TAXI "BILKERS."

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1945, 31 December 1913, Page 8

TAXI "BILKERS."

THEIR LITTLE WAYS. It will come as a shock to those of us who pay a penny like men. for a 'bus rido to learn that 44,000 of our fellowcitizens whom wo envy as they whizz past us in tasis ill tho course of a year aro enjoying free rides (commented the "Daily News" recently). Thero are about 11,000 licensed hackney vehicles in London, and, according to Mr, L. Russell, of tho London Cab Drivers' tJnion, every taxi-driver or cabby gets "bilkcrl" on an average four times a year, and each "bilk" represents a 'oss in actual money or time of about Bs, Or 10s. t« tho man or the company. There an many classes of "bilkers," chief among them being the expert wlio knows restaurants' with multiple exits. Then there is the racecourse "bilker/' the victim of luck rather than intentional eloign. He takes his guests by taxi from a West Etid restaurant to the races, commands the driver to wait till the last race, and that's tho last seen of him.

A famous figure of y«ars ago _ Was "Maitdie." Her love for a free jaunt in a cab went so far as to prompt her to put herself in 'evening dress every night and choose is different doorstep from which to hail a cab—this was before tho taxi days, She would have a ui.ee drive round, deposit hers-elf at the door of the. Countess Somebody, and give an address where tho fare was to ho collected in the 'morning. "You've driven Maudio to-night" was tho invariable comment of cabmen when one of them mentioned'that lie had to call the next morning for the fare of a lady who had left her purse oil the piano.

"Women aro not such 'bilkers' as men," declared Mr. Russell; and Jjts reCarded it as quite a coincidence that the cases of two women who took unpaid taxi rides to Ipswich and Wickhsni Market should have appeared simultaneously in yesterday's papers. Apart from tlio well-known nlac«s in London and the racecourse, Brighton scorns to ho the mnst jwmiiar "bilking" place. But Mr. Russell does not ijoliovo tha.t the custom has increased sijico the vogue of tlio taxi-mb, though tlio averhro loss on a "bilk" undoubtedly has! The victimised drivers think that com-mon-senso will approve their remedy— power to hand the "bilker" wor to the police for detention until his name and address have been verified,