Taxi Driver Online

Top cop blasts boozed-up thugs for royal party riot as taxi driver fights for life

May 1 2011

A police chief yesterday condemned booze-fuelled mayhem at an unofficial royal wedding party and called for government action to tackle Scotland's drink problem.

Strathclyde chief constable Stephen House spoke out as a taxi driver fought for his life after his cab crashed with a police van racing to the party riot.

Friday''s disturbance in Glasgow''s Kelvingrove Park led to 22 arrests and 11 officers being injured.

House said: "The scenes are nothing short of a disgrace. On a day when the whole country was bathed in sunshine and united in celebration, a group of drunken louts brought violence to our city and shame to our country.

"I have said this over and over again. Something needs to be done about our relationship with alcohol. Whoever forms the next government must do something about it.

We've talked about action for too long. The time for talk has passed. We cannot go on like this."

The injured 65-year-old taxi driver was last night in intensive care in hospital after the crash involving his Fiat Doblo and the police Ford Transit at the junction of Dorchester Avenue and Great Western Road at around 5.40pm on Friday.

The taxi's passenger and two officers were treated for minor injuries.

The driver was rushed to the city's Western Infirmary where doctors yesterday described his condition as serious.

Officers from Fife Constabulary are to be drafted in to investigate how the accident happened.

Liam Hastie, 28, of Anniesland, Glasgow, said: "I walked passed the crash just a couple of minutes after it happened. The airbags in the police van had been deployed and both vehicles looked wrecked. I knew right away it was serious and someone had been badly injured."

A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said the police van had its emergency lights and siren in use at the time.

Around 5000 revellers headed to the open-air party which had been organised on Facebook to celebrate Prince William's marriage to Kate Middleton.

But violence erupted when thugs started throwing bricks, bottles and cans at police. They also smashed up police vehicles and vandalised them with spray paint.

Mounted police had to charge at yobs. The park was finally cleared at around 9pm - four hours after violence erupted.

Two men appeared in court in the city yesterday on charges connected with the disturbance.

Raymond Clarkson, 24, of Maxwell Drive, Glasgow, was remanded in custody after he pleaded not guilty to throwing a glass bottle into a crowd of people and possessing cannabis.

Jordan Sweeney, 20, of Glasgow Road, Milngavie, was bailed after pleading not guilty to obstructing police and swearing and shouting homophobic insults at officers.

Sweeney is due to appear in court again on June 29. Clarkson will appear on May 31.

Source; http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/2011/05/01 ... -23099620/

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Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
But please, do have some decorum,
When debating on the TDO Forum.

IMO they should police the sales of alcohol much better than they do at the moment.

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Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.

Believe me, don't get Mercury X2

I've always been of the opinion that the age for legal drinking should be 21. Whilst I appreciate it won't solve all problems it is a lot more difficult to look and act 21 if you aren't than it is to look and act 18. I also think that stores should have the alcohol in a completely sealed off area so that it is not on view to youngsters or at least they cannot get access to these areas without passing through store security. The stores and shops should ensure that youngsters are not tempted by their [edited by admin] sales and advertising techniques.

I hope the driver makes a full recovery

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

Drink manufacturers make a fortune out of alcohol abuse. They even target the very young through alcopops and the like to create their next generation of alcohol abusers. The retailers such as Tescos and Sainsburys also make big bucks and both manufacturers and retailers lobby the government, and of course the government collects a huge amount of revenue out of the proceeds.

Now why the feck would drink manufacturers, retailers and the government want people to drink sensibly? Oh don't tell me they've all got our best interests at heart and that of our children.


Of course the truth could be that it's all about profit. And the government for all their pious rhetoric doesn't really give a shi* because it's their chums in big business that really come first.

All these campaigns about alcohol abuse and drinking sensible is merely window dressing by politicians. If they really cared, you would think that banning alcopops would be the the top of their political agendas. Only I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that to happen.

This shows why cops should butt out of politics. It's got noithing to do with this cop.

Most youngsters conduct themselves reasonably, if somewhat boisterously. Not everyone who drinks does so irresponsibly. So why should they be affected by the minority.

Fact is tat alcohol is used as a palliative for appalling social standing and aspirations.

Mass unemployment, particularly amongst youth is a prime reason why alcohol is abused.

Kids leave school with no aspirations, no standards and liuttle prospect of meaningful work. The work ethic is either missing from the outset, or quickly lost anyway.

But our erstwhile cop won't recognise the real source of the problem. He doesn't have the wit to understand what really needs to be done. Which is why he should butt out and just do his job. Putting the micreants before the court, and courts which should be channelling punishment into constructive rehabilitation rather than short term incarceration in our universities of crime.

Alcohol abuse is a direct result of the appalling society we have created. We are all responsible. The hang em and flog em brigade contribute nothing to real debate about how we should be shaping our society, to foster ambition, to give real direction.

parents are failing, education ius failing and our government is failing. Alcohol and drug abuse is the conequent effect, not the cause.

Unfortunately you're right Skull. Money always talks regardless of who is in power

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

Why "unfortunately" son?

Quite simply because I do think it is unfortunate that that is the way the system is

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

A wee lassie I knew who served in a small shop with a drink licence was charged for selling alcohol to an underage teenager. She was back working after a long period of depression and was still on the happy pills. I don't really think she had a clue what she was doing.

I had the opportunity to speak to the officers who mounted the sting operation by using a 17 year old boy to make the purchase.

I pointed out all what I've written above. They appeared a little embarrassed but accepted what I said was true. Even so, they then gave me the “we are just doing our jobs and following orders” routine. I said so were the Nazis at the Nuremberg Trials. Needless to say their response to my comment was a little less cordial.

Suffice it to say, who do the police serve, the people, the government or big business, and who do they protect.

The system is the way it is because you and, others like you, allow it.


And that's where we differ. I just can't sit back and allow the system to get away with what it does. That's why I call a spade a spade.

And that's why I may not be the most popular guy on the planet.

But I rather protest that be a sycophant.

For example, some people saw a royal wedding. I saw privilege, inequality, domination, inequality and injustice.

So, how did you see it Toots?

Well I didn't watch it at all. Having said that I quite like having a royal family, that doesn't make me a bad person nor does the fact that your views make you any better a person than I. Unlike you I don't think my opinion is any more superior than yours. Like you I see the royal family as privileged, but, I don't have a problem with that. I'm not envious of such privilege in fact their quite welcome to it. Other than dominating the tv recently I'm not sure as to why you made that comment and of course there is inequality but it's not an inequality that bothers me. I like my life so I don't see myself as deprived in any way. It appears you want so much that you don't have you're never going to be happy.

Anyway this isn't about me or you it's about the unfortunate accident that was caused indirectly from excessive alcohol use. Do you believe if we were all equal in every way there wouldn't be a problem with alcohol misuse?

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

The headline read "Top cop blasts boozed-up thugs for royal party riot as taxi driver fights for life"

Strange that nobody, neither the chief constable, the Daily Record, those great founts of wisdom - Skull & Jasbar, not one post mentions that it doesn't really matter about alcohol in this case. What matters is that an accident left someone fighting for their life.

Surely the concern here is the driving standard and/or ability of both the cabby and the police officer. It matters not one iota that the police vehicle had lights and sirens on, they only allow him to ignore road traffic laws, SAFELY. The law still holds the driver of such a vehicle responsible should he be the cause of an accident.

So why is alcohol abuse more important here? Or does talk of it deflect attention from a lack of driving skill? Having said that, it still might be the cabby's fault. we just don't know but we can hope that he lives to tell the tale and I for one wish him well.

what kind of glasgow "cabbie" drives a fiat doblo ?

"Top cop blasts boozed-up thugs for royal party riot as taxi driver fights for life"

I take that you not only missed the title but the rest of the post too?

Don't worry Swannee. With 6 billiuon other souls on the planet I'm sure there will be someone stepping into cover hois shifts soon.

No probs for the owner then.

Or are you saying that you actually care about someone else other than yourself?

I'm not sure that my imagination could stretch that far.