Taxi Driver Online

Well we've read plenty about queueing and the like during the pandemic, but it can't get any worse than this, surely


Cabbie found dead in car as desperate drivers live in taxis at deserted Heathrow

https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/c ... e-24112863

A 56-year-old man living in his cab was believed to have been dead for three days before he was found in a feeder park near Heathrow Airport as drivers live in their cars in hopes of just one fare

Desperate taxi drivers are living in their cabs just to collect a single fare each day from desolate London's Heathrow Airport.

One veteran cabbie told the Mirror that the drastic drop in air traffic since the start of the pandemic 15 months ago has caused a 60% drop in income.

Earlier this week the dire situation was highlighted when a driver was found dead inside a car.

The 56-year-old man is believed to have been dead for at least three days.

He was discovered in his sleeping bag in the back of the vehicle on Wednesday afternoon.

It is thought he had not been noticed earlier because there are so many black cabs parked for hours on end at the same location.

Earlier this month the Mirror highlighted the plight of Black Cab drivers who sleep overnight in their taxis as they wait for fares in 24-hour queues at Heathrow.

At the taxi feeder car parks just outside what used to be one of the world's busiest airports, drivers sleep on mattresses in the back of their vehicles to keep their place in their queue.

If they leave their cabs in the line and go home to rest for a few hours they will lose out on the chance of picking up a passenger from the terminal.

Most are arriving in the early hours of the morning in the hope of getting a passenger before nightfall.

Jimmy, 74, who has been a London cab driver for 50 years, said: “He used to sleep here all of the time. He didn't have a healthy lifestyle. It's a terrible tragedy.

“This pandemic has affected all of us though. I got here at 3am, and I'll be lucky to leave by 6pm.

"We know everyone's got their problems, but it's been really bad for us.

"You only get one fare, which might be just £40, and then you can't get back in again within the same day, so that's it for a long day's work.

“You have to pay for your tax, fuel and cab licence out of that. It used to be three times that at least before the pandemic.”

Another driver, Russell Poluck, 76, said: “The private hire cars and Uber have slaughtered us. We have to stay here. We have no other choice."

One driver, who asked not to be named, said: "We are all working very long hours, and trying to keep our families together, and it's very stressful."

A Scotland Yard spokesperson said: “Police were called shortly after 16:01hrs on Wednesday, 12 May to Newall Road, near Heathrow following reports of an unresponsive man in a car.

“Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and a man in his 50s was pronounced dead at the scene. The death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

A Heathrow Airport spokesperson said: “We are aware of and saddened by this incident. Our teams are on hand to support with any Police enquiries.”

Doesnt say much for the state of Heathrows megabucks security system if a corpse can lie unnoticed in a taxi for three days.

Very very sad.

56 is not a veteran, but more importantly exactly how many drivers jumped the vehicle in the queue without even thinking about the driver inside.

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IDFIMH

Indeed, and it might depend on how the feeder area is organised etc.

Our station rank is notorious for sleepers at times, and I've genuinely wondered occasionally if some could be ill or even dead. OK, some drivers have a quick kip, but if you bang on their window, a quick peep on the horn, or whatever, they generally wake up immediately. But some don't.

It's a long time since I've spent much time at the station, but occasionally drivers would drive past other drivers who would be asleep, and even cars from the same office would do it, and it would all just be one big laugh.

Heard one or two stories about drivers just left sleeping on the rank after the last train had gone through, and even when their office had closed for the night.

Of course, even if the driver had died, someone would generally notice within an hour or two. But that's a rank with typically half a dozen cars on it, and the drivers are generally familiar with each other.

But imagine at the likes of Heathrow, and drivers might just go past any driver who they think is kipping, or there might not be much in the way of a managed queue, and the more anonymous environment would mean cars not moving might not be noticed.

So you end up with a driver dead for three days, but no one notices

It says feeder park so if it's like the AVA it would have looked as if he was having a Kip and if the drivers around him were not back for over 24 hours then they might not have realised he hadn't moved

and as for Heathrow how many vehicles are parked for 24 hours or more ? a roving security check might have spotted him byut they don't do that


a very young age to die but sadly it has happened

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

Bit more info on the lad.

https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-lon ... d-20615763

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IDFIMH

So the GMB rep thinks he wasn't lying dead for three or four days after all. Sounds a bit more plausible, but chances are we'll never know the full facts

It's a bit shocking that they are having to fund raise for his funeral

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

Indeed, but that's not to say his family necessarily need the money - it might just be a gesture of goodwill, or similar.

Really?

I suspect half the trade down here couldn't afford the £3/4/5,000 for a funeral.

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IDFIMH