Taxi Driver Online

Attacked taxi driver upset with police response




A TAXI driver was attacked and robbed after picking up passengers from a house in Radcliffe.

Paul Nkunzimana was working for United Private Hire when he collected two men and a woman from School Street at around 4.40am on Saturday.

The three people wanted to travel to Whitefield and Paul asked them for a deposit of £5 towards the cost of the journey.

They refused to hand over the cash and instead offered to pay with cannabis, which Paul declined.

The passengers then told Paul that he had to buy some cannabis from them and demanded money from him.

Paul, who lives in Prestwich, said: “I told them that they owed me money for the fare and I didn’t owe them anything. I thought they were joking.”

When he refused to pay, the man in the passenger seat started to punch Paul as he drove the taxi.

He kept his hands on the wheel in the hope that a passer-by would see what was happening, but the passengers used the hand-brake to stop the car in Water Street.

Paul, aged 37, got out of the taxi and was pushed to the floor by the men. They continued to kick and punch him as he lay on the ground.

As he was attacked, the woman searched his taxi and stole his earnings for the day — around £245 — and his mobile phone.

Paul said: “I had no idea that the passengers would do this when I picked them up. They booked with the operator as usual. I was very frightened because I couldn’t fight back against three people. They said they were going to kill me and I was really scared.”

The two men and woman eventually left Paul, who got into his car and drove to the taxi office in Ainsworth Road.

He called the police and an ambulance and was treated by paramedics for cuts and bruises to his hands, legs and face.

Despite being attacked, Paul returned to work on Saturday evening because he needed the money to support his wife and three children.

But he is unhappy that after many calls from the police, he did not see an officer until he went to Bury Police Station on Monday to make a statement.

Paul said: “I was attacked and robbed and I am disgusted that I didn’t hear from the police earlier. I don’t understand why it took so long.”

The police are investigating the incident, though no arrests have yet been made.

Chief Inspector Sean Hogan said: “When the victim reported this offence, just before 5am on Saturday, he told officers that the assault had happened 15 minutes ago, and that he was safely back in the taxi office where he is based.

“At the exact time the response officers who would have been tasked to go and see this man were also being tasked to respond to three other incidents where people were immediately at threat.

“We work on a graded response system, meaning that incidents where there is an immediate threat to life are given a higher priority than other calls.

“This assault was given a grade three response. In an ideal world an officer would have been to see this man sooner, and this was clearly a distressing incident for him, but it would be unfair to suggest that the delay in someone visiting him is due to anything other than officers being very busy elsewhere.”

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Must admit, 99% of the time I have called the police they have been there within 5 minutes!

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stressed controller!!!

As distressing as this is and must have been for the driver IMO getting out of the vehicle once it has stopped was his 2nd mistake his 1st being he never blew an emergency on the radio. To be fair though you just don't know how you will react when faced with something like this. I've been very lucky and never needed assistance but I like to think that I'd know what to do if I did. I don't think I could do the job if I thought otherwise. With regards to the police response once you are out of harms way you will always become less of a priority if something else comes up that needs urgent attendance. I personally have always found police response extremely quick but then I've never needed to ring them on a Friday or a Saturday!!!

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

By jove we agree.

Nice avatar....IMO would be better in pink

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Again we agree but I can't find one in Pink

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Pink!

third row....forth one along

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Today I thought I woke up brunette but obviously it was blonde......

third row..... forth one along what

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

ROFLMAO

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

glad you think you're funny

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

No, my humour is shared, because unlike cab plates, I'm a very sharing person

CC

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I did have to google the letters to get the meaning but as I said I must have woke up blonde and you still haven't told me what you mean

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

It would be bereft of me to click the link and proceed to point to the aforementioned playboy bunny with heaving hooters!

CC

_________________
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

Who the f*** keeps £245 on them or in the car at 4am?

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Life? Don't talk to me about life!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjm2eslm6hI

Don't you carry a float of change?

The chances are that he was 10 hours into a 12 hour shift + as GBC indicates - ones float. You can hide money around the car but in my case I live 10 miles away so going home half way through a shift is not really an option.

So there you are, more police on the streets - crime is down so we are told and you still do not see a copper unless you go to see them.

If crime is down then you do not need more on the streets, you need less but there again that's politicians for you.

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if you cannot be yourself, then who can you be.