a video about 'Black Cabbie Traditions / Unwritten rules.' For instance you hear about Great Ormund Street hospital fares for children being waived - maybe there are more of these out there?

[@GeneralZod1966]

Excellent work mate

[@paulwatkinson7055]

Good channel this really interesting ,doin a great job 👍

[@nadim2769]

I'd agree Tom, great video. It's in the cab drivers best interest to get customers quick, the more £3.20 they get per shift, the better. Wish i was allowed to use bus lanes 😪. Was stuck in traffic on commercial road when tower bridge didn't want to shut. Just watched all the black cabs going down the bus lane

[@vjary8142]

Liked the analogy of being a cab driver to turning tables in a restaurant, makes total sense. The more jobs you can turn around the greater the potential income, however as you say your day is governed by time, so i) Are their any legalities on how long you can drive each day, ii) Are you required to stop for set breaks and iii) Can you just keep on going till you've had enough for the day?

[@face7015]

Taxi driver here 1: No, 2: No and 3: Yes

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Yea no restrictions. Common sense prevails here, I find if I have a long day say 12 hours (very rare for me to do that) it will generally wipe me out and leave me less productive for the next day. So it’s counter intuitive, I’m a big believer of consistency. If I work sensible up to 9 hour days, I can repeat this for an entire week 👍🏻

[@licensedtaximan4271]

With regards to hours worked: As far as I know there has never been an accident caused by a London taxi driver due to the hours worked, as already said common sense prevails as our safety is paramount as well. In fact the percentage of accidents that involve London taxis is (and has always been I believe) less than one quarter of one percent of all accidents in the London area at any given time, and that is involved in not caused by. So any accident actually caused by a London taxi driver is less than the above one quarter of one percent.

[@TheSebastian1012]

Depends how fancy the restaurant is I guess Plenty of fancy restaurants can’t viably have more than one round of customers per night, so that’s when they get sold on desserts and drinks, it’s all done on a booking basis and not walk-in and customers are expected to be there all night anyways

[@TypicalDutchSaysHi]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver Wow, here on the other side of the North Sea we do have time restrictions: Both on total time per day and minimum rest periods and you are now allowed to drive every single day.

[@TheSebastian1012]

But Tom, that is assuming you get one job after another If it comes to a quiet period (say 8/8:30pm) there is an incentive to run up the meter by going further when you know that there’s a low likelihood of getting a new job in the next 30 or so minutes, plus you also haven’t shown us how quickly the meter goes when you’re not at a standstill but when the wheels are actively turning

[@Theexcabby]

Unfortunately cabbies don’t carry crystal balls in their cabs to know when they are NOT likely to get a job. A lot of cabbies take their meal break from about 8pm - 9.30pm, after the evening rush hour and before the theatres turn out, this is known as “the burst” and is extremely busy. Remember though a cabby can only do one job at a time and as Tom says, customer turnover is paramount to earn a reasonable wage, that’s why cabbies take the quickest routes so as to get another job. Taking the longest route is a myth. It will only add a pound or two to the cost of a journey and make the passenger extremely angry and then there’s the likelihood of not getting a pound or two tip. Is it worth it? Definitely not, a satisfied customer is a happy customer. As for how quickly the meter turns over when stationary, should read “ how slow does the meter turn over”. I come back to my original point, a quick turnover in passengers is paramount. That’s why cabbies try to avoid slow moving and stationary traffic……..when they can! Having been a green badge cabby for over 18 years (and' 0:37 never used a satnav) I think I speak from experience. Tom’s videos are spot on. The only thing I take issue with is he once said that when the cab is paid for most of his takings are profit. Well he was a “Butterboy” at the time and only been a cabby for a couple of years. What he seemed to forget or maybe hadn’t realised was that one day he will have to buy a new cab. TFL only allow cabs to be licensed up to a certain age, it used to be 15 years and then have to be renewed. So he’d better start saving now! Also an old vehicle is going to require a lot more maintenance as parts wear out, so most cabbies change their cabs sooner rather than later. If the cab is in the garage being repaired a cabby can’t earn and is forced to take the day(s) off. My largest bill was for £5k when the engine blew up about 15 years ago, I had to do a lot of jobs to recover that cost. So it’s not all sweetness and light but a lot of sweat and sometimes,tears. Still a good job though.

[@tootintel]

Thanks for the info. Interesting.

[@huntermsc8356]

Thanks for clarification

[@seamusblack5876]

Like the new sound/speaker

[@Liberty_Freedom_Brotherhood]

When I worked as a mortgage adviser, almost all my taxi driver clients coincidentally declared exactly the maximum 0% income tax threshold. Good for avoiding taxes, not so good when trying to borrow £200k to buy a house 😂

[@terryb8310]

So very true words bud!

[@kareemkhayree9836]

lovely video

[@richardkaberry8790]

Tom I’ve had a couple of experiences where a cabbie has said “I don’t know where that is” when asking to go somewhere outside the central area (e.g.Barking). I guess that’s like “I don’t go south of the river.” Shame cos you have to find an alternative to a black cab when that happens.

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Yea we aren’t expected to know it but many including myself will still gladly take it. Many drivers live out that way 👍🏻

[@richardkelly4254]

Truly brilliant video.. has really changed my thoughts towards Black Cabs if I'm honest!! I have to admit I've been using Uber but been very disappointed with them a number of times recently.. next trip Black Cab for me 👍

[@simatbirch]

Excellent vid

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Thank you 🙏🏻

[@msajir2197]

Well done

[@shahd501]

Hey tom, would really enjoy a dynamo review from yourself comparing it to the levc.

[@leonmatthew7]

Good vid though and so right. That’s where I miss cash most. Those £8 fares nearly always end up a tenner. Not with the tappers!

[@Mr.M1STER]

Good point. Contactless payments have ruined tipping in a way.

[@jackcameback]

You should do a stint on home finances, your acumen is spot on!!!

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Would love to!

[@raindog7733]

In our Town there were two popular spots for drinkers about a mile apart, the fare was 3.80, everyone gave you 5.00, we were literally up and down for about 4/5 hours on a Fri/Sat... consequently nobody would take a fare longer than a mile as every mile after the first mile was 1.00, so you lost money on the longer fares, we were Hackney so we recommended the customer rang private hire. Bad I know, but 300 a night was better than 200 a night.

[@airplane312]

£3.20 is about $3.68 to $4 USD which I thought would be higher than I thought. It be nice taxi drivers let people know beginning fare is and or a idea on what estimate fare be at when done, before the meter start. Time is money

[@arne1958]

Short trips in the city also keep service costs (mileage) lower in relation to turnover.

[@BIG2hats]

No way, all that city driving is absolute hell on the gears, brakes etc

[@Moloko_b]

Interesting stuff, Tom lad. I’ve always felt a bit guilty getting short taxi journeys tbh but the one thing I was gonna ask is, isn’t there like special rates on the meter? Like if you pick up after a certain time or working certain days like Christmas Day/Boxing Day? That sort of thing? Also, there were some shady taxi drivers here taking advantage of people going the match (Liverpool and Everton’s ground ) from Liverpool City Centre, charging way over the odds for fares. Sad really because they spoil it for the hard working taxi drivers like yourself out there. Take it easy and safe journeys 👍🏻

[@TheHeartInTheSpade]

i think theres different rates for the day of the week and the time of day. Theres definitely a higher rate for christmas

[@harryc505]

Xmas eve, Xmas day, Boxing Day, NYE and New Year’s Day you are allowed to put £4 extras on each job and it will be rate 3 which is usually the evening rate (after 10pm)

[@keithrussell9834]

It would be nice to to use a Hackney but on Wednesday I seen a head on between a cab and a car in Bethnal Green in which the crash was at fault of the car not the cabbie. I do hope that the cab was empty at the time and the cabbie wasn't injured in any way. The cab looked similar to your one and sadly going to be written off I also hope that the cabbie will ASAP get a new Hackney and plowing his trade again.

[@paulwheeler4283]

To my knowledge the flag Fall rate or basic fee in Birmingham is £2.20 the kilometre price is £1.12 - £1.45 but I also know between 11 p.m. and 7 am Monday to Saturday and all day Sunday it does rise to £2.40 flag Fall rate or basic fee the price per kilometre also rises to £1.28 - £1.86 I'm not sure what the standing and waiting time rates are and what extra rates can be charged

[@N1TROxSNIPERZ]

Tom, if you drive a taxi for your job do you have a different car as a daily? If so what do you drive, or do you use a taxi?

[@noahpillans]

Tom, regarding turning down a fare if it travels more than 12 miles - is this from anywhere the fare starts, or 12 miles outside the City of London? For example, if you were already 30 minutes outside of the City and someone hailed you and wanted to go a few miles further out, are you allowed to turn down the fare?

[@deanobombeano234]

An all London taxi driver (or green badge) is licensed to ply for hire in any of the 33 London Boroughs, and there is no centre point taken into account when the 12mile/1hr rule is applied. Hope this helps 😊

[@craftykev]

Thanks for the video, always interesting. But I didn't really see any way that a taxi driver can bump up his meter?

[@cabottaxi]

Used a black hack in London recently from Battersea up to Chelsea and found the price was comparable to Uber.

[@1973Washu]

You need to educate some taxi drivers I know in Australia , they seem to like taking the scenic route to a destination.

[@Cheekylittlemonkey81]

I imagine your best tool is your "gift of the gab" that you have!

[@Reclesss]

Im private hire in a small town so time is the biggest factor get from A to B quickly as possible

[@catalinamariutei883]

When is not that busy do you prefer to take long trips over the short ones?

[@caio5987]

Hi Tom nice vid as always One thing I’ve always wondered is if you need proof of having passed the knowledge before buying a cab? Or can anyone just buy one? If they do then how would TfL know that that driver isn’t allowed to be a taxi driver?

[@caio5987]

@Brendan Bod ah ok What about second hand? Who is in charge of checking everything?

[@chrisardern4594]

I belive that Steven Fry had a black cab a few years ago basically to be able to use the bus lane and not for hire. I am not sure this is true or not so dont quote me on that.

[@caio5987]

@@chrisardern4594 some years ago Jeremy Clarkson said anyone can apply to have a mini cab badge and that costs peanuts Thing is if you have one you don’t pay congestion charge 😂

[@4774lee]

Anyone can purchase a London taxi cab, even a brand new one. Stephen Fry did indeed own one, as did Jane Goldman and most famously Prince Phillip. It's the taxi meter that you can't hire without the relevant cab licence.

[@jamielee9350]

@@chrisardern4594 Just seen your post. Stephen Fry still owns a black cab , but he is not a licensed badge holder so he cannot use a bus lane. If he does it would be fraud , also his insurance would be invalid.

[@jaztheman2]

How do you get your monitors doing that effect?

[@phil-zz5hk]

i noticed on a previous video that you pay £140 per month car insurance . i cannot understand how the hell the insurance companies work this out . before i retired 2 years ago i was paying that on private hire with max no claims on merseyside . you are a new driver with only a couple of years experience and london risk is massively higher . the robbers are the insurance companies . lol. also you said you have to hire your meter , so you are not allowed to buy your own ?. i always bought my own meter and had one of the cab companies fit it for me . love your vids .

[@abracadabra8501]

oh wow that was really useful and insightful, I learnt something new today! this may be a stupid question, but do your earnings come directly from the jobs you do, ie. if you make £200 in one day, that goes in your pocket, as opposed to getting paid by tfl?

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Yes straight to me, only thing that takes a cut is a credit card provider.

[@justinrainford6342]

Do you have the extra button down in London we don't have that in liverpool

[@subressor1]

I'd love to see you talk about why some cabs are slathered in ads, and some arent.

[@cuppaht161]

He has done already, there is a video somewhere, they get paid for the year to have a huge add like PLT but he said something like it’s not really that much when you work it out. Up to the driver anyway

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Yea exactly as above. I think there’s no better advert than a plain black cab. I also do lots of tours, if I had adverts on it would certainly detract from the aesthetic and potentially earnings from those tours.

[@BIGDENNIS10UK]

It’s mainly the rental Taxis (owned by garages/fleets) that have adverts, most owner drivers wouldn’t bother.

[@johnabel7174]

Could you do a video about what taxi driver wear on the job

[@mikemurphy2953]

Clothes 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@annon4350]

'It is not in our interest to get stuck in traffic or to go a wrong route' surely only applies in the case that there is sufficient demand to get another job quickly. If, due to the supply being greater than demand, you struggle to get another job, you would have been better off stuck in traffic with a fare paying customer.

[@mother7007]

Just keep banging out that first mile, it's usually double bubble in most districts.

[@ansynmeacham5212]

Put big wheels on when you calibrate the meter then put smaller wheels on it.

[@peterwhitaker4038]

it's curious your section about tips. i was in Poland and some locals i knew couldn't understand why i gave the taxi driver more than the fare. maybe it's a British/American thing, but thinking on..we tip cabbies and in a pub say 'take one yourself' ..but if we were at the checkout at Asda and they give us 25p short in change their is uproar! we don't seem to tip the Bus Driver or the fish and chip shop so where did it all steryotype who we actually give tips to and why?

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

I’ve figured… it’s generally anything services based where you pay afterwards. I.e. restaurant, barbers, taxi driver etc. only exception to the rule is air attendants.

[@leonmatthew7]

Also will see extras on a meter on holidays remember. Xmas eve, NY day etc :)

[@bluestu2]

We reported a Dublin cabbie for scamming the hell out of us recently, he put 9 Euro in extras when the correct number was 3 at most. Long story short he also refused to give us a receipt and got a 100 Euro fine.

[@ryanbenson1260]

The last time I got a black cab I was going home from the train station in Sheffield. We got to my street and I told the driver where to stop, the meter was at £9.80 or so, he pretended not to hear me and kept driving until it ticked over to £10

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

This is hilarious, had this comment a few times. No often it’s because people just shout “stop here!” Forgetting the fact I need to brake, come to a stop, park somewhere where I won’t be blocking a car, align the doors with parked cars otherwise the punter will open the doors on them. If you’re concerned about 20p, tell the driver specifically where you want to stop, trees or lampposts are great

[@TsLeng]

It's 20p. Insignificant.

[@ryanbenson1260]

@@TsLeng I wasn't bothered about the 20p I probably would have let him keep the change, it was just a bit cheeky, there was plenty of space for him to stop

[@TsLeng]

@@ryanbenson1260 if you are not driving, you would not know exactly what the situation is. Just a few things to think about when stopping: Are there cars behind, or in front? Is there a safe spot so the passenger can open the doors fully? Watch out for other hazards like cyclists etc. If anything, you should give the driver ample notice if you know exactly where you want to stop. And even then it might not be possible. With enough notice, they can stop short and you can walk. Possibly saving 20p maybe 😂 I am not even a taxi driver, just experience from dropping friends off.

[@kpopfan674]

@@TsLeng It's not insignificant, it's the principle of the matter. Several 20ps add up. And clearly he did give the driver notice of exactly where he wanted to stop, as he was going home.

[@hermand]

Heh, I've always felt quite bad for getting a cab for a short hop (Sometimes I have bags, or y'know, just lazy!) so I won't from now on!

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Yep, Even if the 3 quick jobs took the same time and money as 1 longer job to say Greenwich, I always prefer them as I’m likely to be in a central area where I can pick up again reasonably quickly 🙌🏻

[@yoshiadams2349]

Tom

[@Pretzel_0000]

Whenever we get taxis it just easier to round up with we’re paying with cash

[@DoubleDeckerAnton]

I always knew it...🤔🚦🚕🤑🚖

[@AlonsoRules]

There's a video of a taxi driver in Prague touching his handbrake and the meter ticks up at 3x the speed

[@derryneathhoman-james1434]

I'd love to see a video on tipping and how differnt people/nationalities/business man versus workman/ etc etc. tend to tip. I think in UK (maybe different for regualr black cab users?) find tipping awkward. I know for myself, if I get in a cab and you get somewhere and the fare is £9.30 then its a win, life is easy - hand over a tenner - keep the change. Easy. But if you do a short journey, you get to the end of street - I can see the layby you are going to drop me off at and the meter is £4.40. I'm praying it will be £4.70 when we get there and I can go - £5 - again easy. But then traffic light and suddenly you arrive aand its £5.10. Bugger. I hand over a tenner - do I ask for £4.50 change or £4. I usually only work in pounds for taxi so ask for 4 but then that seems like too big a tip. Love to hear yopur thoughts. Love the channel.

[@WeAreThePeople1690]

I usually just round it up, good if it's £15 something. It's not so good if it's £18 or £19.

[@milesthrone3850]

What is the importance of the neck piece the driver wear whilst driving? Identification?

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Yes, it’s a requirement we all have to wear when working

[@WeAreThePeople1690]

£3.20 to sit in the cab, and £10.99 for the pic you take for them. Email them the picture, and then you don't need to print it. Tourists will pay for that 🤣🤣

[@ColininThailand]

Tom I may have missed a vid, BUT why are your vids now not in the cab ??

[@mazzadude]

TFL asked him to stop doing the videos, I think for customer privacy or some such reason.

[@ColininThailand]

@@mazzadude typical TFL wankers.

[@SKIPPY340]

Tom why dont you get your cab wrapped in adds? Isit Worth it?

[@weirdoguy64]

wondering about this too. When I visited London I was surprised about how many "black cabs" were actually covered in advertising or not actually black in the first place, could be an interesting video

[@Mr.M1STER]

Good question. I am also curious.

[@vinnym9479]

I own my cab, the advertising companies pay about £1000 or maybe a bit more for a full cab livery. They promise a full paint restore on your taxi when your contract is over. The choice is yours. It usually helps to off set your annual insurance. I prefer mine raven black but each to their own. Generally the cab rental companies will do it the most and then expect the driver renting it to get them changed which can be a bit of a drag. Hope this info helps

[@jojicjojic5953]

Now apply this knowledge to less populated city

[@TheDantheman12121]

Yeah i always round it up to a tenner when it is around 7-8 quid. But if it was 15 quid i would still only give a pound or two

[@middxmale9692]

Ive been out the Game for a good few years .... at 0:48 .. it shows £10.65 ?? Does it not still go up in 20p Increments?? Also, You should use more than 1 Button on the Meter !!! You can reset it to 'Zero' at Start of Shift, then at 'End' of shift it will show your days TOTAL ( Or during your shift , how much your on ) a VERY Useful feature, most Cabbies can't be bothered to figure this out .. Download the Instruction Manual, for how to do it, by pressing certain Buttons ( I forget off Hand ! ) You 'Butter' Boys ( But-A-Boy) dont know you were Born ! WE had to add on 'Extras' in 10p Increments, so at Xmas time, it was £2 Extra, we had to press the 'Right Hand' button 20 times !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ( I still worked when the 'Modern' meter came along, was a God Send ! )

[@yyunko7764]

and I tied an onion to my belt, because it was the fashion at the time...

[@martinjuulandersen9694]

So can the cab hold six pasengers? And how much bagage can a taxi hold. I mean if its 6 people at 80-90 pounds its a better deal than Heathrow Express £25 a person. Elisabeth Line is £12.8 Per person which is 76.8 for 6. So with a group its better with a taxi provided the taxi can hold luggage for six people

[@haiwatigere6202]

Sir knowledge of London you said. That's the job of GPS surely. No studying. God will know current traffic bottlenecks.

[@samessa3155]

Beware of the black caps at the airport, agree on the rate first otherwise they will rip you off big time

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

What airport? Heathrow it’s either meter or fixed rate?

[@gordonhemingway575]

Hi Tom, loving the vids but gonna sit on the fence here, please correct and educate me if im wrong or misled. Why is £3.20 charged before the cab even moves. And would a driver driving slowly thus taking their time to get to the destination cause the fare to increase unnessarily, also the taxi driver i'm sure wouldn't drive that sowly if they were'nt carrying a fare.

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Mileage or distance has a bigger affect on the meter. So going slower will earn marginally more, but takes you longer to do it. Therefore your time will be limited. £3.20 is charged because the meter goes up in increments of 20p. If it started at 0 I’d have loads of jobs around the the £4.00 mark and I’d probably be earning below minimum wage

[@middxmale9692]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver Your missing out, The Meter starts at £3.20, but the Customer gets some distance out of that ... 1/4 of a mile or something .. so its NOT strictly speaking a 'Rip-Off' as some customers assume, as it includes some mileage, then it clicks over ( To £3.40 etc etc )

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

@@middxmale9692 that’s very true!

[@j.jbinks9669]

@@middxmale9692 except it is a rip off if the customer hasn't gone anywhere

[@stethemeterman1968]

I have been fitting taxi meters for over 20 years and can honestly say have never put bent tariff in a meter the reason you have a meter in a cab is to calibrate the fare honestly

[@ColininThailand]

Payment by card has put a stop to tips , very rare to get a tip when they pay by card or phone….

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

I'd say I get more tips with card?

[@ColininThailand]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver really ? Wow all my pals agree with me a lot less , maybe it’s because your so nice..

[@Mr.M1STER]

How do tips work when paying by card? Does the customer just tell you to make it £10 for example if the fair is 7 or 8 quid? Or is there a button on the machine that they can select a tip discreetly?

[@ColininThailand]

@@Mr.M1STER Both ways mate.

[@Mr.M1STER]

@@ColininThailand That's not too bad then. Thanks for the info.

[@CristianNazare]

If only Romanian taxi drivers would do the same. Here they do it in other ways: 1. asking for 5x the amount without putting the meter 2. saying they wont take you unless you also pay the fare back 3. having special "night time" tariffs 10x higher than day tariffs Wondering if other countries still face this issue..

[@sandham]

"I don't go south of the WATER"? said no taxi driver ever.

[@grassytramtracks]

I'm surprised how you'd ever go into the centre empty from Heathrow airport, surely there are a lot of people who want to go to Heathrow to central London

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Would recommend this video… can be up to 4 hours to wait for a job. How LONG does it take to get a fare at Heathrow Airport? kzbin.info/www/bejne/fHzFaYptaa59i7c

[@eddiebrennan126]

He should be on bbc very good presenter

[@borisfargo1290]

Do you ever get anyone not pay and do a runner ?

[@middxmale9692]

Of course ! Probably 3 in a Year

[@robbiepemberton]

Some unscrupulous cabbies would put the meter on trap 3 and put some tape on the meter to make it look like a 1

[@shaunmaxwell9948]

London and Glasgow biggest black texia are biggest in the uk

[@BostonBobby1961]

Do you have a medallion system?

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

No we have to earn our badges doing the knowledge. 3-5 years on average

[@BostonBobby1961]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver I watched a video from Jools Guide and he did a whole video on the cabs. It was really interesting. Until recent years, Medallions were a high-priced investment that authorized drivers to legally operate a licensed taxi in Boston. The competition created by ride-shares, however, has changed that. “Medallions were recently as high as $600,000. Now they might be as low as $60, 000,” says Blake Sutcliffe.Jul 9, 2018. They were over a $1 million in NYC. Most Cab Drivers lease the cabs from the medallion holders. It might be $200.00 for a 12 hour shift. You the driver had to account for your fuel, tolls for certain roads, etc. So you had to earn over $200 plus your tolls and fuel and other expenses to make a descent pay. Some of these folks work 12 hour shifts with 8 hour turnaround times. It’s a tough way to make a living. Now Uber and we also have Lyft Uber’s direct competitor throwing the entire industry into a tail spin. They’ve also killed the livery business. Shares vans to and from the airport, train stations, hotels and private residences. I did the livery thing back in the 1990s.

[@movieclipsvideos1781]

The other day I was in a taxi and was waiting the little 8 that fills up when to charge you and Jesus christ DING DING DING

[@j.jbinks9669]

And they wonder why I always do a runner.

[@t-bonewhufc6429]

GRASS

[@alexnaismith9979]

The meter in my Private hire car uses GPS to calculate the fare.

[@paulthomas8262]

GPS does knwow the road condition or traffic. Ways can give you an estimate, but not really a substitute for knowledge.

[@gareth-stuartogg7887]

Wait there's no suitcase fee!!! A £3.20 starting fare. A starting fare in Dundee is £3.40 unless it's after 9pm then it's £3.75. 50p for each additional passenger. 50p for each parcel or suitcase carried (groceries are exempt) 25p for every 176yards or every minute. Maybe London taxis are considerably cheaper than I've been led to believe

[@magnus9701]

how far does £3.20 take you ?

[@thetelephoneprankster4254]

Has it ever happened that someone has got in, not wanted to go anywhere then refused to pay the £3.20 before they get out?

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

I generally omit it, sometimes someone might want to go a few yards down the road and not realise how close they were. We have a giggle and I let them have it on me 😊

[@thetelephoneprankster4254]

@@TomtheTaxiDriver That is very kind of you. They might even be more likely to take your taxi again next time for a longer journey so you are quids in 😀

[@bullcrap4243]

IN SOHO HAILED 5 CABS to canary wharf dont drink refused 5 times Hailed a cab to Kennington from Leicester sq easy instant drive over Westminster Bridge but no he drove via horsegaurds which was in those days a regular thrice weekly 6.00 fare turned into a 20.00 fare I gave the goon a tenner and said you ripped me off mate he threw the tenner back and I said THANKS best you learn from it he said ill call the police if you dont pay i goes ill wait here then he sulked and drove off BTW I had a THICK AUSSIE ACCENT

[@msmrepo3271]

Not applicable in a small quite northern town 😀

[@dannygroom3327]

Can you tell me why taxi drivers ignore me?

[@ltee1233]

Bro chose his words hella carefully. “So what can I do to get the most out of my taximeter “ nah you mean what can I do to get the most out of my customer. One sounds fair and the other is just a blatant rip off yet both mean the same thing

[@robba1234]

Wow, a bit "London-centric" for me, you know there are other areas in the UK with "different" rules and charges? So too general for me, I know our local taxis charge for more than 4 (even if its a 5-8 seater cab) and often charge for excess luggage (even if it's 5 per 4 passengers) Also other charges dependant on days like holidays and many other area's are different UK wide.

[@TomtheTaxiDriver]

Sorry, I only work in London so can’t comment on other areas of uk