Taxi Driver Online

From time to time the LO come out generally inspecting vehicles/wearing I.D etc of which I do not have a problem, and other times with police presence a total lights/tyres/general check.

For the second time in three years (pre xmas) I have been stopped "once on the way into work" and the second time a fortnight ago having had the vehicle checked was then required to blow into a breathalyser - again not a problem.

Do you guys have that in your check (the breathalyser)?

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

Never heard of a breath test before as part of taxi checks.

Seems to amount to a random breathalyser test, which I didn't think was allowed? Don't you have to have committed a moving traffic offence or otherwise suspected of being over the limit before they can do it?

I had one many many years ago when I used to play football for the local pub team. We'd just finished playing and used to go back to the local pub for a bite of something to eat, do the raffle and all the other crap that comes with playing Sunday morning football I never drank if I had the car with me, on the way home I got pulled over by the rozzers because they'd seen the Taxi parked outside the pub. They asked me if I'd been drinking to which I replied no. Needless to say I passed.

The Law must have changed on Breath tests, Lincolnshire Police are doing early morning random checks right now.

_________________
Former taxi driver

Not been breathalysed this year yet but have been every year till now. Common practice in Glasgow area especially at this time of year and in the mornings. Past week has seen Police roadside checks at chucking out time on main routes out of town. They weren't stopping taxis though, just cars.

Not sure about the random test but as far as I was aware you only have to be in charge of the vehicle with the keys for them to be able to test you, you don't have to have moved anywhere

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

Yes I think every year they breath test a few taxi drivers in lincolnshire but not normally in association with random checks however about 15 years ago one cabbie did get caught out on his day off he called by the office and was asked by his boss to take one of the cars to the garage where they were doing the tests. Stupidly he did and he'd been in the pub needless to say he was breathalysed and lost his license although a couple of years later he was back driving taxis

mind you I think stupidity runs in the family this weeks headlines in the local rag his son has just been jailed for 3 years for drug dealing !

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

Indeed, but I still don't think they can just breathalyse anyone, I think they have to have reasonable grounds to suspect an offence:



http://www.drinkdrivinglaw.co.uk/offenc ... lcohol.htm

I think, for example, that a report from a member of the public might constitute "reasonable grounds" to suspect an offence, irrespective of what's observed by the police.

But if the police officer merely has to "suspect" an offence then clearly that looks like something that will be a field day for the lawyers.

Not sure what would happen, though, if someone failed a breath test but claimed police had no legal grounds for testing him in the first place

Saw a newspaper article as well about police carrying out random stops but then asking drivers if they wanted to do a voluntary breath test.

I wonder if they could draw any inferences if the driver refused to take the test under such circumstances?? Could it give them grounds to 'suspect' an offence, even if there's no other evidence to suggest one?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/cr ... 62810.html

"I asked the driver if he would like to volunteer for a breath test. He replied no, he would not. At this point I could smell alcohol on his breath and I therfore concluded that the driver had been drinking and arrested him for drink driving."

_________________
Grandad,

well this afternoon the police were out doing a speed trap they pulled one of my drivers who was NOT speeding and breathalysed him not surprisingly he was negative

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

We've had the money box out all week round here AKA the speed camera van.

this was 2 plods with their toy ray gun

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

Like CC said in a post of his, they get the same money sat in an office discussing ethnic diversity or how many Lesbians there are in the Taxi trade as they do for a wet Saturday night on the streets.

Police road blocks up last night again on Kelvinbridge both ways but just stopping cars, not taxis. Saw a couple of out of town PH getting pulled last night too by the cops not the enforcement.
Was loads of PH sitting about twiddlin' their thumbs just after midnight, whilst we were busy busy busy

One of Lincolnshire's finest suspended following a failed breath test, according to local BBC news last night.

_________________
Former taxi driver