Taxi Driver Online

Certainly makes the driver look very bad. And, by contrast, the customers very vulnerable.

But wouldn't mind hearing the driver's version of events. And there's more than a sniff of the professional victim here. It's a constant barrage of stuff about disabled children, painkillers, learning difficulties, kids shaking with fear, in danger crossing the road, struggling with shopping blah, blah

But whatever happened, precisely, the driver's been sacked. Of course, the PR and 'optics' required that the driver was dumped, whatever the office think actually happened

And, of course, the press likes this kind of good v evil sort of thing, with nothing inbetween. It's like when someone dies young, and they're portrayed as either the salt of the earth, or the scum of the earth, and not much room for nuance or alternative viewpoints


Taxi driver sacked over incident 'that left mum's disabled kids shaking'

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/st ... nt-7582794

She claimed driver lost it when she asked to be dropped outside her house


Image: Stoke Sentinel

A taxi firm has sacked one of its drivers after a mum complained he'd sworn at her in front of her disabled children and thrown a pound coin at her because she asked to be dropped outside her house.

Kerry Smith said she was with three of her children - two of whom have disabilities - in a taxi operated by Intercity, when she asked to be dropped outside of her house instead of across the road.

She said this was because the youngsters have no road sense and could have been hit by passing cars while she was struggling with her shopping.

But the 39-year-old said when she made the request, the driver became abusive and ended up throwing the money at her.

Intercity has now told Kerry that it has investigated the incident and sacked the driver.

Kerry, from Smallthorne, said: "I have been using Intercity since I was 18. We were fine getting in but he didn't help me with the shopping. He saw us struggling with it.

"I thought 'Ok, fair enough, that's fine, I just want to get home, take my painkillers and get the children in.' He said he was parking on this side of the road and I said I couldn't risk it.

"I explained that they have learning difficulties. He started being really horrible.

"He turned around and said 'I'll f**king drop you here.' My daughter was sitting in the front - she's only nine - she was leaning towards the car door.

"My two young boys were starting to break down. I calmly said 'There's no need for that.'

"He was smacking the steering wheel. He was completely losing his temper.

"I gave him the money and he threw a pound coin at me. My youngest was screaming hysterically."

Kerry claimed that when she got out of the car, all of her children were shaking. She said she struggled to get her shopping across the road and her daughter, Dakota-Rose, stopped her youngest son Jake, six, from running into the traffic.

Finlee, seven, also has learning difficulties.

Kerry then contacted Intercity to complain, and the firm has since taken action.

A spokesman for Intercity said: "Kerry is a very regular customer and has used our services for over 20 years without issue. On this occasion Kerry had a bad experience and was let down by the driver in question.

"Also, the driver has let Intercity down because his actions in no way reflects our companies customer service policy or the other 150 drivers who go about their duties in a very professional manner.

"We have spoken to the driver who denied everything and said that Kerry was happy to be dropped off on that side of the road because she understood about the traffic. We do not accept his version of events and Kerry, as on all the other occasions, should have been dropped off outside her front door."

The spokesman said the firm has given Kerry two free journeys by way of compensation, adding: "We have terminated our relationship with the driver in question.

"We have apologised to Kerry and reassured her that this was an isolated incident caused by a very impatient driver who does not and will not pick up any of our customers again."

you wonder if she has been honest about her side of the story

There is a family locally a bit like her. Mum and dad both disabled with a disabled kid (bad DNA+bad DNA=disabled kid) always lived their life on benefits but are extremely demanding expecting to be given priority over all other customers and complaining if they didn't get that. They were often abusive giving you a right earful over the phone when traffic very heavy and your best wasn't good enough for them. I can understand it if maybe her idea of calm and collected was raising her voice to the driver and telling him in no uncertain terms what his job is !

In the end I banned the local family because I had had enough of their attitude. Some people who are disabled do look down on working people as if your there only to serve them not earn your living

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

The fact that the firm said they don't believe the driver is significant.

That aside any driver who doesn't help a punter with their shopping deserves to be booted out of the trade.

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IDFIMH

When she said the driver 'threw' a coin at her, didn't think she meant in the sense of it being a weapon. Allegedly.


Police probe after taxi driver 'throws coin' at passenger

https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/st ... er-7601736

Kerry Smith has called in Staffordshire Police after the row in her Smallthorne street

Police are investigating reports a taxi driver 'deliberately threw a coin' at a passenger in a roadside row. Victim Kerry Smith called Staffordshire Police following the alleged incident on her Smallthorne street.

The 39-year-old has told StokeonTrentLive that the Intercity driver started swearing and chucked the £1 coin after being asked to stop outside her house. Intercity has investigated the complaint, sacked the driver, and apologised to regular customer Kerry.

Now Staffordshire Police have confirmed that they are investigating the incident. The complaint was made at 11.25am on Wednesday, September 14.

A police spokesman said: "Police were called to an address following reports of an assault. A man deliberately threw a coin at a woman, hitting her on the chest. The victim, a woman in her 30s, was left shaken but unhurt. The man drove away in a white Skoda Octavia. Inquiries are ongoing."

Anyone with any information about the incident should call the police on 101, quoting incident number 243 of September 14, or call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.