Taxi Driver Online

This headrest thing sounds a bit bizarre on one level, but to a degree I can identify with it.

But someone in the comments wondering how the driver wouldn't have noticed all this going on, but if you've got eight pished up lads (or lasses) shouting and bawling, then even the noise makes it difficult to know what might be going on, never mind the stress also acting as a distraction.

But this is one reason I've always stuck with saloons rather than the bigger vehicles, which must comprise almost half the trade around here, without there being any rules or higher fares that might incentivise bigger capacity vehicles. (We've no fare premiums for larger cabs or more passengers.)


Grimsby taxi driver stops working after midnight after men vandalise his cab

https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/news ... ng-6055283

He's been a driver for 27 years - and has had enough of the disrespect shown to taxi drivers


Image: Grimsby Live

A Grimsby taxi driver has vowed never to work after midnight again after his vehicle was vandalised by drunken revellers.

Andrew McArthur, 59, has been a taxi driver for 27 years, but says he's now had enough of people treating him and other drivers with disrespect.

After taking a group of men from Grimsby to Cleethorpes, Andrew noticed six headrests had been removed from the back of his taxi. He then spent the next three and a half hours looking for them.

On top of that, the passengers also brought drinks into the car without Andrew knowing and spilt them all over the interior of the vehicle, leaving him to foot a cleaning bill.

Andrew said it's like nothing he's ever seen in his time as a taxi driver, but he says the lack of respect shown by some people is the reason there is an apparent shortage of taxi drivers in Grimsby and Cleethorpes.

He said: "On Friday September 27, I picked up seven young men from The Jubilee Inn, Grimsby and took them to Cleethorpes High Street.

"Unbeknown to me, they decided to have some fun during the journey and threw all my head rests out the window.

"It is actually a criminal offence to do this and a danger to life.

"Once I realised what had happened, I had to backtrack the entire journey, hunting down the headrests.

"After three and a half hours, I decided to give up after only finding three of the six.

"I went out the following morning and managed to find another two and another taxi driver managed to find the other one.

"Three of them are badly damaged, with one being completely unusable. It's such a danger too, if a car was to run over one of them on the road it could have flicked up and hit someone, killing them."

Following the incident, Andrew has taken the decision to no longer work past midnight to stop things like this from happening again. He explained: "After that, I won't be driving taxis late at night ever again.

"After 27 years, nothing really surprises me, but that threw me completely. I don't understand why they've done this, There's no respect from people for others property and they're ruining my livelihood.

"They also brought drinks into the car and left a load of glass on the floor. I've had enough, regardless of how busy it is, I'll go home at midnight now.

"I know a lot of drivers feel the same too. They show us no respect and people wonder why they can't get taxis late at night.

"It's so annoying that someone has done this, they've disrespected me and thought it was all a joke when it really isn't."

There is already a shortage of taxi drivers in Grimsby and Cleethorpes, particularly those working late at night.

Earlier this month, Grimsby Live revealed a shortage of taxi drivers led to people walking long distances following a night out.

A group walked a couple of miles through the streets of North East Lincolnshire in fancy dress on Saturday night after being told they would have to wait until the next day for a taxi.

The taxi driver shortage was first highlighted in the summer when operators said the lure of up to £50,000-a-year in earnings was not attracting sufficient numbers of applications.

They say the problem is set to get worse as Christmas approaches.


Image: Grimsby Live

I tend to only do the later runs for people I know and trust, but then again I live in a small town not a city.

He is PH , should have contact details pass them to the police .

Kind of thing many a driver wouldn't report, if only because they think police wouldn't be interested.

You're right, though, if police were interested then presumably they'd be able to trace them.

Of course, it may have been a PAYG phone or whatever, or using a payphone, and according to the comments on the website it's well known as a dodgy pub

Pub booking I suspect, but it is an avenue for the police should they be arsed.

CCTV would have helped.

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