You come across them every day in the street, on the highways, sometimes even in your own apartment if you share the life of one of them: you guessed it, we are talking about taxi drivers and not bailiffs. But we still don’t know a lot about them, sometimes surprising, unusual or simply unknown things that we invite you to discover right away without having to watch the complete films. Taxiwhich saves you a lot of trouble.
1. A taxi can only refuse customers in three cases
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For a taxi to refuse you entry to its vehicle, you or one of your companions must represent a particular danger or be completely drunk, one of your luggage must be too large or could damage the car (such as a collection of circular saws, which can be boring to lug around, you have to admit) or that you have an animal with you. He can also refuse if you ask him to travel outside his route area or if he is quietly sleeping at home, for example.
2. A taxi must always display its price list
You should be able to find a sheet in the vehicle with the fares listed on it and the driver should also keep you informed if your journey changes to night fare during the trip. So no surprise at payment to have to pay for a race that costs more than the car in which you are traveling.
3. Taxis may well take you on unnecessarily more expensive routes
In the jargon we call it “taking the road to Shanghai”, and we generally reserve it for annoying customers or tourists. So be careful, not all taxis are big bastards who practice this kind of stuff, but it does exist.
4. Taxi drivers don’t have to wear seat belts (but you do)
You’ll think that’s a bit silly since they’re in their car all the time, but it’s the bare truth: Drivers are not required to wear seat belts. This exception to the law was put in place after a driver was attacked by a customer who tried to strangle him with his belt, so it seems more logical.
5. It’s mainly a male job
If you are wondering why you have hardly ever seen a female taxi driver, it is for the simple and good reason that women represent a tiny part of taxis in large cities: 1% in New York and 5% in Paris. , it’s clearly not huge since women represent nearly 7% of taxis in France.
6. The price of the license varies greatly depending on the city
If you thought you were going to pay the same price for a taxi license in Paris or Bordeaux, you’re kidding yourself (never understood the logic of this expression). In the capital the license amounts to 240,000 euros and up to 400,000 euros in Nice. Better to go to Marseille, it’s only 100,000 balls. But the more expensive it is, the more it allows you to ride in unusual taxis and that’s cool.
7. A taxi sells his license when he retires
See it as an investment that allows them to work for several years until the time of the keel where the taxi can resell its license. Obviously you can’t take one in a small town at 50,000 euros to resell it in Nice where it costs 400,000 euros, don’t take people for idiots.
8. Taxis very often serve as ambulances
You can totally use a taxi to reach the hospital center if you feel sick, these drivers are authorized to do so. This is called “seated transport of people”, which means that the transport in question does not require the patient to be lying down or supported by caregivers until his arrival at the medical site.
9. You don’t have to get in the taxi at the head of a queue
You might think that you have to respect a certain order when you are at a taxi rank and take the first in line, but nothing obliges you to do so. You can absolutely get into the one you want even if you see the other drivers yelling and eating their steering wheels in displeasure.
10. You have the right to give your itinerary to a taxi and they must respect it
If you know the way home and want to avoid getting fleeced, you have every right to guide the taxi and it must follow your route. Unless you ask him to take forbidden directions or to rush into the canal for example, then he has the right to say no.