Discussion
According to the 'Reporting people to HMRC' thread. It's common practice for cab drivers to have a daily takings target and go home when they've reached it. So on days when takings per hour is low, and they are presumably burning a lot of miles driving round looking for customers. they work long hours. But on days when takings per hour are high they work fewer hours.
This would explain the difficulty of getting a cab when it's raining, but isn't this completely perverse? Why not maximise average income per hour by making the most of profitable days and take afternoons off when customers are scarce so it isn't costing as much?
This would explain the difficulty of getting a cab when it's raining, but isn't this completely perverse? Why not maximise average income per hour by making the most of profitable days and take afternoons off when customers are scarce so it isn't costing as much?
Every couple of years or so, in the pre-Uber age, The Economist used to pen an article puzzling over the seemingly non-rational* behaviour of taxi drivers re: fare seeking/earnings/etc.
Unfortunately, I don't recall they ever reached a conclusion as to why this was the case...
The good news is that you’ll probably not have to wait long for PH's resident of Pseuds Corner (aka furloughed Private Eye hack with a vivid imagination) to confirm why London cabbies behave(d) in this way.
*at least from an economist’s point of view
Unfortunately, I don't recall they ever reached a conclusion as to why this was the case...
The good news is that you’ll probably not have to wait long for PH's resident of Pseuds Corner (aka furloughed Private Eye hack with a vivid imagination) to confirm why London cabbies behave(d) in this way.
*at least from an economist’s point of view
jw673 said:
Every couple of years or so, in the pre-Uber age, The Economist used to pen an article puzzling over the seemingly non-rational* behaviour of taxi drivers re: fare seeking/earnings/etc.
Unfortunately, I don't recall they ever reached a conclusion as to why this was the case...
An idea dazzling in its simplicity - ask one?Unfortunately, I don't recall they ever reached a conclusion as to why this was the case...
Dr Jekyll said:
According to the 'Reporting people to HMRC' thread. It's common practice for cab drivers to have a daily takings target and go home when they've reached it. So on days when takings per hour is low, and they are presumably burning a lot of miles driving round looking for customers. they work long hours. But on days when takings per hour are high they work fewer hours.
This would explain the difficulty of getting a cab when it's raining, but isn't this completely perverse? Why not maximise average income per hour by making the most of profitable days and take afternoons off when customers are scarce so it isn't costing as much?
A mate of mine does it and he has a weekly target and once achieved, he's done for the week. He starts on a Monday morning at 6am or so and do 12, 13 or 14 hour days depending on how busy it is. He doesn't need to drive around looking for fares either as the rank he uses have 'zones' and he knows when the regulars are coming near their pick up times so he just drives into the zone and sits and waits. This would explain the difficulty of getting a cab when it's raining, but isn't this completely perverse? Why not maximise average income per hour by making the most of profitable days and take afternoons off when customers are scarce so it isn't costing as much?
He's not worked past a Thursday lunchtime since he started and for the past 3 years he's never worked a weekend.
He's one of the most 'street-savvy' people I've ever met. If there's a quicker/cheaper/easier way to do something he'll find it.
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