OT. Taxi driver rage

"Peter B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In tonights local rag a piece about a taxi driver who beat a passenger
with
a wheel brace after he critised him for allegedly exceeding the speed
limit
and running red lights.
The judge didn't jail him on the grounds he'd lose his job.

Do we really want taxi drivers who assault passengers that object to being
driven through red lights?

Am I odd because I think any respectable company would sack him anyway for
beating up a customer?

(Well, ok, I might be odd for other reasons ;-)
Pete.

Do you know how many of thise guys have past convictions? Quite a lot, I
heard. To go to those lengths, the passenger must have really wound him up.
Always two sides to a story ...

"Peter B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In tonights local rag a piece about a taxi driver who beat a passenger

with

Quoted message said:

a wheel brace after he critised him for allegedly exceeding the speed

limit

Quoted message said:

and running red lights.
The judge didn't jail him on the grounds he'd lose his job.

Do we really want taxi drivers who assault passengers that object to being
driven through red lights?

Am I odd because I think any respectable company would sack him anyway for
beating up a customer?

(Well, ok, I might be odd for other reasons ;-)
Pete.

==============
He might be self-employed / owner-driver - quite common.

Cic.

elyob [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

Do you know how many of thise guys have past convictions? Quite a lot, I
heard. To go to those lengths, the passenger must have really wound him up.
Always two sides to a story ...

Probably. But I don't care how much he was wound up, he has no right to
attack the passenger (Except in self-defence) and the law has no place
quashing a sentence because it would make him unemployed.

OK. We don't have all the facts but...

He is a bad driver (He was being criticised for his driving)
He is violent (His reaction to criticism was to beat up the critic)

Doesn't really seem like the sort of person whose job we should be
protecting!

Jon

"Jon Senior" <jon_AT_restlesslemon_DOTco_DOT_uk> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

elyob [email hidden] opined the following...
Doesn't really seem like the sort of person whose job we should be
protecting!

Agreed, but I certainly have the street sense to not have a go at him. I'd
just say "drop me off here", and complain to the local council licencing
dept and his bosses *after* the event.

elyob [email hidden] opined the following...

Quoted message said:

Agreed, but I certainly have the street sense to not have a go at him. I'd
just say "drop me off here", and complain to the local council licencing
dept and his bosses *after* the event.

I always feel that I should say something (And often do if I'm on a
bike!). I usually chicken out because I don't fancy an argument with the
man responsible for taking me somewhere. As a general rule, I avoid
taxis because I find it embarrassing to be associated with that level of
driving.

Jon

Peter B said:

In tonights local rag a piece about a taxi driver who beat a
passenger with a wheel brace after he critised him for allegedly
exceeding the speed limit and running red lights.
The judge didn't jail him on the grounds he'd lose his job.

Do we really want taxi drivers who assault passengers that object to
being driven through red lights?

Am I odd because I think any respectable company would sack him
anyway for beating up a customer?

(Well, ok, I might be odd for other reasons ;-)
Pete.

Here's an idea: take down the details of any taxi driving dangerously and
report them (anonymously if necessary) to your local council regardless of
whether you are a passenger or not.

Simonb said:

Here's an idea: take down the details of any taxi driving dangerously and
report them (anonymously if necessary) to your local council regardless of
whether you are a passenger or not.

That works on London Black Cabs, if one cuts you up or whatever, shout
their number (it should be clear on the plate on the rear of the cab) at
them, repeat it a few times if necessary and threaten to report them.
They back off so fast it's funny. Because to a licensed cabbie it's not
funny. They only need a few unconnected complaints (even if they're not
upheld) over the course of a few years and things can get messy when
they renew their registration.

"Peter B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In tonights local rag a piece about a taxi driver who beat a passenger with
a wheel brace after he critised him for allegedly exceeding the speed limit
and running red lights.
The judge didn't jail him on the grounds he'd lose his job.

I bet he blew any chance of getting a tip!

On Tue, 24 Aug 2004 22:54:15 +0100 someone who may be Jon Senior
<jon_AT_restlesslemon_DOTco_DOT_uk> wrote this:-

Quoted message said:

I don't care how much he was wound up, he has no right to
attack the passenger (Except in self-defence)

On uk.railway it has been claimed that attack (well assault) and
self-defence are mutually exclusive. I have been told that I need to
seek psychiatric help for stating that this is wrong and that an
attack is an attack, but it may be excused by the concept of
self-defence, two separate things.

How strange that someone could get so wound up in a discussion as to
make a fool of themself in this way.

Quoted message said:

and the law has no place
quashing a sentence because it would make him unemployed.

It tends to only be motorists who are let off in this way.

--
David Hansen, Edinburgh | PGP email preferred-key number F566DA0E
I will always explain revoked keys, unless the UK government
prevents me using the RIP Act 2000.

"Peter B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

In tonights local rag a piece about a taxi driver who beat a passenger with
a wheel brace after he critised him for allegedly exceeding the speed limit
and running red lights.
The judge didn't jail him on the grounds he'd lose his job.

Do we really want taxi drivers who assault passengers that object to being
driven through red lights?

Am I odd because I think any respectable company would sack him anyway for
beating up a customer?

(Well, ok, I might be odd for other reasons ;-)
Pete.

"You'll never guess whose skull I smashed in the in the back of this cab once..."

Dave

"Peter B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In tonights local rag a piece about a taxi driver who beat a passenger

with

Quoted message said:

a wheel brace after he critised him for allegedly exceeding the speed

limit

Quoted message said:

and running red lights.
The judge didn't jail him on the grounds he'd lose his job.

According to a follow-up story in tonights paper the council licensing
committee are going to review his licence and his former employer said they
don't want someone like that working for them.
So he may have escaped jail but has lost his job, perhaps not to be employed
in that field again, and has had to pay his victim over £1000 in damages.
From his perspective he may have preferred jail, at least he'd have been
fed.

Pete

David Hansen said:

On uk.railway it has been claimed that attack (well assault) and
self-defence are mutually exclusive. I have been told that I need to
seek psychiatric help for stating that this is wrong and that an
attack is an attack, but it may be excused by the concept of
self-defence, two separate things.

Indeed, how foolish to take note of the old adage "Attack is the best
form of self-defense". :-)

Jon

Adrian Boliston said:

"Peter B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In tonights local rag a piece about a taxi driver who beat a
passenger with a wheel brace after he critised him for allegedly
exceeding the speed limit and running red lights.
The judge didn't jail him on the grounds he'd lose his job.

I bet he blew any chance of getting a tip!

I got a taxi in Edinburgh a few years ago that took the most complicated and
long winded route. I gave him a tip, I told him he should get a map.
--
Mark

1x1 wheel, 3x2 wheels & 1x3 wheels.

"Peter B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In tonights local rag a piece about a taxi driver who beat a passenger

with

Quoted message said:

a wheel brace after he critised him for allegedly exceeding the speed

limit

Quoted message said:

and running red lights.
The judge didn't jail him on the grounds he'd lose his job.

I read once in Metro that a taxi dirver beat up a cyclist, left him
paralysed for life, but the judge didn't send the violent [censored] to jail on
those same grounds - he'd loose his job!!

That's justice for you! Unfuckingbelievable!!

Vivian
-------
"We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school".
No Surrender

"Jon Senior" <jon_AT_restlesslemon_DOTco_DOT_uk> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I always feel that I should say something (And often do if I'm on a
bike!). I usually chicken out because I don't fancy an argument with the
man responsible for taking me somewhere. As a general rule, I avoid
taxis because I find it embarrassing to be associated with that level of
driving.

Jon

I once told off a taxi drive because he stopped at the traffic lights inside
the bicycle box. He said "so, are you a cyclist, uh?". Yup, I said, and
before he would start the anti-cyclist ranting, I said that I don't normally
jump red lights and that I do have insurance (the main point for them
against cyclists). He was quite nice, and while I was his passenger, he
stayed off the bicycle boxes.

But then, am a lady, and am pretty....! ;-)

--
Vivian
-------
"We learned more from a three minute record than we ever learned in school".
No Surrender

In article <[email hidden]>,

Vivian said:

But then, am a lady, and am pretty....! ;-)

JPegs or ....

There's a break with tradition. I thought it was customary for all our
ladies in urc to describe themselves as (variants on) fatbirdonnabike.

<gd&r>

--
Not me guv

"Vivian" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

That's justice for you! Unfuckingbelievable!!

Err. You earlier described yourself as a lady, next thing we know is that
you'll be uttering the H word ;-)

Pete

On Wed, 25 Aug 2004 19:11:11 +0000 (UTC), "Mark"
<[email hidden]> wrote (more or less):

Quoted message said:

Adrian Boliston said:

"Peter B" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In tonights local rag a piece about a taxi driver who beat a
passenger with a wheel brace after he critised him for allegedly
exceeding the speed limit and running red lights.
The judge didn't jail him on the grounds he'd lose his job.

I bet he blew any chance of getting a tip!

I got a taxi in Edinburgh a few years ago that took the most complicated and
long winded route. I gave him a tip, I told him he should get a map.

Same thing happened with me in London.

I guess my Scots accent made the driver assume that I hadn't driven
that particular route every week for months...

Still, a radio call to H.O. got the fare reduced considerably.

--
Cheers,
Euan
Gawnsoft: http://www.gawnsoft.co.sr
Symbian/Epoc wiki: http://html.dnsalias.net:1122
Smalltalk links (harvested from comp.lang.smalltalk) http://html.dnsalias.net/gawnsoft/smalltalk

Simonb said:

Here's an idea: take down the details of any taxi driving dangerously and
report them (anonymously if necessary) to your local council regardless of
whether you are a passenger or not.

Sounds OK Simon.

Eight or nine years ago I phoned up a mini-cab company as I was more
than a bit worried about the driver who had just given me a lift to my
local. I thought he was drunk. I knew the owner of the taxi company -
I used that firm regularly at the time - so wasn't worried about
complaining about one of his men. (The drivers of that company are
self-employed, FWIW.)

It turned out that in the few minutes it had taken me to pay the
driver, buy a pint and make the phone call the driver had had a near
fatal accident.

I later found out that the driver was in the early stages of a stroke
when I was in the car and his condition had become far more serious
soon afterwards.

Of course, none of the above excuses the behaviour of the driver
mentioned by Peter B.

James