Diaries Magazine

That Escalated Quickly... I Mean, That Really Got out of Hand Fast

Posted on the 14 May 2011 by Susiemcbeth @susiemcbeth
Yesterday I called up the taxi company at 9am and pre-booked a cab for 12pm that day to take me down to the doctors. I explained in detail where I live (as always) and gave them my phone number in case they had trouble finding the turnoff, as previously some drivers from the company have been unsure where I live. So 12pm rolls around with no taxi and no call from a driver asking me what turn off’s to take. After giving it a generous 10 minute wait for traffic, I called up the taxi company and this is pretty much how the conversation went:
Me: “Hi, I called up earlier and booked a taxi for 12:00pm and I just wanted to check that it is on its way”
OLTO (Obnoxious Lady Taxi Operator): “Erm yeah the taxi is right there”
Me: “I’m sorry, you must be mistaken there is no taxi here, I am standing outside my house and there is no one here apart from me”
OLTO: “He is definitely there, look around”
Me: “Really there is no one here. Where exactly is he?”
OLTO: “He is outside your house in Pecket Well”
Me: “I don’t live in Pecket Well; I live in Heptonstall just before Slack top”
OLTO: “that’s not what you said to me when you booked your taxi last night”
Me: “I didn’t book my taxi last night; I booked it this morning at 9:00am, when I gave you exact directions, offered you a postal code and my phone number”
OLTO: “Well you definitely said Pecket Well”
Me: “I most certainly did not”
OLTO: “You did, otherwise I would not have sent the driver there”
Me: “I don’t want to argue with you, but really I didn’t. Why on earth would I book a taxi for myself from my home address but from a completely different village from where I actually live?”
OLTO: “Well maybe you were confused?”
Me: “About where I live, I don’t think so. Look seriously I would not have asked for a taxi from the wrong village, I know where I live, and really this doesn’t sort out the problem that I have no taxi. How long will it take for the driver to come and pick me up from the correct address?”
OLTO: "Well he has another job now, so it will be half an hour to an hour. But you said Pecket Well when you called last night"
Me: "I didn’t call last night. I called this morning and I didn’t say Pecket Well I said where I live. Can you not get someone out sooner as this is your mistake for sending the driver out to the wrong address?”
OLTO: “You did, and no. You called last night and asked for a taxi from Pecket Well”
Me: “Oh my god, seriously... give over. At least take some responsibility”
OLTO: “You did, do you still want a taxi?”
Me: “I am not arguing with you, I just can’t believe this is actually happening. If this was the first time it has happened I can understand, but it is not and the time it happened before you were the one that took the job booking. Why can’t you just take some responsibility? It is not my fault you are incompetent and for some reason can’t listen long enough to take a booking properly”
OLTO: “You called last night”
Me: “I did not call last night, I called this morning, and I have phone records to prove it. Can I speak to a supervisor, this is just too ridiculous and I don’t want to argue with you anymore. I am pregnant, hormonal and the last thing I want to be doing right now is arguing with someone who can’t even do her job properly”
OLTO: “He’s on holiday. The taxi will be with you in 45”
Me: “Forget the taxi; I am going to book it with someone else”
Okay, so towards the end of the convo I started to majorly melt down. I just felt so annoyed. I could feel my hormones surging like crazy and she was just so irritating, her voice was high pitched and grating, and seriously repeatedly telling me that I called the night before when I didn’t and booking a taxi from a completely different village from where I actually live just pushed me right over the edge! In retrospect, I should have hung up a lot earlier. The second taxi company I called managed to pick me up straight away with no drama.
This was my first proper hormone filled melt down in pregnancy... I hope there won’t be many more.

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