Have any of you ever broken down with customers on board?

[taxi1990]

I havent but its a big fear of mine, especially as I have big mileage on the taxi.

[Horse]

I got a puncture on the N11 once with a passenger on board.  To make it worse I couldn't get one of the nuts off so yer one had to flag down a different taxi.  While I was waiting for breakdown assistance I managed to get the poxy thing off and cancelled the chap that was on his way. That remind me, I must get a bigger and longer wheel brace. One that has a bit of leverage on it to remove those nuts that are almost welded on.

[taxi1990]

I got a puncture on the N11 once with a passenger on board.  To make it worse I couldn't get one of the nuts off so yer one had to flag down a different taxi.  While I was waiting for breakdown assistance I managed to get the poxy thing off and cancelled the chap that was on his way. That remind me, I must get a bigger and longer wheel brace. One that has a bit of leverage on it to remove those nuts that are almost welded on.

what was on the meter when it happened? did he/she pay you?

[Horse]

I was on the way to Bray and I git the puncture at the Shankill slip road. I stopped the metre while I tried to get the wheel off and when I realised I couldn't I said to her she'd be better off flagging another taxi down. She paid me and fecked off leaving me at the side of the road in the pissings of rain with a wheel brace in my hand that I felt like bouncing off my car because the nut was stuck.

[taxi1990]

I was on the way to Bray and I git the puncture at the Shankill slip road. I stopped the metre while I tried to get the wheel off and when I realised I couldn't I said to her she'd be better off flagging another taxi down. She paid me and fecked off leaving me at the side of the road in the pissings of rain with a wheel brace in my hand that I felt like bouncing off my car because the nut was stuck.

A woman wouldnt be any help anyway, trying to change a tyre.

[Belker]

I had 2, both alternator break-downs.

One was a Chrimbo evening job to the sorting office and back, the car starting acting up on the way there on a FN cash job, yer-man-o went in to the sorting office to collect his package, and then my cab would not start when he returned.
I told him to order another FN and requested no fare but he insisted on paying me a Tenner in cash, the traffic was manic that evening but he got a taxi 8 minutes away and showed me his phone cos I reckoned on seeing the bad traffic the driver would cancel. I recognised the driver Ahmed who was an old base colleague of mine and rang him telling him not to cancel and explaining the situation, Ahmed arrived 15 minutes later so at least the customer was looked after.

Thankfully I had breakdown rescue (€50) on my AXA insurance policy and even given the bad traffic they were there within 40 minutes and lifted the car and brought me and car to my mechanics yard.

[Belker]

The other was a street fare with a mature woman out to the back end of the satellite village of Carrigaline at 3am on the bank holiday Sunday night of the Oct Jazz festival, the cab started acting up along the way, meter going on/off, lights diming, Etc, but I managed to get it through Carrigaline town and halfway up the hill to her home before it eventually packed up, I asked the lady fer no fare and offered to walk with her the last 500 meters of her journey but she refused my offer and insisted on paying €20 fer her fare.

Again the AXA breakdown truck was with me within 40 minutes.

[Southside]

Ye, bought what proved to be a shitheap  mondeo from someone over in clonshaugh. Within 3 days, with someone in the car the clutch went in the left lane of the quays turning onto o connelly St. Took 90 mins for a rescue truck. Caused major traffic delays.  Then 2 days after getting the car back I was dropping someone off outside leinster house. On the way the car start heating up and windows steaming. When they got out outside leinster house, what looked like smoke was bellowing from the bonnet. Turns out there was not a drop of coolant in the car.

[silverbullet]

I havent but its a big fear of mine, especially as I have big mileage on the taxi.

About 20 years ago I had to pick up Brendan Graces's daughter from the Red cow hotel to RTE for her Dad's tribute show.

I was parked for a while before she came out. When she got aboard I turned the key...and nothing. I knew straight away it was a faulty starter. She offered to help me kick start the heap into gear. Luckily she was built like Brendan.

So, me, with a hand on the steering wheel and pushing the A-column, and her pushing from the back, down a slope we got a bit of momentum, and I jumped into the driver's seat and kicked the car into second, and hey presto the engine started up.

She was great about it, and I'm sure she regales the story once in a while.

[taxi1990]

The other was a street fare with a mature woman out to the back end of the satellite village of Carrigaline at 3am on the bank holiday Sunday night of the Oct Jazz festival, the cab started acting up along the way, meter going on/off, lights diming, Etc, but I managed to get it through Carrigaline town and halfway up the hill to her home before it eventually packed up, I asked the lady fer no fare and offered to walk with her the last 500 meters of her journey but she refused my offer and insisted on paying €20 fer her fare.

Again the AXA breakdown truck was with me within 40 minutes.

Be careful offering free fares, one day they might take you up on it. sure she was more or less home, no way would I give her a free fare.

[Belker]

The other was a street fare with a mature woman out to the back end of the satellite village of Carrigaline at 3am on the bank holiday Sunday night of the Oct Jazz festival, the cab started acting up along the way, meter going on/off, lights diming, Etc, but I managed to get it through Carrigaline town and halfway up the hill to her home before it eventually packed up, I asked the lady fer no fare and offered to walk with her the last 500 meters of her journey but she refused my offer and insisted on paying €20 fer her fare.

Again the AXA breakdown truck was with me within 40 minutes.

Be careful offering free fares, one day they might take you up on it. sure she was more or less home, no way would I give her a free fare.

On the extremly rare occasion that I do not complete my quest/fare, then no way would I request payment.
Both parties have a duty of care to each other, while sometimes the customers do not uphold their side of the agreement, I always do if it is I or my vehicle that is at fault.

[watty]

Once, years ago, got a flat tyre opposite the taxi rank outside Heuston.  Had 4 fat Americans on board going to Kilmainham so there was was no way I could limp on.  Didn't charge the Americans.  But it took forever to get the wheel off and I'm sure the drivers on the rank got a good laugh out of me.  None of the feckers came to help a comrade either 

I was on the way to Bray and I git the puncture at the Shankill slip road. I stopped the metre while I tried to get the wheel off and when I realised I couldn't I said to her she'd be better off flagging another taxi down. She paid me and fecked off leaving me at the side of the road in the pissings of rain with a wheel brace in my hand that I felt like bouncing off my car because the nut was stuck.

A woman wouldnt be any help anyway, trying to change a tyre.

Well, she coulda mopped the rain off his brow or held up an umbrella?

[Dr. Martin Gooter Bling]

when i started drivin i rented an octavia shitbox that was'nt being maintained. 4 full blown breakdowns in 18 months. went to get reverse one night i grinded the gears by accident. when i put it in first there was a loud knocking noise. gearbox fucked. hadda coolant warning light that kept going on and off. told him about it nothing was done. car overheated and refused to start. had this loud vibrating noise when i kicked the clutch pedal. at the biting point the whole car shuddered like fuck. gearstick concreted up. the clutch imploded. told him about it. nothing was done. there was an horrendous peggy dell in the car when i turned the heat on. told him about it nothing was done. brought the car to a mechanic. he undid the cabin filter and it was like the contents of a full hoover hit the floor. scorching hot weather. when i turned the ice cold air on fuckin hot air blowed at me. told him about it. nothing was done. ac needed a fuckin recharge is all. problem is short term greed. the MPO wants to bleed the rental project completely dry for themselves at the expense of their own car. kills them to havta look after their own car. don't understand it. maybe it's not meant to be understood.

never had one breakdown with any car i owned. during the lockdown lovely summer day. friday it was. i put a car interior refresher can in the car and put the ice cold air on circulate. when i came back to the car the red battery light was on. it's so hot maybe i put the car under a lorra stress i thought. it disappeared on and off that friday but came back on late on saturday. i had a chap on a drug run from darndale back to greenwood. darndale was kinda buzzin for some reason with lotsa headbangers out on the street. turns out it was the night the gangster robbie lawlor was shot dead and they were all out celebrating. pulled up outside a gaff and your man said kill the engine it'll wake the neighbours up. when he came back the car would'nt start. bollocksssssssss. lucky i had my noco battery booster in the boot and i connected it and juiced the battery enough to limp home. that was the closest to a breakdown i had.

[Shallow Hal]

I think Octy had a nervous breakdown....does that count?

[Cool Boola]

With all the abuse and violence over the years, I never broke down in front of a customer. It only happened when the car would not start after sitting in the rank for over 1 hour.