Taxi Driver Online

Thugs did this to cabbie Ken, 77, for £11: Southend taxi driver badly beaten by teenagers



Thugs did this to cabbie Ken, 77, for £11

A TAXI driver aged 77 was badly beaten by teenage thugs who refused to pay an £11 fare.

Kenneth Wolfe, of Chalfont Close, Leigh, was left with a broken jaw, broken eye socket and two lost teeth after he was punched and kicked after making a drop-off outside the Sainsbury’s store, in London Road, Southend.

One of the passengers pretended to get the fare from a cash machine before he and the other passenger ran off.

Kenneth was attacked after getting out of his taxi to demand his fare, and shockingly a third man, believed to be a homeless person, joined in.

Kenneth was taken to Southend Hospital by ambulance and later transferred to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford, because of his severe facial injuries. He is now recovering at home.

Kenneth, who worked as an auditor before becoming a taxi driver 30 years ago, said: “I’ve only tried to get people home and it’s a good profession, but this has always been a worry.

“They had no money and obviously wanted to get to Southend without paying, but it shocks me they think beating up someone of my age is a bit of a laugh. I’ve been doing late nights, but I think I’m going to do days now.”

His wife, Myra, said: “He didn’t want to stay in hospital, so the police took us home, but he may have to go back to hospital to mend the breaks because one is just below his eye and there’s a leakage of the jelly from around the eye.

“One of the injuries is to the soft palette under his mouth, so he’s finding it difficult to eat. The doctors are hoping that in six weeks it will start to mend.

“The bruising is horrendous and he can’t get out of bed because he aches all over. The whole thing is beyond belief, but everyone at the police and the hospitals were so supportive, we can’t thank them enough.”

A police spokesman said: “Detectives are investigating an assault in Southend.

A 77-year-old taxi driver picked up two men from the Golden Cross area of Ashingdon shortly before 11pm and drove them to Sainsbury’s, in London Road, Southend.

“The two men refused to pay their £11 fare and, after the man had asked them for the money again, they assaulted him, kicking him in the head and leaving him with severe facial injuries.

“The two men were joined by a third man, believed to be a local homeless person.”

Kenneth’s Ford Mondeo taxi is now being examined by forensics officers.

His attackers were white, in their late teens and were wearing dark clothing.

Anyone with information about the attack, which happened at about 11.25pm on Saturday, can call detectives at Southend police station on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555111.

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

Why try to take on people who are much younger than yourself? I know it isn't nice when someone runs off without paying but it isn't worth getting beaten up for. I made the decision long ago to let runners go and report the matter to the police in the hope that one day they will be caught. I made this decision after the second time I had a runner and I did chase the 2 lads. It was when I drove away that I started to think what could have happened if I had actually caught them. I look at it from the view that I will always make more from tips than I will lose from runners.

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Grandad,

I found myself running through my own estate here.......after 50 yards I wondered why the hell I was running after someone for a fiver considering I had a heart attack 3 or 4 years ago - it also struck me as to what I would have done if I'd caught the culprit, beaten him?

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

Because the adrenaline takes over.

I think we have all thought 'right you c****', and done something we would never rationally do.

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IDFIMH

Agree with sussex there,its ok when you think about it.Keep calm and write it off.But if you get the old red mist and adrenaline kicks in.I find the most rewarding senario is when you spot one on there own at a later date.

Hope them bagstards die a slow painfull death by cancer. Dont chase runners just put it down on your books as a loss or theft

I don't suppose it ever occurred to you, that no one should have to work in an environment and be fearful of attack.

And that means, if you need CCTV, a vehicle with a cage or a panic button of some sort or all three, then so be it. Your council should be making sure that you are protected from the above.

A 77-year-old guy picking up scumbags, without any protection whatsoever, and you all see it as his fault for getting out of the taxi. Maybe if there was CCTV in the cab, these scumbags would have thought twice about getting in the taxi in the first place.

Deary me....

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

its not his fault at all hes trying to earn some dollar thats all BUT HE HAS BEEN NAIVE

rule no1-never ever get out of the car in a dispute

rule n02 see rule 1

and so on and so on.

There was no dispute to speak of, at least, not for these scumbags. As they never intended on paying this old driver in the first place and giving him, a kicking was just a bonus.

Why do you think they have CCTV, in buses and public buildings, if not for prevention and prosecution purposes?

Deary me... you lot will accept any old [edited by admin] and still see the problem as your own. "It was the drivers fault because he got out of his car."

Honestly, you need your heads looked at. In any other line of work this would be an unacceptable consequence of "just doing your job."

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

skull

in utopia you are right but we arnt and im telling you wether you like it or not he was very naive to get out of his vehicle.
its a shame but thats the world we live in and us cabbies can be an easy target and you have to be mindful of that.

No. What you have to be mindful of is your acceptance of what should be an intolerable situation. And it’s your lack of expectation, which paints a target on your back.



The shame is, as a cabby you demand less from the public and society as a whole when it comes to how you expect to be treated, whether it is from the council or some mindless thug in the back of your taxi.

No 77-year-old man should be driving a taxi without CCTV, operating in the vehicle and the fact, there is no moral outrage or councillors stepping in to take action, proves my point.

"After all, it's just another cabby that's taken a beating, what do you expect. It's part and parcel of the job."

Aye Tangers, there is more than one kind of naivety...

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

if you say so

If an attack like that happened to a cop, fireman, councillor, council employee, coach or bus driver while carrying out their work. They would have moved heaven and earth to catch the culprits? And not only that, there would have been a full investigation into making their working environments safer.

You see Tangers. You don't expect better treatment so therefore, what you get is no more than you deserve.

After all, you're just a taxi driver and that makes you the sh*t on everyone's shoes.


Oh and thanks for proving my point.

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All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.
George Orwell, "Animal Farm"

if you say so

Please excuse my ignorance but im begining to see what skull is geting at here. we have a duty of care towards our passengers but who has a duty of care for the drivers is it the driver as there self emloyed or the council who issue the plates. And i agree that if it was any other proffesion then it would be public news and they WOULD be caught