Taxi Driver Online

Customer hit taxi driver in row over £3


JOBLESS Christopher Cartlidge beat up a taxi driver over a disputed fare.

The 26-year-old also stole £38 from Abdul Kalik after assaulting him in his taxi, at the end of a night of drinking.

But Cartlidge avoided a prison sentence at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court yesterday after admitting to assault by beating and theft.

Cartlidge, of Kingsfield Road, Basford, previously denied the offences but entered last-minute guilty pleas on the second day of his trial last month.

Prosecutor Paul Spratt told the court that Mr Kalik had been waiting outside the former Circus Casino in Hanley in the early hours of July 14, last year.

Mr Cartlidge got into the vehicle and asked to be taken to Basford, and according to his basis of plea, the two men agreed a fare of £4.

But when the taxi arrived in Basford Mr Kalik asked for £7, and an argument ensued.

Cartlidge punched Mr Kalik several times, and when he got out of the car he took a bag containing the money.

Mr Spratt said: “Mr Kalik suffered injuries in the assault, including swelling to the face and head.

“He did not resume his duties that night, and Mr Cartlidge was his first fare of the night.”

The court heard that Cartlidge had no previous convictions.

Paul Cliff, mitigating, said: “This assault was not premeditated. There was an argument over a fare, and Mr Cartlidge lost his temper. There is no doubt that drink played a significant part in that.

“He now accepts that the violence he used against the victim was entirely unacceptable. He is remorseful for the injuries he caused to the victim. He accepts that some compensation is due.

“As far as the theft is concerned, it was a foolish decision.”

Mr Cliff said the defendant previously had a good employment record, but was currently out of work and so would have to borrow money from his father to pay compensation.

Cartlidge had been looking to emigrate to Canada, where he has family, but Mr Cliff said his client feared his conviction could prevent this.

Judge Robert Trevor-Jones sentenced Cartlidge to a 12-month community order, and told him to complete 200 hours of unpaid work.

He also ordered the defendant to pay Mr Kalik £500 in compensation.

Judge Trevor-Jones said: “Taxi drivers provide a valuable public service, but they do so in what can be a vulnerable situation, especially late at night when their customers are worse for wear for drink. On this particular night a dispute arose over a fare, and without explanation or reason you punched out several times.”

http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/Cu ... story.html

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

A common comment from more and more judges.

Should he have banged the mush up, maybe, but I do see why he didn't.

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IDFIMH

I thought MrT had been quiet!

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Well, again two sides of a story, if the driver did agree £4 and the punter told him the wrong destination then that would account for the extra £3,

Does rather sound like a new car deal to me though

How much is that car?

£11995 sir

I'll have one

Ok, so that's £11995 + £450 for the metallic + £900 for the electric sunroof + £2000 for the sat nav + 32% apr _ the VAT, just call it an even £20k sir.

Again one wonders if CCTV would have prevented this?

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

I would agree if he hadn't of robbed him. The assault you could argue was provoked, temper ect. The theft is indefensible and for that act he should of lost his freedom.

As someone with a temper, robbery would of been the last thing on my mind.

£7 quid from the bottom of Hanley, Trinity St to Basford? Once again reason to prove that drivers are overcharging. The company the operate at the casino is a1 national, they state that their prices are the same 24/7 so this fare should have been £5 tops. With the assault been unacceptable so was the price and our fantastic Stoke on Trent Council should also investigate. Drivers are at risk and do need to make a living and its becoming increasingly harder each week because of overcharging by our fellow professionals.

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Si

Do you know if they went for a kebab or dropped off a mate on the way?
No matter if it was £2 or 3 over, is no excuse for assault.

And any credibility this guy had, dissappeared when he decided to rob the driver.
Hmm I wonder when that really occured to the scrote.

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http://wingsoverscotland.com/ http://www.newsnetscotland.com/

There is no kebab house between the pick up point and destination, and if you check google maps you will see that it's two roads, down to the roundabout turn left along the a53 over the roundabout and it's about 1/2 a mile on the left. I work in Stoke and see this going on all the time, I did a job on Friday night that clocked £8 the girl was shocked and thought I was ripping myself off because the week before she paid £18. Around 95% of the Stoke drivers do this private hire and hacks. It's reasons and stories like this that our trade is becoming harder and harder

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Si

Oh and I am not saying the guy was right for the assault or theft but drivers need to look after themselves and treat customers correctly. This helps when looking after themselves as security is not the best as a taxi driver.

In the occasion the driver was clearly overcharging a customer after a fare was agreed, I'm sure someone on here can correct me but if a fare is agreed its a verble contract between the customer and the driver...

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Si

Whether a contract is formed or not is irrelevent. If the journey starts and ends within the borough boundaries then the meter should be used and the fare can be no more than the fare on the meter.
One thing on contract law, I was under the impression that for a contract to be legal one party makes an offer, the other party accepts the offer and must pay a "consideration" before the contract is legal. This consideration has to be at least £1.00

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Grandad,

Grandad, these Private Hires have no meters in and just go from a clocked mileage, in my understanding (my sister works on the base of this company) the drivers tend to agree a fare and collect the fare before they leave the casino, I also don't believe that this was the drivers first job. I mean who starts work in the early hours of the morning... I could be wrong on that one though!

The company like many others in the Stoke on Trent area have more than their fare share of 'dodgy' drivers and as the reputation around here.

Although the guy was wrong to assault and steal from the driver I think Stoke in Trent Council should also look into the fact that this driver was indeed overcharging a customer therefore breaking his badge conditions so for me and I am harsh he should lose his badge if this is proven to be the case!

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Si

The first confusion here is that at no point in the report did it say that it was private hire. It just keeps saying taxi and taxi driver. If it was private hire then the booking should have been made through the operator and the price agreed with the operator. If you are saying that the driver was just waiting at the pick up point without a booking and accepted the journey then he is bang out of order.

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Grandad,

it was £3, seems fair to me....

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Grandad the former Circus Casino now Genting has a contract with a firm called A1 Embassy, they wait on site for the next booking then book it through the radio with the operator, on a weekend they have a martial booking them in.

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Si