Comedian Adam Hills calls out taxi driver's 'unacceptable' act: 'Do better'
It's not the first time that the comedian has highlighted bad behaviour at Australian airports.
Australian comedian Adam Hills has once again hit out at taxi drivers after claiming he witnessed an elderly woman being refused a ride at Melbourne Airport.
The TV host detailed the incident in an impassioned post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday afternoon. It has since been viewed more than half a million times. “I just saw an elderly woman in a walking frame refused a taxi from Melbourne airport cos it was too close,” Adam said. “F**k this shit. Taxi drivers gotta do better. This time I took the plate and am reporting.”
In October last year, Adam said he was forced to withdraw cash and offer double a cab fare after being twice rejected by taxi drivers at Sydney Airport because the journey was too short.
'Taxis from Melbourne airport are terrible'
Numerous other Aussies agreed with Adam, with some saying drivers refusing to take fares “happens all the time” at Tullamarine airport. “I live in Sunbury and have a guide dog — double no from a lot of cabs,” one man responded to his online rant.
“The taxis from Melbourne airport are terrible. We were scammed a further $30 on the metered fare from airport to CBD,” another person agreed. “Taxis complain about competition from Uber, but they’re not doing themselves any favours.”
Someone else said they never understood why taxi drivers would decline a ride, especially over the holiday season. “Surely this time of year of all times, demand is high enough that a quick turnaround results in more fares,” they added.
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It is illegal for taxi drivers to refuse ride
Others were quick to point out that the move is illegal — which Blair Davies, CEO of the Australian Taxi Industry Association, confirmed to Yahoo Finance last year.
“If it’s a short fare, the customer is entitled to that fare. You can’t blame the inconvenience of the distance, even in these economic times,” Davies said. “We have a few drivers who are acting rogue and they are besmirching the reputation of all the good drivers who will take you to a destination that’s not so ideal for them.”
Melbourne Airport responded to Adam’s complaint, and agreed that such behaviour “is not acceptable or good enough”. “To help us investigate the matter, are you able to please email us further details, including the number plate.”
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