Taxi Driver Online

TURN LEFT THEN NEXT ROUNDABOUT NORMAL FARE..

A STUDENT is being taken to court for failing to pay a £25 taxi fare - after the driver's sat nav took them on a wild goose chase. Heather McCartney's journey should have cost just £5 but the fare soared to £24.80.

The 21-year-old now fears her dreams of working in the US are in tatters if she is convicted of fraud. Furious Heather said: "I've since offered to pay and can't believe it has got this far."

The fare farce happened after Heather was rushed to hospital after suffering an asthma attack. She decided to go to her cousin's house after getting the all-clear - but got one letter wrong when spelling the address to taxi driver Shaun Granger, so his satellite navigation system could not recognise it. Instead of looking for Lorien Court, Heathfield, Ayr, he spent ages trying to hunt for Loren Court.

Heather, of Girvan, said: "The doctor said it would cost about £5 to get to Heathfield. To be fair, I thought the address was Loren Court - but I told him it was in Heathfield and near a park. He couldn't find it and we went round in circles. He eventually drove me back to the hospital, where we found out it was Lorien Court.

"By the time he finally found it we had been driving around for half an hour and the fare was £24.80. "I said I didn't have that. I searched the house but couldn't find cash. "The taxi driver drove away while I was searching and called the police."

Heather - who studies computer animation at Paisley University - was charged for failing to pay the fare on November 20 and appeared at Ayr District Court last week.

She pleaded not guilty to obtaining the hire without paying or intending to pay. Last night her solicitor Peter Lockhart said: "My client has written to the court explaining she is willing to pay and I will be in negotiation with the Crown to see if the matter might be dropped.

"If she has a conviction for fraud she will not be allowed entry to the US, which is a hefty price to pay for something which was not her fault."

Mr Granger, of Prestwick, who drives a hackney for Ayr Black Cabs, refused to comment. Ayr Black Cabs said: "We know nothing about this. Cars are owned by individual drivers, so this is something that would not necessarily come to our attention."

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IDFIMH

I believe her a mistake anyone could make a bit like not having a bolt in your purse , a mobile phone or someone to call at the other end of the journey. Do you think she noticed the little numbers on the meter going up and up

I know Stu is going to hate me for this with him being such a morally guided good guy

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

Personally i agree with you Skull, and lets be honest she never set out to permanently deprive the driver of his fare, so in a fair court she could never possibly be convicted surely

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Legal and proud

Loads a love from BERTIE !!

she fault she had got away with a free cab home.
lets hopr all the publicity makes others think twice.
still if she is banned from the US then she has had a result.

Yes Skull it's a fact that your much talked about sat nav systems are often of little use, nothing to do with morals though,he drove round in circles looking for it before going back to the hospital? not got a phone then? no maps in the vehicle? I looked it up in two seconds, and I dont know the area, it lies approx 70 meters off Heathfield road and is accessed of East Road, I dont understand how that can happen, so nothing to do with morals just common sense, if you look at the index of a map under loren court you presumably would not see an entry for it, but you would probably see Lorien court and using the powers of deduction and reason you think a Taxi driver might have some inclination that it was just a spelling mistake, thats if the story is correct, but embroidering these stories is a bit of a pastime in this country.

Morals?

Why dont you shut the ufck up Cgull or learn to speak English.

And Mike you must be a bit thick as well, do you think Skull is defending her?

There you go boys it was the driver and his sat nav all the time. He deliberately went out to defraud this young woman. It was his entire fault. Not only did he want to drive around for an hour or so without getting paid he even forced the young lady not to come back out the house.

Makes perfect sense to me.

Just unlucky she never got a man of your caliber eh Stu?

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

Stu, I use you as my moral compass in a society of decadence and debauchery. I look up to you Stu and sometimes I go to bed wondering why I am such a bas**** and you are such a Saint.

If only wee could all be like Stu the Edinburgh Cabbie, what a joy life would be.

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

Stu WROTE
And Mike you must be a bit thick as well, do you think Skull is defending her?


No not thick as you put it just reread Skulls post and yes your right, but why the sarcasm no wonder most people only visit this forum and dont post as it would appear that some are only to quick to slate another member, however i think i have a valid point about the last part of my post so i shall leave it at that.

Have a nice day

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Legal and proud

Loads a love from BERTIE !!

I hope you don’t think I was trying to bait "Stu the almighty" into a response and he ended up taking a dig at you? As if I would do such a thing? If Stu has offended you Mike I apologise on his behalf as he is great and I am but a humble servant.

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

No worries

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Legal and proud

Loads a love from BERTIE !!

I hope she gets off - it's entirely reasonable for her not to have the money considering that she thought the journey a short one, and she may well have reasonably considered that there might be money at the house she was going to.

On the information we're provided surely the case hasn't been proved beyond 'all reasonable doubt'.

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

I get in a Taxi and I think it is reasonable to pay. Nothing complicated in that? I watch the meter knowing I don't have the cash? I know I can't pay? I don't then run up a £25.00 bill on the off chance I might come across the money at the other end of my journey, or do I? I then go into the house and don't come back out. I don't expect the Taxi driver to phone the police after an hour's work for squat? The police get involved and just happen to charge me while I am offering the money for my stupidity. I end up in court, the biggest surprise yet.

Is that beyond 'all reasonable doubt or stupidity?

My personal experience tells me that Police Officers are loathed to charge anyone with taxi fraud.

I doubt very much charging this female was not a last resort?

Enough doubt to know she's a lying cow.

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

Got a fare to Gracemount half way there she tells me she has got to go in for the cash. I say ‘no problem’ give me your mobile phone and your house phone number to confirm there is someone there to pay. She replies don’t have a home phone number. I say ‘mobile’ she says no mobile either. I say ‘police station’ give them your address and hand the money in later. We arrive at the police station I tell the officers what the position is. She in turn gives them a lot of abuse. The police officers take her back to the house which ends up in a punch-up with the boy friend.

I then have to give the officer a full statement which takes the best part of an hour.

A few weeks before this goes to court I get a letter from her lawyer offering me the money stating that the fiscal is prepared to let the case drop if I accept payment.

I take the money, she is off the hook.


"Beyond reasonable doubt"

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