Two-thirds back action of hackney driver after boy fell ill with nut allergy on way to hospital.Ethan McColgan, 12, from Huyton, who suffers from a nut allergy, had to be rushed to hospital by his mother, Joanne, pictured. They've compared the driver of the black cab they took to A&E as 'scrooge' after he followed them into the hospital and demanded more more after Ethan had been sick in his cab. Photo by James Maloney
A row over a taxi driver asking a mum for a £25 fouling charge as she took her sick 12-year-old son to hospital has resulted in ECHO readers backing the cabbie.
Joanne McColgan, from Forfar in Scotland, claimed the driver stopped at a cash point when she told him she didn’t have enough money for the fare from Liverpool city centre to the Royal Hospital .
The 45-year-old mum also slammed the cabbie for asking for an extra £25 for what she described as “a tiny bit of vomit” in the back of the vehicle.
Ms McColgan alleged the driver followed her into the hospital, badgering her for the penalty charge.
The cabbie’s version of the story was different – denying stopping at a cash point, and explaining how he gave the mum a heavy-duty plastic bag for her poorly son Ethan to avoid the fouling fee.
The driver, from Anfield , claimed vomit was pooling all over his cab, and the damage needed five boiling kettles of water to clean it, and a new carpet costing £50.
Ethan McColgan, 12, from Huyton, who suffers from a nut allergy. Photo by James Maloney
Today, ECHO readers who read both sides of the story came down in favour of the cabbie.
Some 68% voted in favour of the taxi man , while 32% sided with Ms McColgan.
One reader said: “Should have called an ambulance, as a qualified healthcare practitioner could begin treatment on site, or en-route to A&E.”
Another replied: “A worker shouldn’t pay to clean someone else’s vomit up, when there are known by-laws stating that the customer has to assume the cost of this damage.”
Ethan, who has a nut allergy, started getting unwell after drinking a milkshake and began to struggle to breathe during a Christmas trip to see his gran in Huyton .
Ms McColgan described the cabbie as “worse than Scrooge”, but the cabbie hit back.
He said: “At the end of a day, I’m a taxi driver providing a service to the public and I’ve provided that service to the public. What more can I do?
“People have to take responsibility and be accountable.”
Liverpool council , who were contacted about the complaint, said they would investigate.
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/scrooge-cabbie-echo-readers-side-10712427
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