KIDNAPPINGS, headbutts, public urination: Welcome to Melbourne's taxi service.
These are just some of the scores of complaints made by Melbourne's hotels, staff and guests between January 2012 and April 2013:
URINATING DRIVER
"Picking up my daughter and she is faced with driver urinating into the gutter using the open passenger door as cover … Disgusting I have not even seen this in third world countries." - Mother
'GO F--- YOUR FACE'
"When he refused to leave (after blocking the hotel cab rank) he told me 'what are you going to do about it'.
I then took down his number and he sarcastically said 'are you going to come find me?'.
I responded that I would report him to the VTD. It was then he was yelling at me in front of our guests and other members of the public to 'go f--- yourself' and "go f--- your face'.
This was done repeatedly until I called security and he left." - Hotel staff
HOTEL STAFFER HEADBUTTED
"(A taxi driver) - who had previously been banned from the hotel - attended the premises this morning.
It is alleged that (the driver) took a passenger's bag and when the hotel staff and passenger asked for the bag back, as the passenger did not want to travel with this driver, (the driver) headbutted (hotel worker). The matter was reported to VicPol." - Grand Mercue Hotel
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
"The driver then stated, "You did not pick anyone up tonight?". I said "No, I was there hanging out with my friends.".
The driver said, "So you got no d--- tonight?" I then answered back "I was just seeing my friends."
The driver then started going with comments such as "Do you sleep with random guys?" and "It's a shame you have to go home by yourself tonight with no sex".
I then changed the conversation to his culture however … the driver brought the conversation back to my sex life ... I felt very uncomfortable." - 21-year-old girl catching a taxi home by herself
WOMAN ASSAULTED
"I caught a taxi home … at approximately 2am. The driver engaged in conversation regarding my marital status/sexuality.
Conversation continued throughout the journey. Upon paying with my Eftpos card and leaving the taxi the driver left the vehicle, running around to me.
I was against the passenger side of the vehicle when the driver attempted to kiss me inserting his tongue on two occasions and pushing his groin up to mine.
I managed to push him off me and leave. I have contacted police regarding this incident." - Lone female passenger
'I'LL SMASH THE PHONE - AND YOU TOO'
"I asked the driver if he had a booking and his response was "yes, an airport job" when I asked him the name of the booking he said (deleted).
I asked for (deleted) surname and he said "what the f--- does it matter (deleted) take your pick".
I asked him if he would take the passenger or not and he said "not unless she's going to the airport".
I took out my iPhone and went to take a photo of his license plate so I can make a complaint later and he got out of the car and said "I'll smash that f---ing phone and you too you stupid p----.
When I asked him to repeat himself he walked towards me and pushed me in the right shoulder. I called him a hero and told him I'd report him and to leave and his response was, "f--- off d---head.
All of this happened in front of a fellow member of staff and three lots of hotel guests. This is not a good look for our hotel and even worse for Melbourne taxis as two of the three guests were from interstate." - Bell services manager Swanston Grand Mercure
WHAT METER?
"We were collected from the Melbourne Airport … by a Silver Service taxi (number deleted) … The taxi driver failed to turn on the meter. At arriving at our hotel … He said the fare costs $62. I said that was ridiculous and the fare should be around $40. He told us that was only the price to go from the city to the airport but coming the other way … involved a loading in the tolls along with a premium fare calculation due to the fact of the Formula 1 GP so there was a "major event" fare load." - Visitors to the Melbourne Grand Prix
UNSOLICITED ABUSE
"The driver of a 13cabs vehicle (registration number deleted) u-turned abruptly outside the Doutta Galla Hotel. He pulled up illegally in the road, got out of his taxi and proceeded to start verbally abusing me because of a fare he picked up earlier who had been sick in his vehicle. He started walking towards me very quickly. I told him to back off. He kept walking and yelling abuse at me. I told him he should get back in his car right now and keep driving. As I said this, a police car pulled up at the intersection … When he saw them he ran back into his car and sped off, driving in the bicycle lane through a red light and cutting the cars off that were about to pass through the intersection. The police took off after him. I do not know if they caught up with him … This kind of behaviour is completely unacceptable from anybody." - Hotel staff at the Doutta Galla Hotel
NO FARE GO
"As we turned left onto Russell (St) the taxi driver noticed a group of three Asian people with suitcase at the hotel at QV. The driver pulled over towards them to ask where they were going, to which one man replied the airport. The taxi driver then turned to me to ask me if I would get out as they were a bigger fare or would I be prepared to offer him a bonus." - Passenger
'LET US OUT NOW!'
"Maxicab was hailed at the Sebel Hotel … Albert Park. The driver took a longer route than necessary … (and) passed the destination. We politely asked for him to deliver us … as per the original request … He insisted that we get out, in the rain, where we were. We again said that we were happy to pay whatever it cost and to please deliver us to the opposite side of the road, one block closer … He then, very suddenly, put his foot on the accelerator and swerved left into the side street. One girl screamed 'Please stop the car! Let us out NOW!' She continued to scream frantically, joined by this stage, by all seven of us … He continued VERY fast and erratically up to the next corner, abruptly swerved left, then accelerated into the Punt Rd oncoming traffic and halted in the right hand lane, again leaving us trapped and unable to alight safely. At this stage we did not know where or whether he was going to let us out! We were all shaking, fearful, traumatised and the girls were sobbing. As the lights changed he swerved radically over to the curb … As we were gathering ourselves the driver jumped out and grabbed my son by his clothes, demanding that he hand over the money. My son yelled at him to let go of him…" - Mother, son, daughter and their four friends
AIRPORT RUN 'DISGRACE'
"Taxi (deleted) picked up myself and my wife at the Hatton Hotel in South Yarra around 10.30am. He drove out of the city, crossed the West Gate Bridge, then turned around and headed back into the city, without explanation. He finally dropped us at the airport at noon, charging $90. (I had paid $60 for the same trip a few days before) We missed our 12.25pm flight to Perth, and were downgraded from business to economy class. We suffered significant anxiety and stress, and the lack of communication from the driver was a disgrace." - Tourists
KIDNAP FEARS
"My party of three passengers required to go from the Hilton on the Park to Southern Cross to catch a connecting Skybus to the airport. The porter at the hotel hailed a taxi … When we reached Southern Cross Station my fellow passenger, Mr (name deleted) questioned why an additional surcharge ($2) had been applied to the fare. The driver stated this was a booking fee. As the taxi was hailed from the cab rank in front of the hotel we knew that this fee was fraudulent. When Mr (deleted) stated that the additional fee was not valid the driver swore as us and said he was going to drive us back and began to peel away from the kerb (no destination specified). At this stage all three of us passengers feared for our safety, and I believed I was about to be held hostage or kidnapped over a disputed charge. Only the swift action of Mr (deleted) pulling up the handbrake to prevent the taxi from driving away prevented us being taken away. I do not accept ever being placed into such a situation, particularly over $2 and fraudulent practises." - Tourists
DOORMAN THREATENED
"Driver at rank at Crown Promenade Hotel refused a guest's fare. When asked to leave by the doorman he did so then returned a couple of minutes later. The doorman again asked him to leave, when the driver asked hi what time the doorman was going to finish as he was going to come back and 'fix him up'" - Crown Promenade Hotel
DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION
"At approximately 1615 Silver Top maxi taxi (registration deleted) pulled into our driveway to pick up a guest. When he saw the guest was in a wheelchair he refused and said he was only going to the airport" - Westin Hotel doorman
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