Union Street Night Time Taxi Ranks

[Guffer09]

In September last year, night time taxi ranks were introduced. This meant that after 11pm on Friday and Saturday nights, taxi ranks would move from the regular spots of Back Wynd, Chapel Street etc, and move out onto Union Street until 5am.

Illuminated pillars and line markings on the road indicate the sites of the ranks, which are supervised by transport marshals. Moving the ranks onto Union Street was aiming towards the security benefits of better lighting and CCTV coverage, which benefits the public and taxi drivers. There are wider pavements too, which has helped to reduce the amount of jostling and reduce violence which can erupt as a result.

Now the night time rank at Diamond Street is moving and will be located outside South Gilcomstoun Church, near Summer Street. The other ranks are at St Nicholas Churchyard and outside Soul Bar. The times of opperation have now changed to midnight through to 5am.

What do folk think about these ranks in general?

[Scootray]

They are a place to stand to wait for a taxi. What else is there to say?

[Guffer09]

Was it a good idea to move them to Union street in the first place, are they working well? .....

[Scootray]

To be honest, if I want a taxi, I flag one down myself. Screw standing in a queue freezing your nuts off when you can catch a taxi driver who wants his next fare ASAP.

[Adam Easy Wishes]

Do you work for the council?

[paranoid]

Do you work for the council?

I'd say student doing a dissertation...

[Adam Easy Wishes]

I'd say student doing a dissertation...

Cunt either way then.

[The Kiosque]

I'll tell you what I think:

I think Aberdeen should buck the trend and do away with 'ranks' and all the negative connotations that the word 'rank' implies.

Instead, we could be the first city to have 'Taxi Awesomes' which will have roofs and comfy seats and plasma tvs with a wide selection of movies and someone mixing mojitos while their colleague makes fresh, tasty but affordable Mexican food and ten pen bowling lanes and maybe a log flume.

That's what I think.

[Le Stu]

I'll tell you what I think:

I think Aberdeen should buck the trend and do away with 'ranks' and all the negative connotations that the word 'rank' implies.

Instead, we could be the first city to have 'Taxi Awesomes' which will have roofs and comfy seats and plasma tvs with a wide selection of movies and someone mixing mojitos while their colleague makes fresh, tasty but affordable Mexican food and ten pen bowling lanes and maybe a log flume.

That's what I think.

Or they could just open a decent cheap Mexican restaurant within walking distance of the taxi rank. Or actually anywhere in Aberdeen.

[Guffer09]

Cunt either way then.

I know you are but what am I

[Adam Easy Wishes]

i know you are but what am i

lol

(88888)

[Soda Jerk]

The wardens manning the ranks are a good idea. When they are down backstreets, even though there is a queue, its every man for himself, and you get the chancers who cut in, or try to. The taxi drivers dont care, as they just want someone in and paying, so they aren't going to sort out the "I've been queing for an hour" from the "I've been here the whole time, honest" lot.

Location doesn't really matter though. As long as the wardens have some kind of authority to mow down the cock socks who try and butt in. Batons and mace and shit.

[Afro Droid]

The wardens manning the ranks are a good idea. When they are down backstreets, even though there is a queue, its every man for himself.

No kidding, I have two mates who've been hospitalised (in seperate incidents) while waiting in the old taxi rank on Belmont street. One of them was treated to a a broken sternum. Both incidents the result of people trying to cut the queue...

[Lemonade]

No kidding, I have two mates who've been hospitalised (in seperate incidents) while waiting in the old taxi rank on Belmont street. One of them was treated to a a broken sternum. Both incidents the result of people trying to cut the queue...

Me and my mate were standing at the Back Wynd rank one time, and this complete nutter walked up behind us, headbutted my mate in the back, then without breaking stride, kicked over a sign and starting booting fuck out of a big metal wheelie bin, all right in front of a load of coppers sitting in a van, who promptly arrested him.

I think the ranks are better out on the open streets which are well lit and marshalled and have a lot of police driving past. Plus the pavements are wider so you don't have folk trying to squeeze past you all the time.

Not that I ever take taxis like, I live on Crown Street.

[pogofish]

Getting rid of the taxis might have been a better idea IMO, or simply making them pick-up from booked destinations only.

Sticking the ranks on to Union St may have reduced the instances of bampots starting on folk in the queue but it has also increased the amount of danger on the roads as numerous taxis screech up and u-turn to get to the most profitable rank, whilst pissheads of all description staggger, stride and fall about the road as they try to reach the rank or surmount the near impossible task of actually getting into a vehicle.

As for the wardens - They don't have any power to do a whole lot about any trouble and I do tend to rail aginst the idea that we should need to feel "protected" by some quasi-official private goon or other when out in public.

[Fraser Mac]

i think the night taxi ranks are utter gash, from a drivers perspective.

ive been down union street at night on the weekends, every taxi driver pulling u-turns in the middle of the road. holds up traffic, pisses me off.

[discotron]

Why are all the taxi marshalls (sp) short, skinny blokes? Surely they should be 6-foot stocky bouncer types? No wonder every drunken arsehole skips the queue - if nighclubs can have these fear-inducing behemoths on their doors,why can't the taxi ranks employ massive scary bastards too? Pah.

[framheim]

I'll tell you what I think:

I think Aberdeen should buck the trend and do away with 'ranks' and all the negative connotations that the word 'rank' implies.

Instead, we could be the first city to have 'Taxi Awesomes' which will have roofs and comfy seats and plasma tvs with a wide selection of movies and someone mixing mojitos while their colleague makes fresh, tasty but affordable Mexican food and ten pen bowling lanes and maybe a log flume.

That's what I think.

i vote for taxi awesomes!

[Guffer09]

Taxi Awesomes

[I'm Your God Now]

Couldn't give a whistle of a fuck, I walk home.

You're all welcome to walk home with me in return for fellatio.