Taxi Driver Online

Multiple sclerosis woman 'refused taxi' for short journey



A woman with multiple sclerosis has said she was refused a taxi to a meeting of the MS Society because the journey was too short.

Barbara Stensland, 43, from Cardiff, went to Carmarthen on 5 August.

When she tried to get a taxi from the railway station to the venue, less than one mile (1.6km) away, she was refused.

Carmarthenshire council's senior licensing officer, Justin Power, said: "We will investigate this matter and take any necessary steps."

Ms Stensland told BBC Radio Cymru's Post Cyntaf programme it took her more than an hour to reach the venue.

She said: "I went to the first taxi in the queue outside the station, I told him where I wanted to go.

"He laughed. I thought he was just joking along because I knew it was a fairly short distance.

"When I said 'seriously, can I get in the taxi?' He said 'no, I'm not taking you.' So he pointed me helpfully in the right direction and told me to walk."

Urtha Felda, from MS Society Cymru, said: "We have heard of people having trouble getting taxis.

"If somebody's still walking you can't see that they're disabled - if someone's in a wheelchair it's really obvious.

"It's not obvious, so I would say to people - don't make judgements."

Multiple sclerosis

◾There are an estimated 4,900 people living with it in Wales

◾It is an incurable neurological condition. Most people are diagnosed in their 20s and 30s

◾The protective layer surrounding nerve fibres in the brain and spinal cord - known as myelin - becomes damaged. The immune system mistakenly attacks the myelin, causing scarring or sclerosis

◾The damaged myelin disrupts the nerve signals. If the process of inflammation and scarring is not treated, the condition can cause permanent neurodegeneration

source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-37098572

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

a mile is ok I did one today for one of our regulars less than half a mile to get her to the bus stop to catch the bus to visit her husband in the nursing home it meters all of £2.40 but she needs the transport and there is no way i would ever think of refusing and today it just goes to show as i dropped her off someone else was waiting at the bus stop faced with a 1 and a half hour wait for the bus to Deeping st James so I picked up a nice little £18 flag down to follow on

Sometimes little jobs lead to bigger ones besides which if the driver had taken that fare then he would be back at the rank quicker ready for another fare it's the age old saying a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

A mile ! Lucky bugger, hardly any of my jobs go further than a mile and any that do are still less than 1.5 miles

We have a regular customer whose journey is no more than 300 yards. Obviously the meter never gets above the flagfall rate of £2.50

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Grandad,

AINT THAT THE JOB ..........................ANY DISTANCE

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

Same with me, the other lads binned a job off because it only goes 300 yards one way and 300 yards return. She's an old woman who goes to Asda once a week. I take her now then pick her up when she's finished shopping. £5 each way if I take her bags into the kitchen for her.

Yes it is.

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Grandad,

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All posts by this contributor are made in a strictly personal capacity

I AM PROUD TO BE A CITIZEN NOBODY'S SUBJECT http://www.republic.org.u

F88K EM ALL WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND

BOOZE BOOZE BOOZE

it does pi$$ ya off mind when you are on the rank for 20 mins or so & some fooker like this just wants to go around the corner, but its the nature of the game i suppose, win some , lose some then come back & rank up for another 20mins wtf is she doing out the house with multiple sclerosis anyway ffs ???

Just because she's got MS doesn't automatically make her a housebound paraplegic many lead normalish lives for many years and can still manage most things

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lack of modern legislation is the iceberg sinking the titanic of the transport sector

chomp