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[jereboam]

Had a bad couple of days at work.  Fed up with the to**ers I'm working for, haven't had any training for years, CV doesn't look good and I'm OLD.  

Been doing computer stuff for 40 years, can't do anything else, can't retire, 'cos I haven't got any pension or savings and I have got a mortgage.

So, is taxi driving an option?  How many hours would I need to work? What sort of car do I need? How do I get a job?  I haven't a clue.

All information/advice/mockery gratefully accepted.

[kris9128]

friend of mine earning in excess of 900 a week. take out tax and fuel. still a reasonable wage. he does long hours tho and works nites in manchester town centre at weekends.

[zirk]

I know a couple of Black Cab drivers in London (green badge licence) who do the hours and can do up to 500 a day minus the bits.

Mini cabs in this area arround or up to 200 gross.

Not so sure about outside London thou.

[Mr Skrunts]

Rotherham is over populated with taxi's and are often parked up waiting for fayres all over the place.

I have annother mate in Southampton making good money, but has a lot of hassle with the lager louts and non paying runners, also had a steel plate fitted in the back of his seat after an attempeted stabbing.

Seems the money is in the city centres, and at night arround the pubs and clubs every where else.

Money during the day outside the cities seems to be shopping and school runs up here.  Half a dozen guys up here have jacked in in allready.

[Taxi_Driver]

It will vary on depending where you live as to what you can earn....also how many hours you wanna do........ive just done 13 hours. (minus an hour for lunchbreak)

Best option is go and see your local licensing office and ask about the different options..ie private hire or hackney, if hackney does the vehicle have to be a london cab? (new there about 30k and Swindon authority will license them for 10years) if private hire how old can the vehicle be (swindon is 5 years) but different authorities have different rule.

Then go an have a chat with a few drivers at a hackney rank....see what they reckon about earnings/etc Also visit a private hire office and have a chat with them about earnings etc Also ask what kit they use.......I hate working off a radio, I think you end up constantly calling for work and having to jot down addresses unless you have a good memory! The firm I work for has data units (touch screen jobbies) in the cars......all jobs are sent down to that.....a lot easier to use.....one of it features are the maps that get sent down with each job (its not sat nav) they show the pickup point and drop off point if your unsure of the locations.

So really nobody can really answer your question, without being a cab driver in your location.....

But i would guess to make a decent living at it you would need to do 60+ hours a week.

Tho some private hire firms employ you and pay you by the hour......they provide the vehicle and put fuel in it.......you get an hourly wage regardless of what you take.

One last thing........most cab firms let you rent a vehicle of them...this might suit you.......

Me thinks youve got some investigating to do  

Good luck and feel free to ask other questions either in this thread or in PM's  

[mars]

Cannock town centre during the the day, the taxi queue is a mile long. Bad luck if after an hour in the queue you only get a £2.50 fare off some old person who lives just round the corner but can't walk very far and you have to rejoin the queue. Around 11pm at night there are people waiting for taxis but usually a couple of fights on the taxi rank most Fri/Sat evenings. Not a nice place to wait for a cab at night!

[Field Marshal Dr. Opti]

My brother in law is a taxi driver.Hates it.
Has been assaulted several times,so best not to work when the clubs close.Sadly this is where much of the money is made.
Drunks beiing sick in the back seat is an occupational hazard.Avoid if possible.

[jereboam]

I know a couple of Black Cab drivers in London (green badge licence) who do the hours and can do up to 500 a day minus the bits.

Mini cabs in this area arround or up to 200 gross.

Not so sure about outside London thou.

Definitely not up for London!  I live 80 miles away.  Even though I'm a Londoner, I couldn't go back there.  Anyway, it takes a couple of years to do "the knowledge" if you want a black cab licence.  I can't start riding a moped at my time of life!

My cousin is a black cab driver and has been for 40 years or more - he makes good money but he only works nights, on contracts.  He rents out his cab to a couple of other guys during the rest of the week.  Not my league, I'm afraid.

My nearest town is Ipswich, so perhaps I'll have a look at some of the minicab offices - they often used to have "owner/drivers wanted" notices up, but since I rarely go into town, I don't know whetrher they still do.

So really nobody can really answer your question, without being a cab driver in your location.....

But i would guess to make a decent living at it you would need to do 60+ hours a week.

Me thinks youve got some investigating to do  

Good luck and feel free to ask other questions either in this thread or in PM's  

You're not kidding!  I wasn't going to go into this lightly.  I'm prepared to do the 60 hours, and I'm prepared to do them at unsocial hours, but I'm worried about the pubs and clubs chucking out time, because I don't think I'd be very good at dealing with drunks.  But presumably you have to put up with that to bring in the money.  

I'd need to net £500 a week to make it worthwhile - is this feasible for a beginner living out in the sticks?

[Taxi_Driver]

I know a couple of Black Cab drivers in London (green badge licence) who do the hours and can do up to 500 a day minus the bits.

Mini cabs in this area arround or up to 200 gross.

Not so sure about outside London thou.

Definitely not up for London!  I live 80 miles away.  Even though I'm a Londoner, I couldn't go back there.  Anyway, it takes a couple of years to do "the knowledge" if you want a black cab licence.  I can't start riding a moped at my time of life!

My cousin is a black cab driver and has been for 40 years or more - he makes good money but he only works nights, on contracts.  He rents out his cab to a couple of other guys during the rest of the week.  Not my league, I'm afraid.

My nearest town is Ipswich, so perhaps I'll have a look at some of the minicab offices - they often used to have "owner/drivers wanted" notices up, but since I rarely go into town, I don't know whetrher they still do.

So really nobody can really answer your question, without being a cab driver in your location.....

But i would guess to make a decent living at it you would need to do 60+ hours a week.

Me thinks youve got some investigating to do  

Good luck and feel free to ask other questions either in this thread or in PM's  

You're not kidding!  I wasn't going to go into this lightly.  I'm prepared to do the 60 hours, and I'm prepared to do them at unsocial hours, but I'm worried about the pubs and clubs chucking out time, because I don't think I'd be very good at dealing with drunks.  But presumably you have to put up with that to bring in the money.  

I'd need to net £500 a week to make it worthwhile - is this feasible for a beginner living out in the sticks?

Well you can if you wish.........you might have noticed it was summat after 9pm for my first reply.........i wont work after 9pmish for that very reason......i'll take em to the pubs, i aint taking them home...

£500 is a reasonable amount to earn after expenses.......
Drivers that tell you they earn £1k a week........probably arent telling the rent they pay for the radio (i pay £105/week rent)........fuel they use ( im now using about £140/week)......car expenses (ie 4 tyres this month £200).....insurance (omega is about £1k/year) etc

Oh and what you have left you have to give to dear old GB  

[stuart30]

ok this might be way off topic and of no intrest but have you considerd security...if your not concerned about putting the hours in and dont mind working unsociable hours then it might be worth a think on.

I never intended too stay in the security industry (had visions of the old night watchman type thing) but 5 years on and im still here,now its requlated its much better than the old days.

Earning wise last year i earnt just over 27k...and thats basicly just sitting on a nice clean site (large office) and surfing the net,Playing poker and ummmm thats about really.

Can be a mind numbing job but put the time you have free too good use and it can be very productive,few of the guys i know are studying others just watse there time on poker like me.

[rickyboy]

ok this might be way off topic and of no intrest but have you considerd security...if your not concerned about putting the hours in and dont mind working unsociable hours then it might be worth a think on.

I never intended too stay in the security industry (had visions of the old night watchman type thing) but 5 years on and im still here,now its requlated its much better than the old days.

Earning wise last year i earnt just over 27k...and thats basicly just sitting on a nice clean site (large office) and surfing the net,Playing poker and ummmm thats about really.

Can be a mind numbing job but put the time you have free too good use and it can be very productive,few of the guys i know are studying others just watse there time on poker like me.

Got to agree, I'm a delivery driver and a security guard looks like the greatest job ever.  You would not believe the amount of security guards who sleep all night - I need to wake up several on my run.  Paid to sleep...  Heaven!  

[stuart30]

ok this might be way off topic and of no intrest but have you considerd security...if your not concerned about putting the hours in and dont mind working unsociable hours then it might be worth a think on.

I never intended too stay in the security industry (had visions of the old night watchman type thing) but 5 years on and im still here,now its requlated its much better than the old days.

Earning wise last year i earnt just over 27k...and thats basicly just sitting on a nice clean site (large office) and surfing the net,Playing poker and ummmm thats about really.

Can be a mind numbing job but put the time you have free too good use and it can be very productive,few of the guys i know are studying others just watse there time on poker like me.

Got to agree, I'm a delivery driver and a security guard looks like the greatest job ever.  You would not believe the amount of security guards who sleep all night - I need to wake up several on my run.  Paid to sleep...  Heaven!  

Paid to Sleep...Play PS3....Poker...Internet surfing oh and not forgetting the time i had *cough* my wife vist me on site....couldnt stop thinking im getting paid to do this.

Generaly on a 15 hour shift id sleep maybe 6/7 hours....not too bad.

[HolyCount]

ok this might be way off topic and of no intrest but have you considerd security...if your not concerned about putting the hours in and dont mind working unsociable hours then it might be worth a think on.

I never intended too stay in the security industry (had visions of the old night watchman type thing) but 5 years on and im still here,now its requlated its much better than the old days.

Earning wise last year i earnt just over 27k...and thats basicly just sitting on a nice clean site (large office) and surfing the net,Playing poker and ummmm thats about really.

Can be a mind numbing job but put the time you have free too good use and it can be very productive,few of the guys i know are studying others just watse there time on poker like me.

Got to agree, I'm a delivery driver and a security guard looks like the greatest job ever.  You would not believe the amount of security guards who sleep all night - I need to wake up several on my run.  Paid to sleep...  Heaven!  

Don't end up on CIT duties tho --- did that once for a few years, got out when a mate was killed for an empty cash container.

[MaxV6]

you'll also have to pass some sort of test and licence referral usually a bit more than a simple  "can you drive?" and "is it clean?"       Wycombe district council had it's own version of "the knowledge" , which hackney and joint licence drivers (hackney & private hire ) had to do, but Private hire only had an easier ride, as they were assumed to be able to look it all up in a map before leaving the office...  a bit mad IMHO, but there you go...  

and if using your own car, most councils require more stringent testing than MOT  a "certificate of compliance" it used to be called in my day....  only carried out by nominated testing centres...  

it was never just a case of "turn up and drive"


consistency is also a bit of a non event....    the first thing people drop when saving money, is getting a cab , they'll walk , or havea designated driver, or even, god forbid,  get a bus, if they're on a budget drive... and with the current price increases almost daily, i'd say we're due such a phenomenon...

[stuart30]

ok this might be way off topic and of no intrest but have you considerd security...if your not concerned about putting the hours in and dont mind working unsociable hours then it might be worth a think on.

I never intended too stay in the security industry (had visions of the old night watchman type thing) but 5 years on and im still here,now its requlated its much better than the old days.

Earning wise last year i earnt just over 27k...and thats basicly just sitting on a nice clean site (large office) and surfing the net,Playing poker and ummmm thats about really.

Can be a mind numbing job but put the time you have free too good use and it can be very productive,few of the guys i know are studying others just watse there time on poker like me.

Got to agree, I'm a delivery driver and a security guard looks like the greatest job ever.  You would not believe the amount of security guards who sleep all night - I need to wake up several on my run.  Paid to sleep...  Heaven!  

Don't end up on CIT duties tho --- did that once for a few years, got out when a mate was killed for an empty cash container.

Yeah and money is shockingly poor.