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Taxi Driver Fined For Allegedly Calling A Passenger A 'cripple'

11/09/2009

A taxi driver has been fined for refusing to take a passenger and allegedly calling her a cripple.

Trevor Manning, 61, told the woman to take the bus from the train station for a journey of less than a mile, a court heard.

Prosecutor Trevor Blatchford said: "He was heard referring to the lady as a cripple to another person."

Manning was fined £250 by North Devon magistrates after admitting the offence in Barnstaple.

He said: "I did not speak to her rudely."

Source; Mirror.co.uk

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Cherry picker, the cripple bit is probably true as well, must be a great guy to say to another something like...I ain't picking a cripple up to go round the corner, real pro, and thx again for making us the natural Brit look bad again, I bet you'll be one of the ones moaning about how great Britain used to be and now how the Indian's are buying it up and us out without realising it's ppl with your I can't be bothered it's not worth the hassle attitude towards things while the Indian will do the crap and profit from it, that's why they own all the 24/7 shops, they are the only ppl prepared to put up with the drunks and the skags at all hours, but they make money that we don't, and the more money you accrue the bigger player you become, your's is only a small thing, but as the pennies add up in to pounds so do the small jobs sometimes into bigger, ask yourself this, what if she'd gone with you and mentioned she was getting a cab tomorrow to go 50 miles and were you interested in taking her, would she still be an inconvenience or would you be tripping over your tongue to help then, I think we all know the answer to that don't we, if you don't get them in the car they go elsewhere next time, and you just don't know what potential good fortune may come out of it.

As Brum said, we don't need drivers like that, especially now it's really hard.

Taxi Driver Fined After Refusing To Take A Fare

Thursday, September 10, 2009

A taxi driver has been prosecuted after refusing to accept a fare.

Trevor Manning would not take a couple and their shopping from Barnstaple railway station to the town's bus station.

Manning, 61, pleaded guilty to the charge of refusing, without reasonable excuse, to drive a taxi to where he was asked.

North Devon magistrates heard that Manning, of Barn Park, Braunton, told Judith Slater and her brother Michael Watson to get a bus when they requested the journey. Trevor Blatchford, prosecuting for North Devon Council, said: "They had been shopping at Brian Ford's and had many heavy carrier bags.

"They needed to get to the station quickly in order to get a connection bus and the woman was unable to walk very far.

"Although first accepting the customers, Mr Manning slammed the boot shut and shouted when he heard where the pair wanted to go. He was also heard referring to the lady as a 'cripple' to another person."

In a letter to the court Manning said: "The person was claiming to be disabled but she ran up to me carrying her shopping. It seems incomprehensible that someone 'disabled' could do that."

Manning believed he was allowed to refuse a fare, he said, adding: "I did not speak to her rudely, or unnecessarily — that would be completely out of character."

North Devon Council said the conviction would not affect Manning's licence.

Mr Blatchford said: "This is a common problem in the railway station to this location.

"Taxi drivers have been told they are allowed to ask the passenger if they are sure they want to get a taxi — a bus is cheaper and it is not far away.

"However, there is a distinction between this, and refusing to take a passenger outright. There was no valid reason why it should have been refused."

The council sends out monthly newsletters to taxi drivers and said this rule was reiterated in the latest edition.

Manning was fined £250 and ordered to pay £40 costs and £15 victim surcharge.

The case comes just 11 months after taxi driver Brian Hawksworth was found guilty of refusing to take an asthmatic from Barnstaple railway station to her house half a mile away. Similarly, Hawksworth had suggested the passenger take a bus instead.

Source; ThisIsNorthDevon.co.uk

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