Our right to quiet
Given that talking on a cell phone while driving is widely considered to be dangerous, when I heard a report on 680am news about “Gabby Cabbies” I thought it was a safety concern that was being underlines. I was mistaken. What is being discussed (and I wonder how this became a big news item without a death or something else to make people focus on it) is that we, as customers of the taxi, have the right to silence in a cab. One person said something like:
“I really don’t need to hear all the personal details about the driver’s life…”
while another said that:
“If I truly wanted peace and quiet I would drive myself.”
Since the entire topic of safety wasn’t brought up in the report at all I too will make the mistake of looking past it and just talk about the annoyance factor.
I have only experienced this “gabby cabbie” thing a handful of times. Usually, (whether the driver is either on the phone or needs to make one while I am in the car) they apologizes, and then ask if I would mind if they continued the call or if they could dial one for a minute. I wonder personally how many cab drivers are subjected to loud, annoying and probably rude customers talking on cell phones in their car as if the driver has no feelings whatsoever about what they are forced to hear.
Related posts:
I have recently heard a news report about the same topic or perhaps the same one.
The reported ended by saying in a joking manor, if your cabbie is gabbie, he/she is risking their tip.
Tipping a cabbie, On a personal note didn’t know that was customary.
Secondly, as a right to a quite ride is a regional bi-law.
Who came up with this law had the time to get it passed? Not to mention, how would we every have the proof or time to fine or prosecute the cabber.
In my mind the only focus should be on safety. Sure people do talk on cellphones during traffic but they shouldn’t. However, those professionals (Cabbies, bus drivers, train drivers, pilots etc) should not be listening to Ipods or chatting away on a cell up to their ear.
To make the issue about my RIGHT to a quiet ride.. sigh. Sounds like a whine doesn’t it? Sure if you have a headache etc or some other reason yes you should be able to talk to the cabbie and maybe they had problems in the past so adding it as a RIGHT was necessary… but it still sounds pretty pathetic.