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Taxi Riders: Show Some Respect

Imagine someone came into your workplace completely intoxicated, puked on your floor, and used the services you provided them without so much as a thank you.
That’s a typical Friday night for a London cab driver.
Let’s face it — there’s often tension between students and cab drivers, and more often than not, fault lies with the students.
The drinking aspect is a given –– one glance at how rowdy Richmond Row gets on a weekend proves it. Put a few of those ramped-up students in the cramped, enclosed space of a taxi and it’s a recipe for trouble.
It’s something you are much less likely to see on a London bus, where there’s more distance between riders and the driver, not too mention any unfair treatment would be in front of a dozen or so other riders. In the back of a cab, alcohol-induced disrespect is far more common.
Some students don’t even need the excuse of alcohol to give attitude to cab drivers, however. Whether it’s racism, pretension or just common ignorance, there’s a certain stigma many of us attach to cab drivers. We’re all fortunate enough to attend university, and for some, this is reason enough to look down on them.
Yet many cab drivers are quite well educated. Some come from abroad and have degrees that unfortunately don’t qualify them to work in Canada. Regardless of their personal situation, all cab drivers are deserving of respect.
Of course, it’s also a two-way street. Cab drivers can often be testy themselves, although that isn’t surprising after a long night shift. However, they do need to provide a certain level of customer service. The service industry and dealing with people is their job, after all.
As small business owners, it’s in cab drivers’ best interest to maintain a good relationship with Western students since we make up a large portion of their customer base.
In an ideal world respect would obviously come from both sides of this equation –– but, unfortunately, history tends to repeat itself. So how can this issue be solved?
Perhaps less tolerant cab drivers could refrain from working busy weekend nights to avoid drunk students –– but that’s where the best money is, and when the most people need rides.
Perhaps London cab drivers can take cues from those in bigger cities and begin using glass barriers between the front and back seats –– except those would further increase the divide between students and cab drivers.
No solution, it seems, is perfect. So it just comes down to us.
Take it upon yourself to be polite to your next cab driver; in the wake of the transit strike, you’ll probably have lots. Engage them in a conversation. Tip them fairly. And please, don’t puke on their floor.

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