So, last Saturday I opted to nip across the road from the Adelphi and jump in a taxi home with these guys. (As in Aireline, not some random chaps.) Whilst the wait was a matter of seconds, which is always appreciated, the fare wasn't quite as fair as I'd have hoped. For a start, in spite of the presence of a meter, it turned out that he'd not switched it on from the start of the journey.
Now, in my experience, when you hop a private hire from a random spot (which you shouldn't do, obviously) you agree a price before arrival. It's inevitably more, because you haven't booked, and often you're better off, and safer it has to be pointed out, to get a marked city cab. In this instance, since I'd gotten the taxi from the rank, I assumed foolishly we'd be on the meter and above board! Not true.
When we arrived at my house he declared a price, which was at least a few quid more than it should have been. I asked if the meter had been on, he said no, and I asked why. No answer, so I asked why so much. Apparently fuel prices and some other crud of an excuse. I had to fetch the excess from my house, and didn't even get a thanks. Very annoyed, and I doubt I'll bother with these guys again.
Such a shame, given my previous experience, but this has certainly marred my opinion of them. No excuse for not putting the meter on, especially since I wasn't told from the start. read more