# Pitting the idiot taxi driver from last night. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 7, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116 "2004-01-07T00:45:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/1 "2004-01-07T00:45:38Z")
Last night I witnessed the most brain-dead stupid thoughtless mental insanely fucked thing. Being the impatient sod that most taxi drivers seem to be, this one decided to do a u-turn. He decided to do it while there was traffic going the other way. At the front of the trafic, the first thing that had to break to let dick-brain do his u-turn, was a double-decker bus, full of people sat on seats without seatbelts. ---
**Author:** ![hybrid\_dogfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@hybrid\_dogfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hybrid_dogfish)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/2 "2004-01-07T01:43:25Z")
You have taxis on the Isle of Man? an I thought it was so small everybody walked everywhere. 😃 Seriously though, taxi drivers routinely piss me off with their blatant disregard for road traffic laws, both as a passenger, and when I have the misfortune to come across one when I am driving. The worst example I can think of is one I was lucky enough to com across who was **watching a fucking film** on the DVD player in his car. I probably shoulda got out, but I was drunk at the time, and the realisation didnt kick in till the following morning. ---
**Author:** ![hybrid\_dogfish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@hybrid\_dogfish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hybrid_dogfish)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/3 "2004-01-07T01:49:43Z")
You wouldn’t believe I previewed that 3 times, wouldya? :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/4 "2004-01-07T02:38:33Z")
(We have electricity too) Can someone explain to me the habit they have of leaving their engines on when waiting at the taxi rank. Is there some benefit to the engine if it doesn’t get started and stopped all day? It bugs me. They sit their reading their newspapers, 7 of them, all with their engines trundling away, filling the air with noxious fumes. ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/5 "2004-01-07T02:55:36Z")
About the OP, they are like Steve Irwin, professionals at what they do. Amateurs probably shouldn’t criticize. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/6 "2004-01-07T03:10:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by county \* > \*\*About the OP, they are like Steve Irwin, professionals at what they do. Amateurs probably shouldn’t criticize. \*\* The guys at chernobyl probably called themselves professionals. I don’t care if the guy in the taxi was the world’s leading driving expert, swerving infront of a bus full of unrestrained passengers is stupid and irresponsible. If the taxi driver is a ‘professional’ then why did the bus driver have to break? ---
**Author:** ![bannerrefugee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@bannerrefugee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bannerrefugee)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/7 "2004-01-07T03:16:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by county \* > \*\*About the OP, they are like Steve Irwin, professionals at what they do. Amateurs probably shouldn’t criticize. \*\* Yeah dorks like county who are to stupid to drive a taxi might not criticize either. ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/8 "2004-01-07T03:16:26Z")
You talkin’ to him? YOU TALKIN’ TO \*HIM? ---
**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/9 "2004-01-07T03:21:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lobsang \* > Can someone explain to me the habit they have of leaving their engines on when waiting at the taxi rank. Is there some benefit to the engine if it doesn’t get started and stopped all day? It’s winter ? How many horses were pulling this bus down the track ? ---
**Author:** ![Ilsa\_Lund](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a6a055/32.png) [@Ilsa\_Lund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ilsa_Lund)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/10 "2004-01-07T03:22:13Z")
> [@](#): > > If the taxi driver is a ‘professional’ then why did the bus driver have to break? Or Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo? Did he brake, too? ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/11 "2004-01-07T03:35:30Z")
county, must you ALWAYS be such a sanctimonious twat? ---
**Author:** ![Gadfly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/aeb1de/32.png) [@Gadfly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadfly)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/12 "2004-01-07T04:08:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by county \* > \*\*About the OP, they are like Steve Irwin, professionals at what they do. Amateurs probably shouldn’t criticize. \*\* Says the man who parks in fucking fire lanes. ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/13 "2004-01-07T04:20:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by essvee \* > \*\*county, must you ALWAYS be such a sanctimonious twat? \*\* Not at all; most of the time, he’s an **amoral** twat. FWIW, taxi drivers are NOT professionals; being paid for driving does not make it a profession, it just makes it a job. Most taxi drivers are not even particularly skilled – taxi owners will usually lease to any driver with a reasonably clean record. Compare this to true professional drivers, such as truckers, race drivers, ambulance drivers, and delivery drivers, who need to demonstrate their skills to vehicle owners with a lot more to lose. Truckers and ambulance drivers are also subject to government regulations, and need to demonstrate their knowledge and/or skills to the state. ---
**Author:** ![bannerrefugee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c68b51/32.png) [@bannerrefugee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bannerrefugee)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/14 "2004-01-07T04:29:03Z")
**County What you do is, you drop back about 50 yards behind t(s) and then you drop your car down 1 gear and give it wide open throttle, while turning on your bright headlights an vigorously honking your horn** Then we would know he was a commin!!:wally ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/15 "2004-01-07T04:40:35Z")
My favourite story was how once a cab driver stopped at a deserted red light, thought for a bit, then just went on through. ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/16 "2004-01-07T04:41:23Z")
Shit, did the fucking bus hit the cab? Did the bus careen out of control? Were any bus passengers injured and taken to the hospital due to the braking and evasive manuevering if the bus? Cause if any of that happened, I must have missed it in the OP. I think I have to stand by my post unless there is additional evidence. Some of you people are kind of assholes. ---
**Author:** ![county](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce7236/32.png) [@county](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/county)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/17 "2004-01-07T04:41:23Z")
Shit, did the fucking bus hit the cab? Did the bus careen out of control? Were any bus passengers injured and taken to the hospital due to the braking and evasive manuevering of the bus? Cause if any of that happened, I must have missed it in the OP. I think I have to stand by my post unless there is additional evidence. Some of you people are kind of assholes. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/18 "2004-01-07T04:50:04Z")
**county** are you trying to be hated? ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/19 "2004-01-07T04:52:50Z")
Let’s just assume county is being serious for a moment (I think he is just trolling, no-one can be that fucked in the head, can they?) What if the taxi had broken down pulling off this move - WHAM! 50 people injured or dead. what if people were walking about on the bus - Injuries from falling. What if the bus had lost control due to the surprise of the idiot ---
**Author:** ![carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrot)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2004, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116/20 "2004-01-07T05:13:17Z")
So, **county** , evidence of physical harm must be shown for the charge of irresponsibility to stand? As for the asshole comment, I guess it takes one to know one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-idiot-taxi-driver-from-last-night/223116.md?page=2)