Taxi Driver Online

Is this Britain's worst taxi driver? Aggressive cabbie whose car smelled of poo stripped of licence

Brian McKinstry cut across lanes and roundabouts, leaving passengers terrified

An “awkward and vindictive” taxi driver has lost his bid to have his licence reinstated - after a hearing was told his cab smelled off faeces.

Brian McKinstry’s driving was also erratic and he cut across lanes and roundabouts, leaving passengers terrified, Rugby Borough Council heard.

Over a two-year period, McKinstry was accused of using threatening and abusive language, falling asleep while driving and making a council officer cry after nearly colliding with a van on a roundabout.

The town’s licensing and safety committee revoked his licence to drive Hackney carriages and private hire vehicles after finding he was not a “fit and proper” person to drive a taxi.

But while lodging two appeals, the 45-year-old was allowed to continue driving.

Complaints racked up against McKinstry in that time and this week his appeal was dismissed at a crown court.

Recorder Michael Burrows QC said was “temperamentally unsuited to work driving members of the public” and “could be and often was awkward, combative, belligerent and even aggressive”.

Complaints against McKinstry, of Regent Place, Rugby, included:

• In December 2014, a motorist alleged McKinstry had verbally abused him after failing to allow his cab to pull out into traffic. McKinstry denied using abusive language during the incident, but under cross-examination, while insisting the motorist had started the exchange, admitted he “threw abuse” back.

• In February 2015, a disabled mother and her son were passengers in his cab. McKinstry was accused of being arrogant, rude and disrespectful when asked by the mother if he was allowed to run the meter while she was loading her shopping. He admitted he “might have been a bit rude” when quizzed by a council licensing officer.

• In August 2015, McKinstry was caught on CCTV having a confrontation with a fellow cab driver at the taxi rank in North Street. The CCTV footage failed to show what prompted the altercation,but McKinstry was seen to approach the driver’s car and put his head through the open window in a threatening manner.

And In January 2016, an officer of the council, who McKinstry regularly took to and from work, noticed a strong smell of faeces in McKinstry’s cab.
Once home, the officer sent an email to the taxi company McKinstry worked for to report the smell.

Later in January, after picking up the officer to take her to work, McKinstry quizzed her about the email. Giving evidence to the court, the officer said McKinstry had an aggressive tone and was angrily waving his hand at her during the conversation.

McKinstry then turned the cab’s radio on at high volume and, when asked to turn it down, he again became aggressive before turning the radio off.

During the journey, McKinstry asked her for directions despite having taken the officer to work on a number of occasions and, at a roundabout, he pulled into the wrong lane.

After the officer pointed out the need to turn right at the roundabout, McKinstry started to change lane before nearly colliding with a van.

In evidence, the officer told the court McKinstry waved his hands in the air “in rage” following the near miss, leaving her “too petrified to speak.”

On arrival at work, the officer broke down in tears.

In November 2016, McKinstry picked up a passenger from Cineworld at the Junction One Retail Park.

The passenger alleged that McKinstry seemed to be asleep when she got into the cab.

After starting the journey, the cab twice drifted on to the other side of the road, on one occasion hitting the kerb.

When questioned about the incident by a licensing officer, McKinstry admitted he “may have been a bit tired” and “may have clipped a kerb.”

Speaking after the hearing, Coun Kathryn Lawrence, chair of the licensing and safety committee, said: “We have a duty to ensure all taxi drivers in Rugby comply with the terms and conditions of our licensing policy, which places paramount importance on the safety of the public.

“Taxi drivers hold a position of trust and have a duty of care, and when drivers fail in this duty we have no hesitation in revoking their licence.

“I am pleased a crown court judge agreed with our reasons for revoking Mr McKinstry’s licence, and the case has now been drawn to a close.”
McKinstry was ordered to pay costs of £1,333.

source: http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/b ... e-12327096

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

What is the matter with these people?

Thank f*** the trade is rid of him.

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IDFIMH

working too many hours and getting very tired and ratty as a result he didn't know when to stop

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

These kind of people are getting licensed on a regular basis due to the watering down of Taxi (hackney carriage)driver standards, the same applies to the private hire section whose standards are diminishing at an alarming rate by pressures put on Councils by private hire operators who are only interested in one thing namely money.

At the rate standards are disappearing we will be back too or even a worse level than pre 1847 times.

There you have the edge on me. Even I wasn't around in 1847.

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Grandad,

But they ran on green energy then.

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IDFIMH

But still produced greenhouse gases.

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Grandad,

sounds like my kinda guy tbh

Plenty of guys in my manor would be your type.

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IDFIMH