It appears there was a racial element to this incident, and also another race-related incident (presumably) across at another crime hotspot, namely at the multi-story blocks at the bottom of the Hilltown, which I've mentioned millions of times on here before.
In fact, in just two or three days there were three different incidents reported by the Courier from the same block and the street at the bottom of the block - that's the Hilltown Terrace mentioned below. The other two were police in riot gear carrying out a raid, and a man taken to hospital after being assaulted in one of the lifts, and then collapsing in the street mentioned below, which is just outside the block.
Meanwhile, sandwiched between it all the Courier also reported some luvvies who had came to that exact same spot to make some sort of film a while ago, and said the location was 'awesome'
](./images/smilies/eusa_wall.gif "Brick wall")
https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/enterta ... n-reviews/Anyway, the Courier has gone to town with this, and there are lots of photos etc, and this is just a tad overlong.
Dundee taxi drivers demand self-defence lessons at emergency meeting after ‘surge’ in racist abusehttps://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/53 ... ist-abuse/An emergency meeting was held by the Dundee City Taxi Drivers Association on Monday after two incidents where drivers were forced to contact police.Dundee taxi drivers have demanded self-defence lessons amid claims of a surge in racist abuse from passengers, The Courier can reveal.
Speaking at an emergency meeting held by the Dundee City Taxi Drivers’ Association (DCTDA) on Monday, several said there had been a rise in racism towards drivers due to growing tensions over immigration and asylum seekers.
The gathering came after two incidents in which taxi drivers were forced to contact police in the city in the last week.
A 38-year-old woman was charged after an alleged assault and robbery on Hilltown Terrace in the early hours of Monday morning.
And a 22-year-old man was due to appear in court after allegedly carrying a bladed weapon in a taxi and in a Dundee multi.
Qaiser Habib, president of DCTDA, called the meeting at Sizzlers takeaway on Guthrie Street on Monday to offer advice to drivers in the wake of the incidents.
About 60 people, including drivers, representatives of taxi firms, and city centre police officers attended.
Several taxi drivers spoke to The Courier at the event but many were afraid to disclose their names due to fears about how speaking out could impact their licenses.
They called for additional safety measures in taxis, such as Perspex screens or panic buttons connected to the police control room.
One driver suggested self-defence training videos to help drivers prepare for when things go wrong.
He said: “I wonder if the license authorities could provide training videos on self-defence in these situations where you are sitting in a car, where someone might grab your hand.
“How can you easily remove your hand and get away?
“It is very important because not everyone knows how to do this.
“We are trained in first aid and customer services, but in these situations, drivers don’t know if they can use self-defence.
“How can you avoid these conflict situations?
“If you can watch a video provided by the licensing authority, it could show scenarios you can easily escape from.
“The clips could show, if someone grabs you, this is how to defend yourself and then get away.
“If someone is holding a knife and holding your hand, are you reading his mind? No, you can’t read his mind.
“The training would help people get away in that situation.
“It is very important to show people how to defend themselves in that situation.
“It would stop people getting into fights, and show them how to remove themselves from the situation.”
‘The first question they ask is: ‘Where are you from?”One driver claimed he had been targeted for his race and religion by “every second customer”.
He told The Courier: “You get good and bad customers in every trade.
“In taxis, as soon as they (the customers) see a coloured guy, the first question they ask is: ‘Where are you from?’
“You tell them, I’m not from Mars, I was born here, I am Scottish.
“They then say: ‘No, where are you from?’
“What do you mean, where am I from? I live in Dundee.
“They’ll then ask where my parents are from, and I’ll say Pakistan, and then they tell me I’m not Scottish.
“They then speak about me being Muslim and what’s happening around the world.
“What’s been happening the past few months, mostly down in England, is crazy.
“You can see the same wave continuing here as well.
“It is getting worse because when I started taxis, I felt Dundee was easier-going, and people were more friendly.
“It has deteriorated over the years, and at this point, every second customer who jumps in the car has a prejudice against you.
“I don’t know why, if it’s just the colour of my skin, but they think they have the upper hand if they see a brown guy, a black guy.”
The driver, who has been working in taxis for a number of years, added: “If you ask me things about my religion, I won’t answer them because they just want to contradict it.
“It annoys me if I say something isn’t true, they will talk about something they have seen happening.
“Then they blame everything on religion.
“Religion has nothing to do with it, skin colour has nothing to do with it.
“We just want to get by and make a living.
“I’ve been doing it (driving taxis) for a long time, and sometimes I will just ignore it.
“Obviously, if you try to ignore it, I will tell them I’m not a religious person or that they shouldn’t be asking me.
“I try to change the conversation, ask how their day has been, what they have been up to.
“When I come to work, I try to stay in a happy mood all the time, but if there are one or two rogue customers who are abusive or aggressive, it affects that; it changes my mood.
“It comes to a point where you’ve had enough.”
Dundee taxi driver’s fears over surge in racial abuseAnother driver said the abuse had taken its toll mentally on him and claimed he had been dealing with it for a decade.
He added: “If this happened once a day, maybe you could hold it in.
“But imagine it was happening with every passenger asking you the same stuff.
“There will be a moment when you lose the plot, and the moment you lose the plot, that’s when everything turns against you.
“They will think you are extreme, there is no understanding that we have been having to put up with this b***s**t for 10 years.
“It’s constant. There will come a point, everyone has limits.”
He also believes a change to the way complaints against taxi drivers are handled is needed.
He said a minor complaint could result in a suspension, leaving a driver unable to work for weeks or months while it is investigated.
The driver said: “We are lone workers, and any complaint, even the smallest, like a claim we have taken the wrong route, can result in us losing our license.
“Some people will also make up claims to avoid paying their fare.
“But reporting something like that can backfire.
“If someone complains to licensing about us, we will lose our badge.
“That can be two or three months off the road until we get that back after some meetings.
“A taxi driver could lose his house, his car, his life, with one single false complaint.
“The solution is that the complainer needs to prove it has happened, and then the driver can be suspended.
“There needs to be a criterion of seriousness; even the smallest complaint can result in a suspension.
“If a taxi driver has done something wrong, of course, their license should be taken away, but there should be a transparent inquiry before that happens.”
Calls for ‘zero-tolerance’ approach to taxi driver abuseRyan, a representative from City Cabs, repeated concerns raised in the meeting around police response times.
The officer attending the emergency summit said comments would be raised with Police Scotland bosses.
Ryan said: “Everyone deserves the right to go to work in a safe environment without the fear of harm.
“As the council has previously noted, there should be a zero-tolerance approach to violence.
“Whether that is someone going for a money grab or somebody who is racially motivated.
“It’s not tolerated within the trade, and Police Scotland has taken action.
“However, in the past, response times have not been up to standard, and that can be the difference between life and death.”
Speaking after the meeting, Qaiser said: “If anybody in our trade is in trouble, we are always there to support.
“This is all about our mutual efforts to control these types of events.
“Dundee is a peaceful city, and we don’t want to tolerate any racial abuse or attacks.
“We don’t want anyone to disrespect our profession.
“We are here to support each other, and we always want a quick response from the police and from the council.”
Police Scotland and Dundee City Council take driver safety concerns ‘seriously’Chief Inspector Rachael Burns, Local Area Commander with Police Scotland, said: “We are aware of the concerns raised by the Dundee City Taxi Drivers Association.
“We recognise the important role taxi drivers play in the community and we take seriously any concerns about their safety while carrying out their work.
Officers respond to all calls based on the level of risk and threat presented.
“We are committed to ensuring that all members of the public, including taxi drivers, feel safe.
“We would continue to encourage anyone who feels at risk to contact us immediately on 999 in an emergency, or 101 for non-emergency matters.
“We will continue to engage positively with the Association to discuss any concerns and provide reassurance.”
A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “We take the issue of ensuring taxi driver safety at all times very seriously.
“Earlier this year, alongside Police Scotland we backed Unite the Union’s ‘No Excuse for Abuse’ campaign, which called out dangerous and unacceptable behaviour towards taxi drivers.
“Any such instances are reported to the police.
“Taxi drivers who are licensed to operate in the city can report any safety concerns they have to us directly.”
Login
Register
FAQ
