Taxi Driver Online

Brave taxi driver who confronted machete gang STABBED in 1am horror

A taxi driver was stabbed by a 15-strong machete gang – and only survived because of his thick winter clothes. The thugs also rained down blows on Rafaqat Ali after he confronted them when they attacked his car. The brave dad-of-three escaped with his life – but now his terrified children have begged him not to return to work.

The softly-spoken 38-year-old told the Mail: “They meant to kill me.” “They didn’t ask for my money. They wanted to hurt me. “They were all lunging at me, taking it in turns. “I had two T shirts on, a big jumper and a thick coat and that saved my life – my car is full of blood.”

Mr Ali, from Small Heath , was attacked as he waited in his Volkswagen for a fare in Bristol Road South, Northfield , early on Saturday morning. He was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where medics told him he was lucky to be alive. He was left covered with bruises and with stitches in his thigh.

Mr Ali, who works for 24/7 Taxis, is now recovering at home but said his ordeal had left him unable to sleep. His young children – four-year-old twins Haleema and Abdul Rahim and 12-year-old Halim – have begged him not to go back to work.

He said: “I was waiting for a fare and I saw a group of lads aged around 15 to 17. “One jumped on my windscreen and the others started kicking the door. “I got out and said: ‘Come on lads, I’m just trying to make a living.’ “I could have driven off with them on my car but I would have been in trouble if they had been hurt.

“I could see lots of small knives but I’m a big bloke and I was standing my ground and I was throwing a few punches. “I said: ‘I have a family’. “When I saw the machetes come out, I thought: ‘That’s it, get in your car’. “I was still getting kicked as I got in and drove off. “Luckily some people had seen what happened and helped me.

“They called the police and an ambulance. “The adrenalin was rushing and I didn’t feel anything but when the nurses were stitching me, I felt like screamimg. It hurt. “It was scary – I was just trying to earn a living but it could have been game over for me. “I don‘t know how they can sleep. “I’m speaking out so it doesn’t happen to someone else.

“Next time it could be fatal. “I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. “Afterwards, my son Halim kept saying: ‘Please don’t go to work’ – he’s never said that before.”

Mr Ali’s devastated sister Raz Akhtar wept as she said: “ Theres not a part of his body that’s not covered in bruises or wounds. “My brother wouldn’t hurt a fly. “They had no humanity, no remorse. “As a family, we don’t want him to go back to work but he has a mortgage and bills to pay.”

A West Midlands Police spokesman said: “Police are investigating after a taxi driver was stabbed in the leg in Bristol Road South, Northfield, at around 12.45am on Saturday. “The man was assaulted by a group after getting out of his cab and suffered leg and hand wounds which were not life-threatening.”

Anyone with information should call police on 101, quoting crime reference number 20BW/260577D/17.

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IDFIMH

Wonder which is right in that report.

The medics said he was lucky to be alive.

The cops say his injuries were non life threatening.

I’ll go with the medics.

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Former taxi driver

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Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 4.... never get out the car..or cab..

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

no doing the right thing ALWAYS destroys your life he did the right thing by getting out of the car and confronting them I learned that lesson through bitter experience

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Taxis Are Public Transport too

Join the campaign to get April fools jokes banned for 364 days a year !

Your off your trolley.

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Justice for the 96. It has only taken 27 years...........repeat the same lies for 27 years and the truth sounds strange to people!

Could be both.

The stab wounds could have just missed a major artery.

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IDFIMH