Taxi Driver Online

Dundee taxi drivers under attack from hooligans


A taxi driver who told of how he came under attack from rock-throwing yobs has said he is not the only cabbie to be targeted.

James Burke said he is lucky to be alive after a rock thrown at his vehicle in Dundee hit the door panel only inches from his head.

A second rock thrown at his taxi smashed the rear passenger window just minutes after he had dropped off a fare.

He said: “If the first rock had been another two inches to the right I wouldn’t be here today.

“A sizeable rock, not just a stone, smashed the rear window on the driver’s side.

“And it’s lucky that no one was sitting in the back or they would have been hit by the second rock which smashed the window.”

A third rock thrown at his car caused another major dent in the driver’s door.

James, 49, said the incident happened as he was driving along Pitkerro Road about 9.30pm.

And he believes his wasn’t the only taxi to be damaged in rock- throwing incidents that evening.

He said: “My taxi was one of four others that I am aware of that had windows smashed by youths throwing rocks during a two-hour spell.

“This problem has been going on for years but recently it has got very much worse.”

Frances Dickson, co-owner of Tele Taxis, which owns James’s car, said the firm regularly reports incidents to the police.

She said: “On Wednesday night, my taxi was badly damaged and I know of others that night which also had windows smashed.

“James was so lucky that he wasn’t badly hurt. There’s also the cost — this latest damage will cost me around £1,000 as well as the time the taxi has to be off the road.”

David Love, of Euro Windscreens, confirmed another taxi driver had been to see him only hours before James, also with a smashed window.

A Police Scotland spokeswoman said officers were investigating reports of stone-throwing at North Erskine Street and Pitkerro Road.

She added: “In addition to the damage caused to vehicles, the implications of throwing any type of missile at a moving vehicle is very serious indeed, for anyone within that vehicle or anyone nearby for that matter.

“Those who get involved in this reckless behaviour may view it as a bit of harmless fun, but they should consider the potential consequences of their actions.

“Fortunately no one has been injured, but the outcomes could have been far worse.”

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/news/ ... s-1.853826

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

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

Dundee taxi in second stone-throwing drama


A taxi driver who had his window smashed by stone-throwing yobs has been targeted for the second time in 24 hours.


The Tele previously told how James Burke felt lucky to be alive after a rock thrown at his cab hit the door panel only inches from his head. A second rock thrown at his taxi smashed the rear passenger window during the incident last Wednesday on Pitkerro Road.

But it has emerged that on Thursday night, James’s taxi was hit again by a stone. Although on this occasion the damage was limited, he claims the problem is widespread.

And that’s a view backed by other city drivers. Chris Elder, taxi branch representative of the union Unite, was contacted by two of his members after they read the Tele story.

He said: “I have heard from other taxi drivers that they have been on the receiving end of having stones, rocks and other missiles thrown at them on numerous occasions. Somebody is going to be seriously hurt if this allowed to continue.”

James said: “Last Thursday night, only hours after my taxi was mended, I was back out in the same area when a group of youths started throwing stones at my taxi again. This was a younger group than the first one and this time it was stones that were being thrown rather than rocks but this shouldn’t be happening at all. This is a problem that taxi drivers throughout Dundee are having to cope with several nights a week.”

Fellow taxi driver James Colligan, 50, had the rear window of his taxi smashed when it was parked outside his home in Fintry.

He said: “I reported the incident to the police but, unfortunately, I didn’t hear it happening so I wasn’t able to give them very much to go on.” His taxi was off the road for a week waiting to be mended, meaning the financial cost to him was around £650. He added: “I am disgusted — this is becoming a serious problem for taxi drivers in Dundee.”

Police Scotland confirmed it was investigating.

A spokeswoman added: “Throwing any type of missile at a moving vehicle is very serious indeed. Those who get involved in this reckless behaviour may view it as a bit of harmless fun, but they should consider the consequences of their actions. Fortunately no-one has been injured, but the outcomes could have been far worse.”

http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/news/ ... a-1.855214

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