Are some London cabbies becoming too arrogant, asks Jenny Jones

All the above. I've never met a group that felt so entitled. I don't cycle in London, merely commute by train and walk 10 minutes from Fenchurch St. Plus lunchtime outings.
Even in that minute interaction they excel in their lawlessness. They routinely jump the lights at the junctions I walk through. I see no end of horrific manouevres.
Only 2 days ago I called out one through his open window, blatantly driving along texting, trying to hide his phone down by his knee, but so obvious. Yes, Mr grey Metrocab driver, you.
I thought I was gonna have a set to with one last year outside the station. Road semi-blocked by a parked lorry outside a building site, the site banksman told him to drive up the pavement! Nice! As he drove into my leg, I shocked him by asking what he thought he was doing. 'He told me to'. That's fine then - any other laws you'll break on demand? Wah wah wah - obviously I was in the wrong, expecting to walk on the pavement unmolested by cars.
Wankers. Professional drivers! Pah. I have more driving qualifications than any of them. Professional navigators - yes. Professional arrogance - yes - a job requirement.

I think a lot of people are voting with their wallet (i.e. Uber). Black cab fares in London are a joke and generally only for the rich, corporate account or tourists. Competition in healthy and Uber is a brilliant concept that makes black cabs look archaic.

A day doesn't go past that I don't see a cab go through a red light "a bit late", U-turn somewhere ridiculous, or cut across all and sundry with no signals to get to a fare, I ride 15 minutes each way. Uber your f-ing arse.

The roads have changed but not the drivers on them.

Cabbies pull over for a fare without indicating or using mirrors. They see not the cyclist.

Cabbies uturn as if they own the road. It is their entitlement to make a dangerous move.

Cabbies stop wherever they want, even if dangerous to other road users. Gone is the time they'd tell the fare to walk on or cross the road.

Drivers have had the roads to themselves for far too long. Hence the anger now they have to share them and the perception that others don't belong on the road.

Previously their breaking of the law went unpunished. Now it puts others in danger. Speeding. Going through red lights
Parking where they like. Not focusing on the road. Sheesh. Wow. Anyhow, you get the picture. And yes I'm a driver. And yes the above is a small but sizable minority.

The times are a changin'

Can't we all just get along.

Commuting daily in London, I have regular interactions with Black cabs.

I've been hit by three now from behind whilst waiting at a red lights where they've just driven into the back of me on purpose. Two times they've been aggressive with abuse about why am I on the road, not paying road tax and in the primary position.

I had countless punishment passes, almost a daily occurrence, even if there's an open lane next to them. I get abuse shouted at me for no apparent reason, and the majority it appears feel their indicator are optional not mandatory.

Overall, they're pretty poor drivers. They should have their monopoly revoked immediately.

Quote "I also have sympathy for cabbies. It’s true that black cabbies have been treated badly over Uber being allowed in London"

I don't. I've worked as a cabbie and the fares charged by London black cabs are frankly ridiculous. The drivers must earn an absolute fortune.

Uber represents a change in technology and offers more choice, a better service and cheaper fares to customers.

A few years ago (2006) I was stuck at Heathrow for 8 hours due to a cock-up with the coach service. Keen to get home I asked several drivers in the black cab queue how much to drive me back to Poole. Most of them wanted £300 although one or two were grudgingly prepared to do it for £200. (NB: from Poole the going rate for Heathrow at the time was £75). The return journey of 180 miles would have taken no more than 3 hours and they'd have used about £20 of fuel. Greedy bastards. I have no sympathy whatsoever with them.

The thing that annoys me most about black cabs is that there are simply too many of them. I can step out of my office at lunchtime and pretty much guarantee that half off the vehicles waiting at any set of lights will be black cabs? Do we really need so many of them? Personally I would halve the number and I can imagine it would have a huge positive impact on congestion in central London, as well as improving revenues for those that remain.

As for using black cabs - never. I'd rather walk or use public transport. They cost more per mile than any other form of transport I can think of.

Something I found very curious this week, was how many people on the Daily Mail website laid into the taxi driver in the silly Boris Johnson spat. Viewed as a product, the black cab seems to be losing popular support across a broad range of demographics. Even Steve McNamara is now bleeting on about PR and winning over the public.

Not behaving like complete dicks towards the public whilst they're not a passenger would be a good place to start.