Mini Cabs From HellWe've all taken a dodgy cab in our time. One guy asked me to give him a back-rub in exchange for letting me off the fare. I was like, "here's the cash mate." Another chappy claimed to be Paddy Patel - a child actor from UK TV series Tuckers Luck - he drove like a speed freak and regaled me with stories that "playing a black Irish boy. England wasn't ready for it." So go on - tell us your worst and we'll tell the world.
[edit: for those confused by the term mini-cab, London has two sorts of taxis: highly regulated, licensed and salt-of-the-earth black cabs that you see in films and a whole bunch of unlicensed, uninsured, random cars driven by nutters who aren't supposed to pick up from the street (you have to phone for them). They are universally rubbish]
(
rob, Wed 26 May 2004, 21:44)
« Go Back
After a night out in LondonA mate and I were trying to flag down a cab. Eventually a car pulled over, and in we jumped.
What we hadn't realised was that we were in an unlicensed cab.
About five minutes into the journey the driver spots something in his rear view mirror, starts visibly stressing, and turns to us and says, "listen guys, you're my mates, right? Just say you're my mates. My name's Dave, what are your names?"
After this puzzling exchange, we see a flashing blue light and the police pull him over. He's taken out of the car and me and my mate are left in the car wondering what's going on.
After about five minutes a policemen opens the door and with a very serious look on his face says, "OK, we're gonna hold this guy here for a few more minutes. I suggest you get out of the car and start running now."
And that was it, no further explanations, nothing. So we just ran, totally mystified and shit-scared that we'd been advised by a officer of the law to 'run for it'.
Edit - incidentally, I'm not from London and was only there for a night out. So that was my one and only experience of the joys of London mini-cabs.
(
Biffins Bridge, Fri 28 May 2004, 11:47,
Reply)
« Go Back