Taxi Driver Online

Cabbie demands jewellery after child is sick in taxi

A HEARTLESS taxi driver forced a mother and father to hand over jewellery after their little girl was sick on the back seat of his car. Emma Beagles, of Langley Green, was horrified when the driver demanded £60 to cover the cost of cleaning his cab when one-year-old Rebecca was sick.

Emma and her husband David had expected only a small fare to pick up their six-year-old son from school, and did not have £60 on them. They offered the driver the chance to pick up the money later from their home address. But instead he demanded a hefty deposit. The Alpha Cars driver took Mr Beagles' wedding ring and watch as security.

Mrs Beagles said that she could understand if it had been a drunk teenager throwing up, but not a small child. She said: "I told the driver that my baby was being a little bit sick and he said 'not in my car'. I wouldn't mind, but most of it went on me. "When I told him that we didn't have the money he said we'd have to give him something. At first he even wanted my husband's phone."

Mrs Beagles was worried that there would be no one to look after her son and had to call the school to make sure someone waited with him. Later that evening the driver turned up at the family's house to give back the jewellery and take his money.

A spokesman for Alpha Cars said that £60 is the standard cost for cleaning a car. She said: "When someone is sick in a car it stinks and we have to valet it. Those are council recommendations."

The taxi firm refused to comment further on what happened, and particularly on the driver's behaviour. It refused to release further details about him but confirmed that he had not been suspended and was still driving for the company.

A spokesman for Crawley Council, which licenses taxis in the town, said it was not in a position to comment because what went on between the driver and the passenger was down to the firm in question "unless it was criminal".

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IDFIMH

Well it does strike me as a bit heartless if what happened was as it was reported, but of course it may not be quite as straightforward as that.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Sick is sick.

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IDFIMH

If it was me a lot would depend on how much damage was done and the attitude of the people involved.

For example, I've had people put a little bit of sick only on the floormats or the door sills, which can be cleaned up relatively easily, so I wouldn't ask for much, if at all.

But since if there's a group of people then there's always at least one who thinks it's all a big joke, which clearly doesn't help.

But if there's no real damage then if they offered to pay then I might tell them not to bother, while if they didn't offer anything and/or their attitude stank then I'd be more inclinded to ask for something.

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Taxi Driver Online
www.taxi-driver.co.uk

Have to agree, Sussex, sick IS sick. And it takes a SICK (PH) driver to take a man's wedding ring, whatever the reason.

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Former taxi driver

Really?

Just have to differ. I happen to believe the driver was looking after his interest first and took the ring as a deposit which was returned when the cash was forthcoming.

I wonder how many times he has lost out when taking the soft approach approved by you.

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IDFIMH

I wonder if this driver just thought, " jackpot" when the child was sick. An excuse to demand an additional £60? Last time someone was sick in the back of my Metrocab, he apologised, paid the (£30) official charge, and I went home, opened the doors, and hosed the mess out, and was on my way. Had it been under the circumstances outlined above, there would have been no charge.

As local authorities have no control over PH fares, how legal is a "soiling charge" in a PH, anyway?

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Former taxi driver

In my opinion more legal than a taxi soiling charge.

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IDFIMH

should do what you do to a dog.
rub the kids nose in it.

nah rub the parents nose in it

thats the parents nose in the kids sick

If your driving a black cab they are alot easier to clean the a normal car, but how much of the story is true? we all know what the public are like. By taking the ring at least he know's he's going to get paid.

We have all lost work through people being sick and must don't give two sh*ts!!

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stressed controller!!!

In cases where a cab has been soiled, it is up to the driver to use common sense as to whether it was avoidable or not.

If a passenger has been sick, then the driver should only charge if the sickness was avoidable - i.e brought on by alcohol / drug abuse.

I would say that it is unreasonable to charge after a child has been sick.

We need to remember though, that the parents could well have been unco-operative and may have offered the driver nothing towards cleaning the vehicle. Out of common courtesy, some effort should have been made to compensate the driver.

If the driver has had to clean the cab and the parents of the child have not offered to help him or to compensate him in some way, then I would say that he is well within his rights to charge for the soiling of the vehicle.

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Visit TAXIPIX at www.taxipix.fotopic.net

If one of my children had been sick I would have offered the money up front. The fact I drive a taxi has nothing to do with it. I do not believe the parents of the child did not consider for one minute the cost to the driver but expected not to pay any how. The responsibility lies with the parents. I am sure if they had been forthcoming with the offer of compensation the driver would have responded accordingly.

I had a 90 year old granny in my taxi that was sick after her birthday party. Her sons and daughters were so embarrassed they apologised profusely and couldn’t pay me fast enough. I barely got the chance to say anything.

At the end of the day the job is about going from a-b not cleaning up sick for free or taking abuse for that matter.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

Why?

Does avoidable puke smell any nicer?

Does avoidable puke not require cleaning?

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There's no excuse for animal abuse. If you ain't vegan you are an animal abuser.