Don't argue with the passenger!

[KuariKaydrith]

As is my usual routine, I get a taxi after work so I can get my ass home quicker than the bus will take me. Today's driver is somebody new to me, but no big deal.

Usually.

I tell the guy my address, and he says 'Okay, <totally different street>'.

I tell him my address again. And again he says the wrong street name.

On the third try he gets it, but then starts saying the route he is going to take. With the wrong friggin' streets to get to my place.

I tell him how to get to my place, and by this time we're under way. He starts arguing with me! I tell him to just get us to <main road nearest my place>, and we'll go from there. And again he starts arguing with me!!

I finally tell him that I've lived at my place for several years now, I'm a regular customer of the taxi company, and I know the streets and which way they run. He still argues with me. FOR FUCK SAKES!

I snap at him and tell him that after living in my area of several years and being a regular customer that it's best that he listen to me. He shuts up and takes the route I tell him, and when it turns out I'm right (as if there was any doubt) he's all apologies.

I would call the head office to complain, but I'm too tired. And the last guy I called to complain about got fired shortly after I got off the phone with their head office. At least this driver didn't smell like unwashed socks and cat pee. But still -_-

[Slave to the Phone]

I'm just wondering how much more the driver's route would have cost as apposed to the direct route you wanted to use.

[EricKei]

Same here. Really not sure if he was devious or just brand-spanking new...or an unholy combination of both.

[Deserted]

Some of y'all might remember that I was an on-the-road trainer for Big Green Cab Co for a short while, a few years back. I told all of my trainees, if the passenger tells you a specific route to use, FOR SAKE GO THAT ROUTE. If it's a cash call, then it's their money. If it's a voucher, still no big deal -- time may be money, but a happy passenger is more likely to be a repeat customer.

[KuariKaydrith]

There are a few different routes that cost roughly the same to get me from work to home, and I have one that I prefer as it avoids the afternoon traffic. If the guy hadn't tried to tell me I was wrong when I was telling him which streets went which way, I probably wouldn't have pulled the 'I'm a regular' card on him. If I didn't know the streets in my neighbourhood after living there for five years there'd be something seriously wrong.

I did end up calling his head office to let them know about what happened, and found out that it's not the first time he's done this, and it's usually with female passengers. I very politely requested that he never be dispatched to pick me up ever again if he's going to carry on like that. I don't have the patience for assholes at the best of times, and at the end of my work day it's even worse.

I really like the company I routinely use - and we've got six companies in the city to choose from. It just sucks when I get a lousy driver. They've been after to me to drive part-time for them for ages now, but I kind of like my current job.

[Pixelated]

At least he did apologize, for whatever that was worth.

But he absolutely should not have been arguing with you to begin with.

[nutraxfornerves]

I volunteer at a museum, doing programs for school kids. Had one class that arrived 20 minutes late. The teacher was fuming. The charter bus driver insisted that they really wanted to go to Other Museum, and, once he got there, had a huge argument with the teacher about the correct destination. It finally took a phone call to the charter company to get him to move.

[Minflick]

Holy shit! What a pig headed person... Hope he got thoroughly chewed out by his boss!