Taxi Driver Online

I'm not in favour of CCTV being compulsory, but am all to aware that as a driver I operate alone.... with often only my account against more than one.... most of the time trouble is diffused, but i note one occasion:

Here is a brief summary:
B-) when waiting for a customer, parked in a quite hotel back entrance lane, four beered up numptys arrived and were messing about at the rear of my car... when they happened to move a meter away, i moved my car forward... out of their way, but didn't realise they had placed a pint of beer on my roof.... it fell and broke... which is what they decided to attempt to my head....
..... I calmly blocked twenty punches to head whilst stepping backwards for about 50 meters.... and diffuse the situ.... but one of the four numptys was an 'stirrer' and started to whip up the situ and over came the punchy one to ... "finish unfinished business".
..... I called on the radio for some 'grown ups to come'
..... as soon as they heard the radio responding they left me alone and got in a huddle

when the police arrived:
I gave my account (one person, saying didn't desire violent public behaviour to be on our streets)
They gave their account (four people, saying nothing happened)
.... police concluded that as MORE said nothing happened, then they would go with consensus.... so nothing happened.

I'd managed, in amongst the excitement when the police arrived, to place my waiting customer in another car, so she was cattered for, then when the police decided to ignore what I'd just been subjected to....
..... I was left alone in my car in the lane.
My injuries were internal bleeding from a ripped calf muscle and a finger that was dangling off to one side.... plus a head full of "utter disbelief".
B-) The police did not act on one persons account (drivers are always one person).
B-) Nothing happened.... no twenty odd punches to my head.... no four minutes of sustained violence and threat....
B-) The police happily went on their way.... as "nothing happened"
B-) The four beered up numptys went on their way.... as "nothing happened"
B-) I sat in my car, alone for half hour.... in disbelief and a hint of despair.
B-) I had said what had happened.... THIS ACCOUNT ON ITS OWN WAS INSUFICIENT

Just for info....
I actually have the whole thing on video.... but I am furious that JUST BECAUSE A DRIVER IS A SINGLETON.... the single verbal account is not sufficient and so not acted upon by those that should enforce the law (to enforce civil safe conduct in public)

CCTV is valuable

Sorry this has happened to you. take the footage to the police . you. made one mistake you got out of your vehicle

But I am.

Reduces runners.

Reduces attacks on drivers.

Reduces drivers going the long way on purpose.

Reduces drivers overcharging.

Protects drivers from false accusations.

Reduces the number of drivers illegally claiming benefits.

I could go on, but you get my drift.

The question then is why make it compulsory, and my answer is because the ones who don't need it will have it. and the ones that do need it wont.

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IDFIMH

Better still send the CCTV footage to the police complaints authority and ask WHY these officers did nothing you were clearly injured and have the casualty diagnosis

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

But were the police made aware of the CCTV footage and the injuries? Was he medically examined?

I cannot understand this! Having taken the time and money to install CCTV, the first thing you would say to any officer - LOOK, if you do not believe me - I HAVE IT ON CCTV!!

For them to then walk away would be more than their job is worth - something is not right.

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

Obviously round your manor the police don't treat cabbies as gutter police

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

the footage does present evidence that the police could act upon, but i was dumbfounded that they found it more convenient on the night, to disregard a mention (verbal account) of physical violence because there was only ONE person saying so verses FOUR people saying otherwise..... dispite being informed that the FOUR were the perpetrators of antisicial conduct offence.


Sussex.... a well formed opinion.
you have also included the benefits of cctv being protective of the customers themselves..... there are indeed a few drivers who need 'encouraging to professional etiquette'.... and cctv would indeed monitor this side of things also.
So a good opinion for the compulsary view.... nicely reasoned

well I watch the "Cops on TV" shows and our police always nick the beered-up louts every time








and im the Pope
Ive seen Elvis
Red Rums and Nessie live in our garden
pigs DO fly
Katie Price is a virgin

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

Dusty, edders......
first cop.. (good cop!) came to me... asked injuries and was told two... nothing to show at time... took hour or so to swell and show (not unusual)
second cops (pair of 'rubbish' cops, but were the dominant) went to the four... then announced to me:
announced that I "need to accept an appology then this is sorted"
In my dismay I managed to get out a reasonable sentence:
"If this is how you deal with this, I want an appology for the physical violence as I dislike this conduct on our public streets" (gist of sentence said in calm manner)
The two rubbish ones demanded I stop being troublesome....
I repeated the sentence (horribly isolated but determined to place the 'reasonable' issue)
This repeated 5 times
At the 5th repeat I was cracking and ended shouting it (reasonable words, dispair of good temper now)
I then had to go for cover.... so I pottered off to my car....
.... I knew I was spent, exhausted, of civil conduct, in an unbeleivable outcome.

injuries were dealt with over time at physio and soft tissue specialist.... I am hand to mouth to pay my way through daytime studies.... I improvised and adapted to keep working, driving.


This was couple years ago...... I did mention it was on video...... my cop understood this..... the 2 rubbish ones did not seem to 'hear'.... and I did not repeat the fact.... at this point I concluded "this is just so not right"
you are correct in your last sentence.... something was not right
This 'not right' senario was actually incredibly scarey
As the apology chapter followed (as said above).... I was politely "holding my ground on the issue"

The CCTV system.....
this was a couple years ago..... I am doing science degree at uni (finished) now onto media studies..... and driving my car as PH all spare hours.....
I built myself (for my studies) a roof cam system.... and in my 'own world' I test out small weather proof cams and different lenses from the perspective of above my car roof looking forward. etc.
One of these sytems happened to be running at the time.

Just not right
This 'notion' was probably the scariest thing to deal with..... I opted to prioritise and deal with injuires (bi-product of blocking 20 punches to head)..... note what occurred..... keep driving to finance hand to mouth....
and so to succeed in studies.

perhaps the video and story could be used for education later date to improve 'social conduct' in some way (undecided at momment)

point of post......
verbal account of drivers ALONE is not a trump card..... and we operate ALONE.
CCTV.... legal legit systems.... would benefit when/if needed the most (might never happen)

my description was beered up numptys.... not louts.... they were 'workhard playhard' well-to-do bods.

perhaps the 'not right' influence of the police decision was:
overworked and inconvenienced based
status differential based
friend biased based
'handshake' based

Were they bobbies out on the lash maybe?

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Of all the things ive lost, i miss my mind the most

that's another possible option to the above..... that would create the same feel of outcome turning to 'not right'.

More likely near the end of their shift and not wanting to finish late

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

Er, isn't the whole basis for CCTV to provide evidence and/or corroboration where none exists?

So when it could be useful as in this case it's just ignored and isn't even mentioned?

I think there's something you're not telling us Stephen.

Tell me, when would you have used the footage and for what purpose?