Taxi Driver Online

A radio call for a job to a posh area of Edinburgh.

Driver does callback. No response.

He has to knock the door. On fear of being reprimanded and suspended by the company's Kangaroo Court.

He waits. He can see movement in the house. But no response.

He returns to his cab when he is set upon by a maniac claiming this driver has woken his kids. Driver tries to make off to avoid the lunatic, but said miscreant reaches through the window, pulls drivers arm through and assaults him, bruising him.

Dirver moves forward. Doesn't know what to do.

He could drive away and consider it a lucky escape. But driver knows that the feckwit could call cops and if brought before the council they would not believe him. That's fear.

So, driver calls cops, and waits.

Eventually cops appear. Two plods in a panda.

They interviewed driver for 40 minutes. He shows bruising of arm where he was assaulted.

Cops go to house. Driver expects a long wait.

Cops return after only five minutes.

Explanation is that they can't interview the guy at this time - 9.30 pm - because he is looking after two children who are sleeping. Driver points to female also being in house. Cops ignore this saying they've agreed to come back at a later date.

Get the feeling that if this guy was in West Pilton, Niddrie or Wester Hailes he would already have been wheckled away in handcuffs?

But not in stockbroker belt.

After a month, still no response from the cops.

Seems this guy is higher up the food chain than the cabby. Lothian and Borders cops let him off. That's what they do under Chief Constable David Strang. This is his police force.

Hey, I know how this works. They've done the same to me over a fare refusnik.

Thing is, why should cabbies get less support from the cops than others?

And why should we have to live in fear that if we're involved in an incident, even though not of our making, the council will not believe us, preferring to take our livelihood away to placate a voting public?

Now, all the usual suspects will be throwing their dummies out of the pram and heading to their usual personal put downs.

But knowing what really happens, how many of the numpties on this forum will declare on a mortrgage application form that the council can remove their livelihoods on a heartbeat, and without any compunction?

Think they'd get the mortgage?

But that is what is happening here.

This is real fear.

Cllr Keir, Convener of the Council's Kangaroo Court, the RC or Licensing sub-committee, is a bus driver. He "works" beneath a sign that clearly states "Our employees have the right to work without fear of assault" (or very similar), yet no such protections are afforded to cabbies. And, when cabbies are brought before Keir he stiffs the victim, the cabby. He believes the complainer.

That's why Keir is despicable and contemptible - a complete scumbag.

And why we're expected to live in fear and supplication to the bus driver.

Well, the Skull doesn't.

And nor do I.

How about you?

Anyone doubt that David Strang's Lothian and Borders police force is fundamentally corrupt?

Have you thought of writing a novel?

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

Ah but Jim, surely if you tell your side of the story (spill your guts) before Inspector Frank Smith under a civil procedure but with the weight of a criminal investigation, (we can forget about any rights you may have) when put before the RC, the councillors will take pity on you and may give you the fair hearing you are entitled to. (We can just skip the part about replying to a complaint made against you in writing and go straight to an interview with a police inspector.) You might be under threat of losing the shirt off your back but these are reasonable people who only want to protect your rights and that of the public. And we all know that members of the public never tell lies so what do you have to fear.

I think the best thing to do is to throw yourself at their feet, grovel and beg for forgiveness, even if you've done nothing wrong. You could call it a single response that fits all circumstances before the RC. The councillors always make the right decision anyhooo so what's the problem.

I'm sure Longshanks. Frank Lay, Uncle Tom Casey, Trevor Jones, Toots, Midlander ... all agree.

Know something Toots, your snide comments don't help.

This is not fiction. This is a real story, told to me last night, by a real cabby, with a real fear of not knowing what to do when the public bites him.

His fear is real because he knows that in any incident his council will not heed his version of events and will always side with the public.

That's because he is expendable while the public can vote.

His livelihood is of no consequence to Edinburgh's fascist council.

So this guy expresses his very real fears and concerns, and he doesn't even have the support of his fellow cabbies.

Because cabbies like you (allegedly) come on here and make snide comments about writing a novel.

You are one poor guy Toots. You really should take a look at yoursef.

BTW Do it before YOU lose your own livelihood because your LA puts YOUR livelihood below that of their need to massage their ego by stiffing YOU.

And that's why the Skull refused to speak to an unsubstantiated uncorroborated, frivolous, and malicious allegation.

Of course they do cos now you've expanded on the story.



He fears this because that is what is constantly bantered about by the likes of you. I hope he's kept a clear record of the incident and taken photographs of his arm



There's no 'allegedly' about it. I'm not a taxi driver I'm a private hire driver.



That's not something I need to concern myself with



I think he did it cos he's stubborn and possibly stupid. He could have pushed his HRA issues after the event rather than before it

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

1. No expansion, it was all in the story anyway. You've just not got the wit to understand it. Surprise surprise

2. It doesn't matter what record he's kept. It's his word against the perp. And the cops and the council will believe the perp. What part of this didn't you understand?

3. If you don't think you need to concern yourself with these matters then that's all the proof needed that you truly are stupid. o one who ever comes before the council's kangaroo court thought they ever were going to. And when they do they find they are on there own, being stiffed in private by unskilled politicians with an axe to grind - their egos. It can happen to you.

Because whether it does or not is not in your control. That's the nub of it. You're working away quite merrily and some member of the public, with too much alcohol or drugs, decides to lord it over you. Your mortgage gets paid how when the council takes you licene away from you?

Aye you have to be bright not to see the potential and choose to do nothing about it. NOT!!!!!

4. Public bodies are charged to conduct themselves in compatibility with the HRA. What part of this don't you understand? Skull was right to draw attention to the flaws in the council's process. Having done so they were duty bound to consider it. They didn't. This is a further breach of his rights. I can't wait for the judge in the Judicial Review to consider this.

One thing that you keep saying Jasbar is that the Skull is not doing this for himself but for all of us.
Which of us has asked him to be a martyr and fall on his sword?

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Grandad,

So it's Class War now, jimmy boy.

Your paranoia knows no bounds.

It's nothing to do with wit it was not apparent that it was a true story, I thought you was having another fantasy moment



Of course it matters you idiot. Having some form of record of events and evidence of the assault via photographs is better than sitting there and saying absolutely nothing cos that just gets your license suspended, but you already know that



Strange you should call me stupid when it's the actions of your friend that has caused his license to be suspended. I don't need to concern myself about my license cos it doesn't provide me with my livelihood

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

Then why don't you disappear Toots and leave this forum, and particularly this Scottish section of it, to those who do depend on their licence for their livelihood.

We still have free speech in this country don't we? Just because I'm not dependant on something doesn't mean I'm not entitled to have an opinion. Also because my opinion differs from yours that just means we have a difference of opinion, it is not a reflection on my intelligence or yours for that matter. If you don't want peoples opinion don't post on a forum just keep your thoughts to yourself

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

Toots, in my opinion, you are confusing your desperation to be noticed and to be taken seriously with having a valid opinion. Your “opinion” is more about who you are and not the subject on which you are commenting.

In short, GET HELP!!

Pot and the kettle spring to mind.

You and Jim have thread after thread after thread repeating yourselves and you have the cheek to call me desperate

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

That only sums up excactly what everyone thinks of you and jimmy boy.

Did that not occur to you?