The most annoying things passengers do in taxis (including minibuses)

Every career has its downsides, but jobs which involve dealing with lots of customers have more irritations than most.

 

Taxi and minibus drivers have to cope with all sorts of passengers, from the very young to the very drunk.

 

Some of their annoying habits can be quickly forgotten, while others require drivers to have the patience of a saint – and cover from a specialist minibus insurance policy.

 

Here are 10 of the most annoying things that passengers do in taxis and minibuses.

 

 

1. Demand a detour

So you’ve agreed a price for the trip from their house to the airport – but suddenly, they insist on going via a cashpoint or even to pick up another passenger.

 

Pretty irritating behaviour, but sadly all too common for taxi passengers, some of whom seem to think you’ve got nothing else to do all day but act as their personal chauffeur, for a pittance.

 

 

2. Keep you waiting

Some passengers’ attitude to timekeeping can most charitably be described as relaxed.

 

If they’ve booked you for midday, you want them to be ready by midday, not quarter or even half past – after all, you’ve got other fares waiting.

 

And you know that if the tables were turned and it was you who were late, they’d be outraged!

 

3. Fail to keep kids under control

Minibuses are often hired by groups on excursions, so it’s understandable that many passengers are young and excited. However, it should be up to the adults accompanying them to keep order in the back.

 

Not only is rowdy behaviour from small passengers annoying for the driver, it’s potentially a dangerous distraction too. Make sure you’ve got suitable minibus insurance to cover you for any accidents.

 

 

4. Create a mess

Kebab wrappers. Worse – half-eaten kebabs. Even worse – regurgitated kebabs. As a taxi driver, you’re likely to have had all the above, and much more, deposited on the floor and passenger seats of your vehicle.

 

Mess can be merely an inconvenience, or it can create unpleasant smells that you need to tolerate throughout your shift – or it can even cost you the price of valeting and lost business. Whatever the consequences, it’s definitely one of the major downsides of taxi driving.

 

 

5. Damage your vehicle

This is less common than mess, but definitely not unknown. Some passengers have absolutely no respect for the fact that your taxi is your livelihood.

 

Would they kick the seats and tear the upholstery in their own car? Yank the door handles too hard? Smash their luggage into the doors and windows? Unlikely – so nor should they in yours.

 

Of course, you have to expect a certain amount of wear and tear to your vehicle – you’ll be using it a lot. But there are occasional passengers who cause damage through their carelessness, which can be pretty upsetting for drivers. Make sure your vehicle is covered through minibus insurance.

 

 

6. Ask you to break the law

Your passengers want you to do a u-turn? Speed up, although the limit’s 30? Jump a red light? Ignore them as best you can.

 

Not only do you risk a fine and points on your driving licence if you break driving laws, you could lose your taxi licence and therefore your livelihood too.

 

And road laws are there for a reason: to keep drivers, passengers, other road users and pedestrians safe. Nobody’s above them, and certainly not a passenger who really should just have booked an earlier ride.

 

7. Fail to tip

If you’re taxiing elderly people to hospital, you may understand that they need to keep costs down. But if you’re driving a car full of revellers home from a drunken night out, it’s hard to believe that they really can’t club together to find the cash for a tip.

 

Many people don’t realise that taxi driving is an expensive business. And if you’ve provided a smooth service or gone out of your way to help them, perhaps by loading heavy luggage, then it’s only fair to expect something extra for your hard work.

 

 

8. Bring too much luggage

Your taxi is not a tardis. Even a minibus is limited in how much luggage it can take, particularly if all 16 passengers seem to be bringing the entire contents of their homes on holiday.

  

Ask at the time of booking how much baggage they’re bringing, and make your vehicle’s limits clear. Remember that wheelchairs take priority, as you’re both morally and legally obliged to carry them.

 

If you’re helping passengers with loading their gear into your vehicle, make sure you follow health and safety guidance to protect yourself from injury.

 

 

9. Expect change for a fifty

As a taxi driver, you’re only too aware of the risks of carrying large sums of money around with you. But that doesn’t stop some passengers from wanting to pay a very small fare with a very big note, and being surprised when you don’t have £45 in change.

 

Fortunately, these days there are lots of ways you can accept electronic payments and keep the atmosphere cordial between you and your passengers.

 

 

10. Be rude

They refuse to greet you when they enter your cab, and give you curt orders. They think they know a better route. They’re loud, rowdy or argumentative.

 

All taxi drivers are used to putting up with impolite or unpleasant passengers from time to time. You can probably just ignore most of their rudeness.

 

But if they make racist or any other hateful remarks to you, that’s not just annoying, but downright unacceptable and potentially illegal. And if they make threats, then call for help straight away.

 

 

Get a quote for minibus insurance today

Taxi drivers face a lot of annoyances – but getting the right minibus insurance shouldn’t be one of them.

 

Taxi Insurer arranges cover for a wide range of vehicles and uses. If you drive a vehicle of 9-16 seats plus driver, we can search our panel of providers to find the right policy for you.

 

Contact our team today.