Taxi Driver Online

Welwyn Garden City taxi driver fined for refusing to take a woman home in the dark and rain

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

A taxi driver, who refused to take a woman to her home late at night in the rain, has been slapped with fines and costs of more than £1,000.

Syed Shaheed, 48, of Newark Road, Luton, had, via an Urdu interpreter, denied snubbing Jacqueline Doney’s request to go from Howardsgate to Walden Road – a distance of around 0.7 miles.

He also claimed not to remember the incident, at around 10pm on January 5 this year.

But his protestations cut no ice when he appeared before St Albans magistrates on Monday, and he was found guilty.

The court heard how Mrs Doney had just got off the train at WGC and, not wanting to walk home alone through the woods, had opened the door to Shaheed’s silver VW Sharan, in Howardsgate and attempted to hire him.

Shaheed’s people-carrier was the first cab on the rank, and under the terms of his Hackney Carriage licence it is an offence to refuse a fare to any destination within the Welwyn Hatfield district.

IT worker Mrs Doney told the court: “I went to the taxi rank, to the first taxi on the rank and said ‘can you take me to Walden Road please?’.

“The driver said ‘pardon’ and I said can you take me to Walden Road?’.”

After explaining to Shaheed where her address was, he twice said to her: “I think you should walk.”

Mrs Doney made a note of Shaheed’s number plate ID when she got in the next taxi on the rank, and complained to the council by email.

She later identified Shaheed from a picture of him among another 12 faces.

The court also heard a transcript of Shaheed’s interview with Welwyn Hatfield Council’s Hackney Carriage officer James Vaughan, on January 26, when he was repeatedly told not to shout or raise his voice as he reacted angrily as the evidence was put to him.

Defending, Ann Tayo, said: “Clearly this is a mistake.”

But father-of-four Shaheed, who is the sole breadwinner for his children, wife and ailing mother, was ordered to pay a £250 fine, £15 victim surcharge and the council’s legal costs of £800, by chairman of the bench Alan Burton.

Outside the court Mrs Doney who was left “shocked” at Shaheed’s refusal to take her home, told the WHT: “It was the right verdict.”

Source; http://www.whtimes.co.uk/news/welwyn_ga ... _1_1103423

_________________
Kind regards,

Brummie Cabbie.

Type a message, post your news,
Disagree with other members' views;
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Why the need for an interpreter in court, when he could perfectly understand the council's Hackney Carriage officer, James Vaughan, to the point of getting angry and shouting, when interviewed?

_________________
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.

I think this chap needs to f*** off and do another job.

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IDFIMH

My thoughts to.

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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 think this chap is the tip of a massive iceberg.

CC

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

If he needs an interpreter then how did he get a badge because he would be unable to communicate with the customers ? Or did he think he could fool the court by pretending to not understand English ?

Now if that had happened round here he would never have ended up in court our council listen to complaints of cherry picking and then do nothing about it

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

I know I have always indicated displeasure at drivers needing interpreters for any reason, but I think it's fair to give a little in respect of court procedure and the wonderful words that are used in court.

In many cases the indigenous population could deal with having one.

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IDFIMH

They do - a Barrister or Solicitor are the posh titles.

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Chris The Fish

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlyi5mc ... re=related

That's not the way it works.

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IDFIMH

We get it round here all the time, someone goes upto a certain car then all of a sudden they go to the 2nd car because the 1st car won't take them because they are only going round the corner.

_________________
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

And another country.

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stressed controller!!!

The other week I was sat down the station and a little job came off the train the asian drivers passed them from car to car the punters finally getting into the fifth car which they were ushered to by one of the drivers they looked well cheesed off

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

The officer in this case was Mr Vaughan.

Has no one been informed that Syed Shaheed was acquitted on appeal to the Crown Court?

He was represented by Miss Ann Tayo who ensured My Shaheed's livelihood was restored and the fines slapped on him were returned to sender!

It took the Crown Court only a few minutes to return a not guilty verdict.

Ah so he didn't refuse to take the passenger? Even though she took note of his plate

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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 report hasn't been in any press report, otherwise I think it would have appeared on here.

CC

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